Por Jessica Acevedo Alfonso 
Sustainability and the full enjoyment of its customers in an environmentally friendly environment are premises that always go hand in hand at the Iberostar Varadero Selection Hotel. In this facility, a pioneer on the island in the practice of sustainable tourism, its workers take seriously «the idea that the planet is an increasingly better place for its inhabitants and future generations.
So much so that they have proposed reaching 2025 with zero waste and 2030 neutral in carbon emissions, for which they have drawn up their strategy based on the Wave of change movement, which contributes to the better health of seas and oceans with actions that allow you to enjoy the holidays and be respectful with the environment.
It is a practice to which visitors adapt easily, although at first it is strange to them, because this type of tourism that coexists in harmony with nature and the environment is not daily.
The Iberostar Varadero Selection Hotel, belonging to the Spanish hotel chain Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, has 388 rooms and offers an all-inclusive holiday service, with dining options almost 24 hours a day.
A WAVE OF CHANGE
When the deadline for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals approved by the United Nations is almost over, and many countries are still lagging behind in their fulfillment, the Iberostar Varadero Selection is working meticulously to contribute to this strategy that guarantees global sustainability, the reduction of hunger, poverty, inequality and care for the environment.
According to Manuel Vázquez Crespo, from the Wave of Change movement, which contributes to the better health of seas and oceans, they have given priority in the institution to three fundamental lines: eliminating single-use plastics, sustainable fishing and the protection of the dune.
«Since 2019 the hotel has no single-use plastics. We incorporate gel, shampoo and soap dispensers and water is also bottled in glass containers. For this, we built a water bottling room with its sanitary certifications, nylon bags were eliminated and other alternatives derived from paper were sought,» adds Mauryn Ojeda Águila, quality specialist at the hotel.
The second line in which they work is the promotion of sustainable fishing. In that sense they defend that the species to be consumed come with their quality certificate and are fished in the established time and not in closed season. In addition, do not ingest those in danger of extinction.
The third line is the protection of the dune, of great importance if we take into account that many hotels are located in marine environments. Thus, they strengthen ties with the Environmental Services Center of Matanzas and develop actions aimed at collecting waste that appears on the beach and sand and controlling invasive plants.
«In this effort we often involve customers, workers and the community in the repopulation of native plants of the peninsula, with the CITMA project Adopt a tree and save the dune, of which we are part,» explains the quality specialist.
SUSTAINABILITY
Reducing, recycling and reusing as much waste as possible, with an emphasis on the circular economy, is another purpose of this facility.
«We had elements that we did not know how to recycle and from conversations with different institutions such as the Raw Materials Company we have been able to dispose of cooking grease, batteries, porcelain, bottle corks, so that they can be part of other processes,» says Vázquez Crespo.
They also implement energy management systems to optimize air conditioning and lighting through technology, in order to reduce the consumption of hydrocarbons in electricity generation.
«We have installed two solar panels in our network, one for the heating of the spa pool, and we are finishing massive solar panels to heat the water that helps us generate sustainable energy.
«Sustainability is already embedded within the Company’s mission and values. We provide quality tourism services, encompassed within the framework of that premise,» adds Vázquez Crespo.
This sustained work has earned them important recognitions, including the Provincial Quality Award, the National Environment Award and the Ibero-American Quality Award. which shows that tourism can be sustainable and at the same time friendly to the environment.
Translated by Casterman Medina de Leon