Green light for sustainability

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Costas Christ is a man with a vision: to keep sustainable tourism at the top of the worldwide agenda. With a lifetime of travelling – more than 130 countries – behind him, Costas has long been championing the cause of responsible travel and the importance of protecting the heritage, culture and wellbeing of local people.

The diversity of his portfolio demonstrates his commitment:  he is an award-winning writer, a Sustainability Ambassador for Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas, founder of Beyond Green Travel consultancy and business advisor to companies wishing to embrace a more eco-friendly approach.  In 2012, Costas was recognized with Richard Branson and Robert F Kennedy Jr. as one of 50 Sustainability Visionaries working to save the planet.

At the Global Spa and Wellness Summit he will be discussing: Should wellness tourism embrace the wellness of the planet? It is a subject that is close to Fashionizer Spa’s own philosophy, which is why our organic cotton is grown without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or heavy metals, helping to preserve biodiversity and protect species from extinction. I’ll be interested to hear from Costas’ own experience how businesses can take sustainability to another level.

Costas practises what he preaches: when he is not traversing the planet, he is at home tending his crops of native blueberries on his organic farm in Maine USA.  Using natural processes and traditional techniques, some of which are drawn from the methods used by Native Americans, his farm has attracted a steady stream of visitors, putting the ultimate traveller in the ironic position of becoming the tourist attraction himself.  True to his philosophy, the visitors participate in the farm, picking and sorting and learning.  

Costas is currently in Kenya at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in Nairobi.  We wish him a safe journey to the GSWS Summit, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the citizens touched by the recent events.

TOMORROW: How the spa and wellness industry can change lives

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