Tourism with responsibility

CGH Earth changed how luxury was perceived in hotels around the world. Beginning with an idea of business that also protected environment in 1988, today the brand is a flagbearer of sustainability and responsible tourism.

Nisha Verma

It was in the year 1988 that CGH Earth got the opportunity to venture into Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep, shared Michael Dominic, CEO, CGH Earth.

“It was a pristine island and the ecosystem was very fragile. We knew that it had to be sustained for a long time. Hence, protecting the environment was our primary motive which overrides everything else, and all our decisions are based on how we protect the environment,” he said.

“When we were there, one of the terms of the contract were that we had to employ 80 per cent of locals. Training them was different than training conventional hotel staff in white shirts and ties. We asked them to come dressed in their local costumes. However, the big learning is that their service came from the heart. This evolved into our DNA of making CGH Earth and creating our core values,” Dominic added. “The logistics in Lakshadweep were quite erratic, including irregular flights and ships. We depend on the local population for our supplies which created a symbiotic relationship between the local population and the hotel resulting in a win-win situation for both,” he said.

“They became major stakeholders, and today, tourism is an important part of their lives,” he added. With this learning, Dominic shared, they came to mainland India. “We started our first property, Spice Village in Kerala, and it was a paradigm shift from traditional hospitality. We realised that it was the experience that made people come back, not the built space. In short, responsible tourism is about building better places for people to live in and better places to visit,” he revealed.

When asked if sustainability pays, Dominic  said, “Today, CGH is a successful model because sustainable and responsible tourism pays. It gave us the impetus or the visibility because we are in that space of responsible tourism.”

He added, “Otherwise, I am sure we would have been just another hotel and not noticed. We have people coming to our properties across the world, including international celebrities. Today, we are internationally known for our responsibility and sustainability. Everyone who comes here tells us to stay as we are. This has remained our most important learning experience.”

Dominic stressed that it gives them a lot of confidence that the future is in responsible tourism. “Responsible tourism is about making better places for people to live in and better places to visit,” he concluded .