In a country where the economy has been growing at an average of 9% over the past 3 years and one that receives more than 70% of its power through burning coal, the words Eco and China are not often associated with each other.
However, one pioneering entrepreneur who has lived and worked in China for over 17 years has made his sustainable business vision come true in Yangshuo. Chris Barclay built the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (YSMR) in 2001 on the banks of the pristine Yu Long River 8km from Yangshuo Town. The hotel was built on Chris’s firm beliefs in sustainable tourism, both in terms of the environment and local cultures that come from the area. The hotel has a policy of only employing local people from Yangshuo County, apart from the foreign coaches that come to give continuous training to the staff in English and hospitality.
The location of the Yangshuo hotel is one of its most compelling pull factors. Built on what were once fallow rice fields Chris and staff planted over 400 trees and shrubs creating lush grounds where guests can eat, relax and simply enjoy the views. Huge karst formations surround the hotel jutting out of the ground like rows of dragon’s teeth and the Yu Long River flows gently by making it a perfect place for a swim in this sub-tropical region of China. With emerald rice fields interspersed with ancient Ming dynasty villages dotted around the Yangshuo Countrysuide, this is a favourite place for many an expatriate and lucky traveller that happens to find this hidden gem.
The Yangshuo hotel practices ecotourism through a variety of ways including water conservation techniques, reducing their carbon footprint through supplementing coal briquettes with agriwaste (sawdust/shredded newspaper/clay/straw) which is made on premises by the staff. They also continuously train their staff in hospitality management including learning English and trips abroad to tourism destinations. The local staff is also encouraged ownership of the hotel through their profit sharing scheme and decision making processes.
The Yangshuo hotel donates 5% of its annual profits to the Chinese-US Medical Foundation (CUMF) also founded by Chris Barclay. CUMF is a non-profit organisation aimed at helping and supporting children with OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) or brittle bone disease in China. The charity was founded as a direct result of Chris’s experience with Zhao Chun Li or Angel as she is commonly known with guests of the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat. Angel suffers from a very severe form of the disease and is unable to walk or use her limbs freely. Chris met Angel in 1999 in a village nearby Yangshuo and helped educate and train her to work at the hotel. She now works as the front desk supervisor, bookkeeper and is a source of inspiration for anyone who has the pleasure in meeting her. They also have a charity shop that sells handicrafts and antiques from local villages and other parts of China which is scheduled soon to go online that supports CUMF.
Economically China is changing rapidly and figures from both The World Tourism Organisation and The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) indicate huge growths in the tourism sector. Unconfirmed estimates from CNTA for example suggest that China’s tourism industry pulled in a record $128.6 billion USD of revenues in 2007, an increase of 10% over 2006. However, this kind of growth comes at a cost and the inherent paradox of the tourism industry is inevitably revealing itself in places like Yangshuo and across all of China.
Increasing accessibility to beautiful locations such as Yangshuo should not mean progressive destruction through unsustainable practices to meet the fresh demand in the tourism sector. Hotels and institutions like the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat across the world help combat the negative impacts of tourism and bring awareness of the importance of ecotourism to the masses. This small Yangshuo hotel is making inroads into changing peoples perspectives, and simply by doing what they are doing, help promote Ecotourism in China. They have received international recognition for their efforts in keeping their business practices sustainable. In 2007 they reached the finals for the Virgin Holidays Sustainable Tourism Awards and in 2008 have been nominated for the Conde Nast World Saver Awards (results will be decided in September).
They are a model example for the large corporations in the tourism industry but the question is will the big players take heed and listen before it’s too late?