SHERATON LEADS LOCAL HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN OBSERVING ‘EARTH HOUR’
The Kampala Sheraton Hotel has in line with Starwood’s global commitment to go ‘green’ also agreed to turn all but the most important security lights off on the evening of the 26th March, from 20.30 hours onwards for 60 minutes, following the World Wildlife Fund’s annual appeal to conserve electricity during ‘Earth Hour’. Second to commit in Uganda was Marasa, owners and operators of the prime Ugandan safari properties of Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the sister lodges in Murchisons Falls National Park Paraa and Chobe. Speke Hotels too have responded in the affirmative while a number of other hotels and lodges did not even find it necessary to respond, a damning indictment on their in house policy of saving energy, conserving water and in the process, not to forget, save cost by the way.
Notably several other hospitality businesses answered an enquiry by this correspondent with ‘what exactly is this you are talking about’, pleading ignorance to this global event, followed by two of them then saying ‘it is impossible to turn the lights off in a hotel / lodge’ – yet claiming to be ‘ecofriendly’ in their sales publications and marketing materials. So well done and bouquets to those who committed to participate and barbs galore to those who seemingly prefer to treat our environment as a global waste basket.
