How to combine your vacation with doing some good

 

Forget being lazy by the pool with a cocktail in your hand. 

One leading international hotelier says more and more travellers are looking for "compelling experiences" as part of their vacation experiences. 

Community involvement, protecting the environment and wellbeing will be key elements of travel in 2024 says Alma Resort Cam Ranh’s managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, who has spent his entire career in the travel industry. 

Laubichler-Pichler says he and his team had created compelling experiences for 2024 to encourage holidaymakers to volunteer alongside the resort workers and give back to local communities in Vietnam. 

For example, guests can spend a morning with volunteers who cook meals and feed disadvantaged school children after class in a nearby community.

“Some holidaymakers like to kick back by the pool, and that’s perfectly fine, but we understand others are keen to bring extra depth to their trip in a kind-hearted way,” he said. 

“We’ve organised some half- and full-day volunteering opportunities for guests and staff. You get a real sense of the local community and feel rewarded doing your bit to help.”

Alma is in the process of implementing what is believed to be Vietnam’s most ambitious solar power project, installing 4470 solar panels totalling 23,290 square metres on the roofs of its 196 pavilions, two V-shaped towers housing 384 suites, lobby lounge and utility building. 

The solar power system will fuel between a quarter to 35% of Alma’s energy needs, depending on occupancy dictated by the low and high seasons.

The resort is also part of the “End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh” campaign, attracting volunteers to collect plastic from Long Beach to be upcycled. 

Laubichler-Pichler says wellness tourism will continue to be a huge focus for the travel industry in the post-pandemic era. 

Alma’s Le Spa will soon roll out an array of wellness experiences including new wellness retreats and journeys up to three days long encompassing spa therapies, singing bowl meditation, power yoga, health drinks and more.

Not for me, but a nice idea. 

In a bid to be more sustainable and self-sufficient, Alma this year unveiled its own on-site herb garden, nursery garden and chicken farm, providing fresh produce and eggs served at Alma’s restaurants. 

“Our resort has started running complimentary guided garden tours to equip guests with handy tips on how to nurture their own veggie patch and look after chickens,” said Laubicher-Pichler. 

“Alma is also planning to roll out cooking classes by the garden, where guests pick, clean, and cook their own healthy meals.”

The resort’s Asiana restaurant is set to offer a vegan menu and vegan buffets in 2024.

“There are so many things hotels and resorts can do in the new year to not only boost the guest experience and guests’ health but also help the community and protect the environment; we hope to set a good example and encourage other hotels to take a leaf out of our book so that the hotel industry is a genuine force for change,” Laubichler-Pichler said.

Alma is situated on Vietnam’s emerging Cam Ranh peninsula fronting Long Beach and has 30 hectares of land. See https://www.alma-resort.com/

Vietnam hotels unite against plastics

The hotel industry in Vietnam’s idyllic Cam Ranh region is tackling the scourge of plastic waste head on, working together with the aim of establishing a local plant that will upcycle all types of plastic waste.

The “End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh” campaign, spearheaded by Alma Resort, The Anam Cam Ranh and Movenpick Cam Ranh and supported by 10 other resorts on the Cam Ranh peninsula, kicked off with an extensive two-day clean-up of Long Beach last month (above). 

The weekend beach clean attracted around 300 volunteers from participating hotels, Vietnam’s Rotary clubs and local schools, and roughly 1.5 tonnes of plastic were collected from the 15-kilometre-long Long Beach to be upcycled. 

A welcome dinner for volunteers and the community was held at Alma - which looks a lovely spot - to mark the start of the initiative. 

Alma managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler said Cam Ranh’s hospitality industry would work together with Rotary Club Saigon International to support the Rotary initiative End Plastic Soup to establish a recycling plant in Cam Ranh. 

“Alma and the local hospitality industry know it is crucial to do our bit to raise awareness about the damage plastic is doing to our stunning oceans, direct harmful plastics to upcycling efforts, and fundraise to help contribute to establish a plant here in Cam Ranh that will help the environment and the local community,” Laubichler-Pichler said.

Other hotels participating in the campaign include Aquamarine Resort, Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa, Selectum Noa Resort, Ana Mandara Resort Cam Ranh, Melia Vinpearl Cam Ranh Beach Resort, Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh, Swandor Cam Ranh, The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh, Wyndham Garden Cam Ranh Resort and The Arena Cam Ranh Resort.

World Bank figures show Vietnam has become a major source of plastic waste in the world, with an estimated 3.1 million tonnes of plastic waste dumped on land and between 0.28 and 0.73 million tonnes dumped into the ocean each year. 

To support the “End Plastic Soup in Cam Ranh” campaign, contact Alma via email info@alma-resort.com or call +84 258 399 1666.