Cayuga Collection, a Costa Rican sustainable luxury hotel management firm, received an exclusive award from Travel + Leisure, a prestigious travel magazine based in New York City, with over 4.8 million readers.
Travel + Leisure presented Cayuga Collection with a Global Vision Award, which is a recognition given to companies, individuals, destinations, and organizations taking strides to develop more sustainable and responsible travel products, practices, and experiences. This prize also evaluates those who are exhibiting thought leadership and creative problem-solving; as well as taking actionable, quantifiable steps to protect communities and environments around the world.
Some of Cayuga’s hotels include:
- Arenas del Mar Resort Manuel Antonio
- Aguas Claras in Puerto Viejo
- Pasha Beachfront Estate in Santa Teresa
- Kurá Hotel in Uvita
- Senda Monteverde Hotel
- Hotel Grano de Oro in San José.
Hans Pfister, President of Cayuga Collection, mentioned how honored they feel after receiving this award. “This recognition shows that during the pandemic we did not slacken our commitment to sustainability. Rather, we reinforced it. This distinction is even more special, because the tourism industry suffered a lot, but we are still moving forward in taking care of our people and our communities,” he added.
For Pfister, sustainability goes beyond mere words or a recycling program. He has implemented actions such as the sourcing of local materials and products, many of them manufactured under environmentally friendly standards.
Also, he understands the importance of investing in the community, to provoke actual change. This is exactly why the training of people from the community for management and executive positions is essential for the business.
One of the highpoints cited by Travel + Leisure, involved the Arenas del Mar Hotel, in which a member of the team that built the property, then became a chauffeur. He later became a bellhop and then a manager, as well as an entrepreneur and founded a transportation company that offers airport transfers for guests.
The Cayuga team has worked relentlessly to be able to build this business model. Hans Pfister admitted it has not been easy, but the reward has made the journey absolutely worth it. He plans to keep up the good work and improve in whatever he can, because the award his company received only raises the bar in terms of principles and practices.
Progress and sustainability go hand in hand, and they often mean investing in people to make a difference in communities.
