Thema hotel chain and Aussie funded MDF join to reduce carbon emissions

Thema Collection, an eco-friendly hotel chain in Sri Lanka, joined the Australian government’s funded plan Market Development Facility (MDF) in a paradigm shift towards sustainable tourism, several officials of the company said.

It is moving into carbon neutral emissions initiatives balancing the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from ecofriendly activities with the amount that is being absorbed or removed from the atmosphere.

The objective of the MDF programme is to create and nurture a community of individuals with a deep commitment to achieving sustainable practices across the board within the entire tourism industry.

This will mark a significant milestone in Sri Lanka, where the carbon footprint of the entire hospitality industry is meticulously measured.

Thema Collection and the MDF together represent a team to pursue the goal of making Sri Lanka a sustainable tourist destination and to create a community which implements sustainable practices in the future.

Thema Collection, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Maxime Wickramasinghe, emphasised the brand’s firm commitment to sustainability revealing numerous initiatives already underway, in their eco-friendly hotel chain with 12 unique properties across Sri Lanka.

Further, he spoke of their strategic plan to both meticulously measure and reduce the carbon footprint throughout the entirety of the Thema chain.

MDF, Country Director, Maryam Piracha said that they are working with leading businesses to grow the tourism market by supporting its transition to sustainable practices and support these sectors in enhancing their competitiveness in the market.

She further added that MDF had committed significant investment in positioning Sri Lanka as a sustainable tourist destination.

Tourism Country Coordinator Mathi Thayanan, added that enacting these changes will help the recovery of the industry and position the country as a year-round destination which will attract eco-conscious travellers and thus generate much higher returns.

Elaborating on the next step to be taken in achieving these goals Thema Collection, CEO/Director, Chamin Wickramasinghe said, the greatest challenge is the lack of awareness of sustainability practices which are required to ensure the success of this programme.

It is of vital importance that awareness is created at the grassroots level of the industry starting with the hotel sector, he said.