Ajman, UAE: TravTalk Middle East together with Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Ajman Department of Tourism Development conducted a very special panel discussion under the theme “Shaping the sustainability future in businesses.” Iftikhar Hamdani Area General Manager Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah moderated the event with seven panellists. Among the panellists were Khadija Mohammed Turki – Tourism Marketing & Promotion Expert – Ajman Department of Tourism Development, Roxana Jaffer – CEO – Sovereign Hotels Ltd, Sanith de Silva Wijeyaratne – Director Climate and Conservation Consortium, Shubhojit Mahalonobis – Director and Managing Partner -Danube Home and Hospitality Solutions, John Horgan – Director – Eco Burner, John Whaley – CEO – Integrity Business Solutions and Amish Choksey – Partner and General Manager – Green Gold Eco Tech Fzco.  

The keynote speaker opening the floor was young sustainability advocate Sarim Hamdani who shared that sustainability is the need of the hour as there will be severe consequences for the next generation if we don’t take any action at this point of time.

Iftikhar Hamdani Area General Manager Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel and Coral Beach Resort Sharjah shared that it was utmost important to get all businesses involved in making a change. Hamdani has been an advocate over the past many years for sustainability. It was not just a mere project, but for him a passion to make that simple change in life to prepare for the future.

Khadija Mohammed Turki – Tourism Marketing & Promotion Expert – Ajman Department of Tourism Development shared the various sustainable tourism practices carried out by the Ajman tourism department as a government entity and the collaboration with public and private sector which is a key important aspect in order to promote the sustainability goals.

Roxana Jaffer – CEO Sovereign Hotels reiterated the necessity to focus on people, planet and profit which are three important aspects to focus on especially in the hospitality industry.

We learnt something really interesting with Shubhojit Mahalonobis – Director and Managing Partner -Danube Home and Hospitality Solutions shared about their global campaign on Aerowater where you can condense water from the humidity and how they are looking at supplying water to the African region as water is a scarcity and it is important that they bring that water to the doorstep of the people. Another example was the oil rigs which need water, but they currently helicopter the water hence they are coming up with new methods to deliver that water sustainably. In terms of their hotels, they reduced the carbon footprint by 150 tonnes between 15 properties and they are looking at further reducing immensely over the next year. He stated that all this is a possibility with the collaboration of both the public and private sectors and only then can they go forward.

Amish Choksey – Partner and General Manager – Green Gold Eco Tech Fzco, shared about the various programmes that he has been working on to ensure sustainable practices especially with different hospitality projects across the UAE.

Sanith de Silva Wijeyaratne – Director Climate and Conservation Consortium, revealed the urgency to address the many issues at hand with climate change and shared examples to engage the audience. He further reiterated that the need of the hour is future thinking and to understand your personal carbon impact. Thus, he shared the various ways that can be measured in terms of the carbon footprint and how they need to be managed and thereafter mitigate for the betterment of society.

John Horgan – Director – Eco Burner reiterated that over the years there has been many challenges, yet they are surely addressing each of these issues as they are more important at this point in time. The main fact is change as it is important that people change now not in another 5 years.

John Whaley – CEO – Integrity Business Solutions and Amish Choksey – Partner and General Manager – Green Gold Eco Tech Fzco, who is involved in training those in sustainability shared about the forgetting curve. When you’re small all the good practices are shared with you however, as you get older you forget those important factors that you once held important.

About Bahi Hotels and Resorts:

Bahi Hotels and Resorts, managed by HMH – Hospitality Management Holding – was launched in 2012 in Ajman as the first alcohol-free hotel. Bahi Hotels & Resorts is an upscale 5-Star brand that has been designed to offer discerning travellers a whole new experience in a luxurious, distinctive and relaxing environment. Superlative level of service, meticulous attention to detail and refinement places it at par with leading, internationally acclaimed luxury brands. Bahi Ajman Palace hotels provide its guests with 1st class services and luxurious facilities. Set on a private beach, the hotel includes a wide range of rooms equipped with the finest facilities. It also provides guests with an exceptional culinary dining experience in addition to its leisure facilities that include a lifestyle club, luxurious spa and a pool. It is also equipped with venues that can hold corporate meetings or grand weddings. The hotel provides its guests a heritage retreat with a contemporary spirit.

For more information about Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, please visit:

https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/en/uae/ajman/bahi-ajman-palace-hotel
or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow 

About HMH

Founded in 2003 in Dubai, HMH – Hospitality Management Holding is a fully integrated hotel management company that prides itself for being the largest operator in the dry sector within the region. HMH provides hotel owners and developers a broad spectrum of world-class management solutions with five distinct, yet complementary, hotel brands catering to varied market segments from luxury to lifestyle. These include Bahi Hotels & Resorts, Coral Hotels & Resorts, Corp Hotels, EWA Hotel Apartments and ECOS Hotels. HMH’s strategic expansion in the Middle East and North Africa has been successful in unlocking a world of opportunities while creating value for its stakeholders, associates, staff members and customers. The existing portfolio is located in some of the most desirable destinations across the MENA region, with a pipeline of hotels under development to grow HMH’s regional footprint even further.

For more information about HMH, please visit http://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/
https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow