Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Hospitality rises in Langkawi

 

From left: Tourism Productivity Nexus’ Rohizam Md Yusoff, United Nations Development Programme’s Niloy Banerjee, Anthony Wong, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners’ Shaharuddin M Saaid, and Langkawi Development Authority’s Azmil Munif Mohd Bukhari

A green-certified resort on Langkawi Island, Cottage By The Sea by Frangipani Langkawi, has recently established itself as the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Hospitality, with support from Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) and UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Owner and operator, Anthony Wong, has developed an efficient system to clean polluted water, including raw sewage and waste cooking oil into potable water in four days, as well as desalination using a special bio-engineered constructed wetland – all without using any energy.

This system has been recognised by the government of Malaysia and is included in the 12th Malaysia Plan.

Wong is also a consultant for an ongoing water treatment project in the tourist hubs of Pantai Tengah and part of Pantai Chenang. Funded by the state government to treat wastewater, the hubs are deploying the same system Wong has developed.

Wong shared: “Access to clean water is a perennial issue with islands all over the world. We are ready and willing to share our know-how on creating clean potable water with governments in South-east Asia and elsewhere, as well as with the private sector and non-governmental organisations.”

Wong has also developed a train-the-trainers programme, and intends to reach out to ASEAN Tourism Association to send interested members for training.

The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Hospitality was recently launched at the Sustainable Hotels in the Tropics: The How of achieving the UN 17 SDG & Climate Change, Circular Economy, Sustainability, Water & Food Security conference.

At the conference, Wong also launched his publication documenting over 200 green practices that have been implemented at the resort. Sustainability measures have been deployed throughout the resort, from the rooms, restaurants, landscape and facilities that include a fully-operational organic farm.

According to Wong, Cottage By The Sea by Frangipani Langkawi saves over 30 per cent of operational costs through these sustainable practices.

Conference attendees, including UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network vice-president for Asia, Woo Wing Thye, representatives from LADA, academia, hoteliers and non-governmental organisations were also taken on a guided tour to see for themselves the green practices implemented at the resort.

-TTG Asia.