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Turtle Bay Hotel To Set New Standards With Prestigious Certification | |
| Sumita Pawar |
A report says Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has become the first Saudi hospitality entity to achieve the prestigious Green Key certification for its Turtle Bay Hotel at The Red Sea.
Turtle Bay Hotel is a self-operated property with 90 employees, 50% of whom are Saudi nationals from the local community and 30% are Saudi females.
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The hotel was officially opened in September 2021 and is an advocate for training young Saudi talent entering the hospitality sector.
"As we shape the blueprints for regenerative, responsible tourism, we continue to root our efforts in transparency and accountability," remarked its group CEO, John Pagano.
"The Green Key certification demonstrates we are being true to our word and living up to the expectations we set for sustainable growth. Such critical evaluations are key to holding us to account while galvanising the sector towards a collective journey into a new era of regeneration," he stated.
Commenting on RSG’s pioneering approach, the report said the world’s leading independent certification for excellence in sustainable tourism was awarded to the hotel in recognition of exceptional efforts towards environmental protection, conservation, and regeneration, as driven by RSG’s pioneering approach to responsible development.
According to Pagano, the hotel was independently assessed by Green Key Global, a leading international environmental certification body, which conducted a rigorous audit that tracked against 77 criteria across 13 applicable categories.
It is powered by RSG’s wider vision to run all operations on 100% renewable energy and deliver a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040 through the protection and enhancement of key habitats crucial to biodiversity.
The Turtle Bay Hotel makes optimal use of all natural resources. For instance, strategies are in place to ensure zero waste is sent to landfills, and we eliminated single-use plastics, replacing non-recyclable packaging that works in parallel with circular processes to prioritise recycling and reuse. The hotel also minimises water consumption in every aspect, he noted, as stated in the report.
According to the report, three resorts at the Red Sea will open this year, along with the first phase of the Red Sea International Airport to offer domestic flights. A further 13 hotels will open next year, and upon full completion in 2030, the destination will boast 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.
The destination will also include luxury marinas, championship golf courses, entertainment, F&B, and leisure facilities.