US: Puerto Rico has developed a ‘Green Path’ initiative to encourage environmentally conscious travel across the island territory.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the island responsibly, supporting local communities and preserving its natural beauty along the way.
The destination is known for its diverse flora and fauna, including the coquí, a tiny tree frog named for its distinctive nightly call and the Puerto Rican spindalis (reina mora), its national song bird, with striking orange, black, white, and green plumage.
Now Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s official destination marketing organisation, has launched a programme which encourages visitors to explore the island responsibly as well as supporting local communities.
The Green Path programme works by identifying sustainable businesses including tour operators, accommodation, farms, and other enterprises that have demonstrated a commitment to reducing their environmental impact.
In collaboration with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, a Green Certifications Programme provides official recognition to those organisations that meet strict environmental standards. These include energy and water conservation, waste management, and community involvement.
The certifications are provided at no charge to qualifying organisations, and then they will be maintained through annual evaluations and recertification every two years. The goal is to allow visitors to make an informed choice with set standards across the island’s tourism sector.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is actively engaging with the local community, hosting educational workshops to promote best practices and to foster a shared sense of environmental responsibility and to encourage more Puerto Rican businesses sign up to The Green Path programme.
Hix Island House, Puerto Rico
Off the east coast of Puerto Rico in Vieques, Hix Island House is a guesthouse with lofts lined with solar panels to augment the electricity and hot water, the water from the showers and basins is repurposed to sustain guava, papaya, banana, and lemon trees and it is truly off grid with no TVs, air-conditioning, or wifi.
Finca Victoria
In Vieques is Finca Victoria, a casona in a farm renovated to accommodate five rooms designed to enjoy the location overlooking the sea and forest. The rooms are decorated with repurposed furniture and stocked with biodegradable shampoo and conditioner. Your stay includes a locally sourced vegetarian breakfast and local coffee and tea. You can also opt to stay at a treehouse with outdoor showers, organic fabric sheets, and more.
El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System and receives more than a million visitors each year. In a collaborative effort, participating hotels have introduced a voluntary USD$1 nightly donation from guests, with proceeds going to Fundación Amigos del Yunque to support reforestation and conservation initiatives. This small gesture allows travellers to directly contribute to protecting one of Puerto Rico’s most treasured natural resources.
Agritourism in Puerto Rico
Examples include a day in the northern countryside to learn about Puerto Rico’s farm-to-table movement at Frutos del Guacabo in Manatí, to Finca Artesanal, a family farm that follows the practice of ecological agroforestry agriculture, and El Paraíso Agrícola de Aguas Buenas, to learn about the cultivation of pineapple and guava.
Last year we reported on the launch of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism global (ICRT global). Created by Debbie Hindle, responsible tourism expert and Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, ICRT global offers bespoke and online training courses and guidance to Universities on responsible tourism across the globe. Read more here.
Image supplied