Sustainable Tourism at Pacaya Lodge & Spa
Sustainable tourism is on the rise, and one thing is clear: individuals, governments, and businesses can work together to achieve long-lasting, environmentally-friendly tourism that simultaneously boosts local economies and protects the world’s natural and cultural assets.Rather than spending a week on the beach, travelers are opting for more authentic and natural experiences. Travelers are interested in helping out with local conservation efforts and learning more about local culture. The result is a more meaningful global experience for both the visitors and the locals. Pacaya Lodge & Spa is proud to be on the forefront of this movement and to embody this new face of tourism in a number of ways.
One of the main ways Pacaya Lodge & Spa works with the local community is through its affiliation with Opportunity International Nicaragua, a local NGO that operates a yucca processing plant in Granada and a technical high school in nearby Diriomo. At the technical school, Escuela Técnica Emprendedora, students can specialize in either tourism or agriculture.
Pacaya Lodge & Spa works closely with the tourism students at Escuela Técnica Emprendedora and offers weekly workshops and English lessons at the lodge. These workshops provide the young 15- and 16-year-olds with hands on experience and training in the luxury tourism sector, which is quickly rising as a top source of employment for Nicaraguans.
In addition to working directly with the students, Pacaya Lodge & Spa plans to cover 40% of the school’s operating costs, which will allow more students to study there and will ultimately benefit the tourism sector in Nicaragua.
The lodge also supports the the school’s agriculture program by purchasing organic eggs and produce such as dragonfruit, lettuce, tomatoes, yucca, and fresh herbs directly from the school.
The school’s agriculture program produces 1200 organic eggs every day!
Pacaya Lodge also encourages local students to express their artistic side. This year, Pacaya Lodge challenged students to design the Lodge’s restaurant menu covers, and the result was fantastic!
Students at Escuela Técnica Emprendedora designed this menu cover for the lodge.
It’s no wonder these students are amazing artists. Nicaragua is famous for its colorful art, and Pacaya Lodge & Spa is fortunate to be located in the heart of Nicaragua’s Pueblos Blancos, local villages famous for artisanal products such as ceramics, furniture, hammocks, and art.
In an effort to source items locally and support local economies, Pacaya Lodge & Spa sources all of its furniture, fixtures, and art from Nicaraguan artisans, most of whom reside and work in the Pueblos Blancos or nearby Masaya.
Furthermore, in an effort to promote local craftsmanship, each guest room will have a product catalog containing artisan profiles. This catalog will allow guests to purchase the artisanal products on display in the hotel directly from the artisans. While many upscale resorts in Latin America seek to shield guests from local communities, Pacaya Lodge & Spa is growing from within the community.
Local artisan Francisco Flores of Masaya
Supporting local community members and economies is important to Pacaya Lodge & Spa. The Lodge is also interested in environmental conservation and has worked hard to include environmental features in the Lodge such as water-efficient toilets, shower-heads, and sinks.
Furthermore, the garden was designed to include pervious materials such as volcanic rock instead of grasses. The use of these materials help reduce runoff and erosion and also reduce overall water usage.
In addition to conserving water, Pacaya Lodge & Spa is partially powered by solar power. Southwestern Nicaragua is sunny most of the year, and Pacaya Lodge expects that the solar panels installed on the roof of the main building will contribute 40-50% of the Lodge’s power needs. Additionally, each of the Lodge’s nine freestanding casitas have been equipped with a solar water heater, so guests can have a hot shower in an environmentally-friendly way.
Solar water heater on top of a casita.
By supporting local students and artisans and using environmentally-friendly technology, Pacaya Lodge & Spa has incorporated the ideals of sustainable tourism into the culture and operations of the business and looks forward to the future.
We hope to see you soon! Please click here to find out more about our commitment to sustainability.
