The Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts partners with Sea Turtles 911
for the Conservation of Sea Turtles
Introduction
After conducting an analysis and assessment of corresponding scientific literature and recent updates in the news, it is possible to make a statement that the concern of sustainability and environmental protection is a rather urgent one on the international scales. At the same time, insignificant attention has been paid to the effect, made by the planned events on both built and natural environment. For instance, such events usually involve creation of the new infrastructure in the locations, which may be referred as environmentally-sensitive ones. In such cases, there is a need of transporting the large quantities of different resources, provision of some services or other activities, which may have a harmful effect on the natural environmental and the species, inhabiting it (Baltrėnaitė et al, 2016). While there is a common trend that people all over the world start understanding these negative aspects of new construction and other human activities, the new challenges emerge for originators of the events – in terms of increasing the rates of their responsibility for the managerial decisions and effects, made by these decisions on the natural environment. In such manner, sustainability of the events increases in the set of different criteria (Fitzmaurice et al, 2014).
In the scope of this investigation, available literature on sustainability would be reviewed for provision of the corresponding context for assessment and evaluation of the partnership between the Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts with Sea Turtles 911 in terms of conservation of sea turtles. The next step of this investigation would be oriented review of the available literature on governance for its further practical application on analysis of the current managerial and leadership approaches, used by the team of Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts in the scope of their participation in the program, organized by Sea Turtles 911. The expected outcome of this investigation is setting a framework for the further research on the particular program and its impact on the population for the sea turtles (Arcodia, 2015).
Major scientific approaches towards sustainable environmental protection
It is essential to note that in the timeframe of last ten years, the set of the challenges, posed by the need of sustainable environmental protection, is widely discussed by the scholars from the set of various perspectives. As a result, the concern of environmental protection has been transferred from the field of social and political studies to the question of international significance.
At the current stage of its development, the question, pertaining to sustainability of environmental protection, is one of the most disused in the international dialogues between the representatives of different social groups, countries and international originations, responsible for environmental protection (Malik and Grohmann, 2011). In addition, this concern affects the daily lives and the lifestyle in general of the individual citizens - as they start preferring minimization of the negative effect of their everyday activities on the environment (preferring eco cars; green tourism; minimization of the wasting materials in packaging the goods etc.) (Dickson & Arcodia, 2009)
One more focus of discussion, debates and as a result, corresponding programs, applied in the tourism sector, is put on the contribution of the activities of the tourism sector on the climate change as well as on population of different species (and sea turtles in particular). Thus, the set of various programs, oriented on the environmental protection, and environmentally-friendly activities of the tourism sector, is developed (Dyer, 2005).
Such approaches provide significantly valuable social, economic, educational and cultural benefits as well as create the fertile buckhound for development of new international destinations for the organizations, operating in the touristic sector.
As it was claimed by the experts, significant impact is done by the events of different nature (construction of new buildings, development of new touristic options etc.) on the host environment. That is why, significant attention of the organizations, operating in different industries, is put on development of sustainable managerial approaches towards generation of the waste and process of its further disposal – for minimization of the harmful impacts on the global environment (Getz, 2009).
Among the common practices, used by the touristic industry, it is possible to refer to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the process of planning the new activities or construction of the new facilities. The effect of such approach (as it is claimed by the experts) is not limited to the environmental preservation, but this approach is also referred to be an integral part of the PR and marketing strategies alongside with the corporate social responsibility (Morgan, 1999). From the classical perspective, EIA is perceived as the toolkit for assessment of the possible effect of the activities of different organizations as well as the events, undertaken by their management, while the innovative direction within this approach imply also development of the new technological options for making the events more sustainable in each particular situation.
It is essential to note that form the governmental perspective, the breadth and depth of the data pertaining to the environmental protection, ranges from one country to another and from micro to macro levels.
911 Program
One of the major reasons for the program establishment and its constant practical implementation and enhancement is the danger of extinction of species. While taking into account the fact that the sea turtles have inhabited our planet for millions of years, they may be referred as one of the oldest of currently living species. One of the major reasons for significant decrease of the population of the sea turtles is the anthropogenic factor- when people kill these turtles due to the set of various commercial purposes - selling their shells for jewelry, eating these creatures etc. Additional risks are implied by wasting the sea by the human activities (Sea turtles 911, 2017).
This organization is based in the Hainan Island, China. The area of Sea Turtles 911 activities covers every stage of danger – they rescue the sea turtles, which are captured in an illegal manner; provide the injured turtles with the medical rehabilitation; raise the hatchlings until they are ready for being released back into the wild nature; engage other people into the process of protection of this species in the set of possible ways.
One of the core focuses of the organization is put on stopping the fishermen and restaurants from selling the turtles for different purposes. This is done by the organization by convincing the end consumers not to purchase any goods or products, made of the bodies of the sea turtles.
It is claimed by the representatives of Sea Turtles 911 that the only option for decreasing the rates of supply of sea turtles is minimization of the demand for such product. While the organization focuses on minimization of demand for the sea turtles, additional emphasis is still put on the advocate for the rights of sea turtles. This purpose is achieved via the set of the following directions - creation of the safe environment for maximization of the sea turtles population; promotion of the peaceful coexistence between humans and these marine creatures (by minimization of the rate of global exploitation of the sea turtles by humans). The grassroots action are used within the program of Sea Turtles 911 for popularizations of the global awareness about this problem as well as by promotion of the eco-tourism, oriented on rehabilitation of this species.
Analysis of the sustainable program, offered by the Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts
The next step of this investigation is the analysis and assessment of conservation of the sea turtles from the perspective of the wide set of possible approaches as and the program, offered by the Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts.
Participation of the Ritz Carlton in the program is mainly oriented on the provision of the baby sea turtle hatchlings with protection- as the guests of this network of the hotels are educated about the entire set of threats, faced by the populations of the sea turtles. It is clearly explained to the guests that the major threats are posed to the sea turtles at the early stages of their lives either by the natural predators or human activities. In accordance with the statistical estimates, only one out of one thousand of the hatchlings will be able to survive till the adulthood. In other words the survival percentage for this species is 0.01% only (The Ritz Carlton, 2016, p. 1).
The program, established by Ritz Carlton may be represented in the following manner – the care would be provided to three hatchlings of endangered green sea turtle for the timeframe of ne year - until these turtles become mature enough for the independent life in the wild sea. These three turtles would be provided with the following accommodations - Yeh for Games, Inc provides the hotel with the 5-star aquarium, where the life conditions would be like in the wild life.
It is claimed by the experts that one of the most powerful tools for the conservation is a corresponding education of people, who may affect the situation. Thus, commendable role was taken by the Ritz Carlton in terms of increasing the rates of awareness among the Chinese population, concerning the need of protection and conservation of the sea turtles. The personnel of the hotels has placed these three turtles into the kids club – as it is considered to be the place, which attracts the attention of children as well as their parents. Both children and parents realize the beauty of these creatures as well as the need of their protection due to the high risk of extinction of species. Additional advantage of such approach is that the culture of respectful attitude towards living creatures and marine inhabitants is educated at the early stages of human development - when children realize their role for further protection of the nature.
The children education event is hosted by the volunteers –children are engaged into the wide set of gaming activities, oriented on increasing the rate of their awareness in the core aspects of conservation of the sea turtles and importance of such activities. For example, children pertain as if they were sea turtle hatchings and ‘play’ the experience of facing with the set of the risks, caused by human activities – poachers, fishing nets, eating plastic bag or other incorrect item etc. The final stage of the event is provision of the awards to the children and making them agents, guarding the sea turtles.
These events attract the representatives of mass media, and in such manner the awareness regarding the need of protection the sea turtles is increased among the population (The Ritz Carlton, 2016)
Conclusion
In the context of the investigated program, negative effect is done on the population of the sea turtles by the wasted waters of the world ocean, where these creatures face with the outcomes of human activities - plastic garbage, oil wastes etc., and these wastes lead to the lethal outcomes among the populations of these turtles. Thus, particular sustainable program, offered by the Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts, is oriented on education of the population concerning the harmful effect on the human activities of different forms (starting from wasting environment and involving consumption of the products (or purchasing the items), manufactured from different parts of the sea turtles bodies. Additional emphasis of such program is put on the practical participation in the process of rescuing the representatives of the sea turtles species and their upbringing and protection in the artificial conditions (the pool, where the environment approaches to be the same as in the wild life) until these turtles reach the size of being able to survive in the wild world.
While taking into account the fact that it was initially implied by the notion of sustainability that there is a need for such form of development of different industries, where the major emphasis is put on the effective use of the limited availability of the natural resources, the term of sustainable development covers the set of the following perspectives – the process by itself, the effect, made by this particular process, and the set of the supplementing actions; thus, sustainable development should be considered form such competing perspectives as economic, social, environmental and political. In the case of the program, undertaken commonly by the Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts and Sea Turtles 911 for the conservation of sea turtles, the major economic impact may be viewed from the perspective of minimization of the poaching and thus, illegal trade activities; social aspect covers the increased rates of the education, pertaining to the particular problem, and as a result, increased rates of social responsibility among the population; political aspect covers the governmental support of this program, while from the ecological perspective, protection of the species of the sea turtles, which is in danger of extinction.
After conducting assessment and evaluation of the corresponding literature, it has become obvious that there is a set of the complex approaches, oriented on the maximization of the rate of environmentally friendly activities within the touristic sector (in the same manner as in the set of other industries).
In this context, environmental sustainability should be perceived as the toolkit for addressing the currently existing global problems, which were faced by the generation, living in the 21st century. While the major emphasis in this regard is put on the global warming and thus, the climate changes, there is a set of other gaps, which should be addressed both from the perspective of scientific investigation and from the practical one - by establishment of the organizations, responsible for each particular aspects of environmental protection and creation of the common programs with the representatives of different industries - for maximization of the effectiveness of such organizations as Seat Turtle 911.
References
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