The Decameron Island Resort: the Physical and Environmental Features of the Island - Essay Example

 Decameron Island Resort is a 5-star resort. It is an exemplary and international resort which offers its guests the best paradise vacation experience with a stunning beach. It gives an tremendous scope of leisure activities and first-class cuisine. Every guestroom combines tropical decor with modern amenities and private balconies provide panoramic setting. This resort is perfect for those who love nature and those who enjoy the pleasant aromas of the ocean, mixed with the Caribbean mangrove jungle. This is a private island paradise and a unique and incomparable vacation spot featuring white sandy beaches and the warm, crystal-clear waters of San Bernardo. (Decameron Isla Palma website) This private island resort is located in the Natural National Park of Islas del Rosario and the San Bernardo Archipelago, just two hours from Cartagena.  The hotel is surrounded by exotic coral reef beaches, swamps, and mangroves; where a rich variety of continental and marine fauna and flora abound. The resort offers various amenities such as breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets, unlimited domestic and international alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, daily activities program, nightly shows, Scuba Diving clinic, non-motorized water sport such as windsurf, sunfish sailboats, kayaks, and dolphin Show. Water sports are the primary recreational activity. Parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, water aerobics, kayaking and fish feeding are favorite past-times of the resort’s valued guests. (Decameron Isla Palma Website) International tourists make up the bulk of the tourist arrivals of Decameron Resort. Tourists from the United States, United Kingdom and China constitute the majority of the tourist arrivals. Studies show that the developed countries contribute to global tourism. Tourist generating regions (TGR) are the places where trips begin, where people who will later be described or counted as tourists start their journey" (Leiper, 1995, p. 72) Decameron resort becomes the place where "a person chooses to stay a while in order to experience some feature or characteristic" (Leiper 1995, p. 87), and they are "counted in statistical surveys or estimates as tourists" (1995, p.87). Three main factors "time, affluence and freedom of movement are necessary predisposing circumstances for tourism to take place" (Burton, 1991, p. 2). Moreover for the international tourists, free time for leisure activities is the social environment, money is considered as the economic environment and freedom of movement as a political environment. These three environments, social, economic, and political are closely linked as responsible for the continuous flow of tourists to different destinations. Burton also argued that an element triggering international tourism is the climate (1991). "The main tourist flows in both Europe and North America are north-south to the warmer and more reliable climates" (Burton, 1991, p. 77). This assertion is true for Decameron Island Resort. The resort enjoys warm, calm and sunny weather the whole year. The other positive factors applicable to Decameron Island resort are the distance between countries, cultural and sport attractions, communications and transportation infrastructure, relative standard of living covering the cost of living and foreign exchange rates, cultural heritage, and political factors. (Burton 1991). In addition, Robert Christie Mill (2007) has expanded the meaning of resort to include any facility that provides recreation and entertainment in combination with lodging. Gee (2000) also stated that rules and regulations are utilized to restrict visitor actions and access, times and numbers to specific areas. These regulations are posted on signs, notices and written material. Enforcement is usually undertaken by local police and other agents of the management authority. Specific examples of regulations used to manage tourists consist of these: visitor number restrictions, limits on times and locations, types of visitor activity permitted, spatial and temporal zoning, noise levels, lease and license requirements, and codes of practice. The main purposes of the regulatory management are first, to protect the security of the tourist; second, to minimize conflicts between tourists; and third, to protect the marine environment from negative impacts due to tourist behavior. (Gee, 2000) Physical regulations such as man-made structures that control human activity by restricting the movement or type of activity can also be erected. A typical marine example is the construction of a boardwalk across a wetland. This physical structure directs and facilitates the movement of tourists and reduces the negative impacts that could be caused by their walking through sensitive areas. In the case of Decameron, many walkways were erected around the resort to minimize damage to marine areas. Moreover, the ecotourism resort management of Decameron includes special focus on best-practice environmental management, an educational and interpretive component, and direct and indirect contributions to the conservation of the natural and cultural environment. (Ayala, 1996). The Management and Staff of the Decameron has closely monitored the number of visitors to the resort to minimize damage done to the natural environment. The Decameron resort has done much to lead the way in environmental protection and preservation. The resort has made investments in desalination and sewerage treatment plants. There are efforts to tap other water sources outside the property which has brought about significant decrease in water consumption from the local water district. The resort has implemented tree–planting activities and a comprehensive coral recovery program which transplants loose corals in the area fronting the resort’s beach to regenerate coral life and to construct a permanent coral garden teeming with fish. The Decameron Resort has implemented a plethora of environmental and cultural educational initiatives. The main information centre of the resort serves as a hub for information on all activities, including dispensing friendly advice as to what visitors should and should not. The international visitors who stay at the resort are encouraged to monitor their water and energy usage via the in-house television systems. In terms of human resource development, the Decameron Island Resort offers a comprehensive advanced training program for its resort staff. The training programs adopt a progressive instructional methodology: interactive, hands-on, solution-oriented, outcome-driven and industry relevant.  The Decameron Island Resort staff is more than ready to face more complex and discerning foreign customers. The hotel offers a Hospitality Management Program which features seminars and workshops in cross-cultural understanding, critical thinking skills and humanities subjects to instill an inquisitive and multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving. The ecotourism management strategies of Decameron Island Resort also include encouraging visitors to play an active role in contributing to the health and viability of the environment. Tour guides to nocturnal rainforest activity and rainfall walks, beach walks and island tours are offered. Tourists are encouraged to plant native seedlings on the resort hence, the constant and fostering reforestation and conservation activities. The resort offers environmental training to help the staff to increase their awareness of the resort’s natural and cultural heritage. The environmental management training, usually covering three days, enable hotel staff to appreciate the importance of the environment. Decameron Island Resort also organizes special educational outreach activities for local schools as its contribution to community education on sustainable tourism. Native vegetation was replanted around the resort to foster a natural environment. For instance, the resort accommodation cabins utilized unique indigenous designs, materials and colors which enhance the existing landscape of the environment. Specially designed and installed walkways have been installed for the protection of the local environment. The Decameron Resort has helped to restore several plant species: varieties of ferns, native flowers, swamp orchids and rainforest trees. In terms of water management, the resort has taken precautions to preserve water and conserve water. The resort’s water supply is more than adequate due to the heavy rainfall in the area. There is an unconfined freshwater aquifer within the resort. Decameron Island Resort obtains its water supply by tapping into this aquifer and extracting it via a bore system. (Lim, 2007). Similar to other island resorts, the lingering issues regarding freshwater supply include pollution, contamination and overconsumption. The management tries to address these challenges in cooperation with the other stakeholders (local inhabitants) of the island. The resort’s specific way to address water conservation issues is the installation of water efficient fixtures in all of its showers and toilets. The Decameron Island Resort conservation campaign includes the proper recycling and disposal of waste. The resort implements bulk purchasing to minimize excessive packaging. Organic waste composed of food debris and scraps are recycled longer as it is sorted, weighed, pureed, aerated and composted. Treated waste water is re-injected into the natural environment through an artesian system. (Lim, 2007). Recycling is carefully achieved through a complete program where all recyclable materials are collected, sorted, packed, compacted and shipped to the mainland for recycling. Non-recyclable wastes are sent to the mainland. Following international standards, for its waste disposal system, the resort uses three different types of bin for the disposal of organic, recyclable and non-recyclable waste. (Lim, 2007) The resort implemented a strict pest management policy. It has taken an effective approach to pest management by addressing mosquito and cane toad management. Pest management also covers the identification of pest species and natural predators. It also includes identifying specific solutions that is not harmful to the local environment. During peak seasons, the resort uses expensive chemical treatments. Modern technology is used for sewerage treatment by the Decameron Island Resort to ensure the maximum treatment and minimum impact of wastes. Decameron Resort uses specific natural processes in its sewerage treatment. For example, for collecting sewerage, vacuum sewer pipes are utilized to collect and transport sewerage from the resort area to the collection areas. Indeed, the Decameron Island resort has combined financial profitability and operational viability with a comprehensive resort management system that protects the physical and environmental features of the island. References Ayala, H., (1996). “Resort Ecotourism: A Paradigm for the 21st.” Century, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant. Administration Quarterly, 37, 46-53, 1996. Burton, R. (1991). Travel Geography. London: Pitman Publishing. Gee, Chuck Y. (1996). Resort Development and Management (2nd ed.). Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Motel Association Leiper, N. (1995). Tourism Management. Collingwood, VIC: TAFE Publications. Lim, Christine. (2007). The Socioeconomic Importance of Eco-Resort Management Practices. School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Griffith University. Mill, Robert Christie. (2007). Resorts: Management and Operation. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Online reference Decameron Isla Palma website. Available at URL: http://decameron.com/eng/colombia/isla_palma/overview.html. Accessed on 8 August 2008. Read More