Green Key for Zaton Holiday Resort
Zaton Holiday Resort cares. Not only about its guests and the kind of holiday they have, but also about the environment. Due to its continuous effort to remain responsible and minimize the impact on the environment and raise awareness about the need to preserve and care for it, the resort has been awarded the Green Key certificate. It shows the dedication of the resort and its staff to be different and to make a difference, and do so together with the visitors who come to Zaton for a holiday.
The (Green) Key to sustainable tourism
For almost a quarter of a century, the Green Key eco-label has stood for commitment to raise awareness among businesses in tourism industry and to guide them in their implementation of high environmental standards. In addition, they urge such establishments to inform and actively engage their visitors in environmentally responsible behaviour. That way everyone, from staff members to visitors, participates in and contributes to sustainable and environmentally-friendly tourism. Currently round 2.400 tourism establishments in 52 countries, 6 of them in Croatia, hold the Green Key certificate.
Environmentally friendly Zaton Holiday Resort
The resort’s commitment to environment preservation is evidenced by a number of elements, which refer to alternative energy sources, efficient energy use, waste recycling, respect for native plants and landscapes and information signposts for the visitors.
Landscape maintenance. The whole process is directed towards the preservation of ambient landscape values. Decorative greenery is placed in the very centre of the resort and next to the accommodation units, while the remaining area mirrors natural environment, in other words, it allows for the green areas to develop spontaneously. Particular care is also taken of the pine trees and they are geodetically mapped. The maintenance of the green areas includes automatic irrigation, focus on native plants to avoid extra water usage and reducing the number of green areas that do need it. Finally, only organic fertilizers are used and pesticides only minimally.
Alternative energy sources. The resort relies on renewable energy sources - for example, as much as 60% of water is heated by using solar panels. It has also introduced solar lighting, while eco gas is used in cooling devices.
Waste management. Apart from the fact that the beach is thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis, there are five recycling spots clearly marked on the map of the resort which enable the visitors to become actively involved in the preservation of the environment. In addition, the wastewater goes through the purification treatment of the first degree.
Respect for the natural environment. The resort is actively involved in the preservation of the natural habitat. For example, only local sand is used for renewal of the sandy sunbathing zones. In addition, the resort strives to raise awareness and educate its visitors about Zaton’s natural habitat. The eco project ‘Zaton - Nature we Grow with’ uses signposts and brochures to inform the visitors and inspire them to become actively involved in environment preservation. The dedication to ecology is also noted in ecology-inspired signposts (pinwheels), 2,4 km long jogging track through the pine tree forest where human impact has been minimal as well as eco playgrounds for children.
Green Key acknowledgement
The Green Key certificate crowns Zaton Holiday Resort’s efforts invested in environmental responsibility and sustainability and serves as encouragement to continue doing so. After all, it is of primary interest to learn and pass on the knowledge about nature all around us. Nature we grow with.
