In Antigua, Resorts Are Leading The Charge For Sustainability. Will Everyone Follow?

18.05.2024 - 15:57 / forbes.com

Like it or not, Carlisle Bay Antigua is driving toward sustainability. At least that's what Brian Murphy, the resort's general manager, will tell you.

The island may not be fully on board yet. Guests may not be clamoring for a sustainable resort, either.

But no matter. It's happening.

"We have a mindset that everything we touch is a resource that can be depleted," he says. "And we don't want to deplete it."

It is easy to get distracted at a place like Carlisle Bay, with its turquoise waters, postcard-perfect beaches and luxury amenities. It's also easy to forget that all of these resources — the beach, the water you drink, the air you breathe — are finite. But for Carlisle Bay and many others on this island, sustainability is something worth thinking about every day, even if it's a goal that they may never reach.

The story of sustainability in Antigua is common throughout the Caribbean. Like other islands, its efforts to go green range from recycling to renewable energy to supporting local businesses.

Adelle A. C. Blair, who leads the Antigua Ministry of Tourism's sustainability initiatives, says the island has spent the last few years building its sustainability programs.

"But there is much work to be done as it relates to valuing and protecting the natural assets upon which tourism depends," she adds.

It's particularly challenging now, with tourism booming. It's tempting for these initiatives to take a back seat while the island enjoys a post-pandemic bump in visitors. Still, some hotels are doubling down on their commitment to sustainability.

But is it enough to keep the momentum going?

This is part seven in a series about sustainable tourism in Central America and the Caribbean. Here's part one about sustainability in Panama, part two about saving Bonaire's number one tourist attraction, part three about Aruba’s struggles to stay sustainable, part four about Curaçao’s conservation efforts, part five about Grenada’s attempt to go green, and part six about how Barbados is trying to save its environment.

Antigua loves to talk about sustainability. Seven years ago, it created a green corridor along its rocky southwestern coast. It's a place where businesses, mostly involved in tourism, agree to a set of principles based on respect for local culture and environmental stewardship. The Antiguan government actively promoted these green corridor businesses, hoping to turn them into a model for sustainability. But Hurricane Irma, which hit the island in 2017, slowed progress, and it ground to a halt during the pandemic.

Officials in Antigua say they're committed to the goal of deriving most of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This spring, the island completed a $50 million solar farm