Amanyara’s day of inspiring talks in Turks and Caicos
Caribbean, October 2019 | Amanyara hosted a series of events on Friday 4 October 2019, which brought together students, businesses and the Turks and Caicos Hotel Association and inspired a commitment from all attendees to better understand and implement sustainable practices. and drive business as a force for good.
Working with the hotel’s new general manager, Ian White, and Aman’s Global Head of PR, Anna Nash, Juliet Kinsman, founder of BOUTECO compiled an A—Z of the hotel’s sustainability initiatives and was a speaker at the resort, and helped mark this milestone in the history of Turks & Caicos, by encouraging deeper thinking and conversation with these three sectors — young people, local businesses and the hospitality industry. As well as actioning best practice in its operations and guest experiences, the hotel is keen to encourage all across the islands to explore forward-thinking sustainability initiatives for island-wide change.
‘Beautiful by Nature’ is the official motto of the Turks and Caicos Islands — a slogan which could apply to Amanyara itself. The ‘iron shore’ – the unique limestone-and-lava coastline of Provo – and the islands and cays which make up our Caribbean archipelago, flaunts remarkable biodiversity. Marine wetland areas, mangroves, blue holes and caves are among the ecosystems plentiful in rare and endemic plant types with the hotel prioritising native plants in their 100 acres.
Steven Overman, author of the Conscience Economy, shared wise words on how everyone there can work towards a brighter future for all.
As Steven expresses in his book, the brands people most value and love will . . .
• Make us not only smarter but wiser.
• Empower us to solve our toughest challenges.
• Enable us to help others grow.
• Help us be physically and emotionally healthy.
• Defend our physical, financial, and environmental safety.
• Heal rifts and conflicts.
• Enable us to restore, and remake stuff.
• Protect us from overexposure.
• Help us disconnect from the chaos of life.
• Empower us to make the world more beautiful, fun, and friendly.
• Help us save energy and resources.
• Facilitate sharing.
• Bring us closer to nature.
• Guide us to places, things, and people that inspire us.
• Deepen our connections with no compromise of privacy.
• Bring out the best in humanity.
A highlight of the day was having members of Edward C Gartland Youth Centre’s Eco Warriors join the morning session. Articulate and enthusiastic, they expressed why they care about the future, how they understand the challenges restricting sustainability and they implored those in charge to listen to them more.
Huge congratulations to Amanyara for initiating and hosting these important discussions. Thank you from BOUTECO for having us be a part of such an important occasion. Community and conservation have always been at the heart of Amanyara. Having opened in 2006 on the wild, western shores of Providenciales – ‘Provo’ as it’s affectionately called – the resort has set a benchmark in sensitive luxury for this corner of Turks and Caicos. After a considerate, eight-year-long build, and through more than 13 years in operation, the resort and its team have ensured that the actions of our business do not impact negatively on the region or its resources. Preservation of the natural beauty of these protected parklands and West Indies wildlife sanctuaries has always been a priority and we continue to seek out inspiring sustainable collaborations at all levels. We hope the resort and our team have helped generated huge pride in the heritage and natural history of the islands, and it’s been an honour to have elevated Turks and Caicos to its status as a respected high-end destination.
Faith, age 13, changemaker of the future — we’re confident she will be Turks and Caicos Islands’ spokesperson for environmental activism in the same way Greta Thunberg is. Watch this space…
“Change happens when communities join together with an authentic common purpose. Amanyara brought people of all ages and business sectors together and the magic happened: a shared commitment to become “Better by Business” — which quickly became a tagline for a new, more sustainable way, of approaching business in TCI.”