At Anantara Resort in Sri Lanka, a team of resident apiarists has established 10 bee colonies at the organic garden
Thai luxury hospitality chain Minor Hotels‘ subsidiary Anantara Hotels says it has come up with numerous activities, including beekeeping classes to honey tasting to mark the World Honey Bee Day on August 19.
In a press statement, the Thailand-based hotel group says that several of its properties have developed local initiatives to protect pollinators and their habitats, while nurturing host communities and environments.
“With the rise in industrial farming around the globe putting bees under pressure through overuse of pesticide and destruction of habitat, even wildlife smoke and air pollution are known to harm them, I’m proud that Anantara hotels around the globe are taking it upon themselves to provide homes for these vital pollinators. All the while providing our guests with guaranteed fresh, pure and low-food-mile honey and helping keep local skills alive,’’ says John Roberts, Group Director of Conservation and Sustainability for Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas.
More Anantara guests will have the chance to enjoy fresh honey at the breakfast buffet, says the hotel
At Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort in Sri Lanka, a team of resident apiarists has established 10 bee colonies at the organic garden and the paddy field area. The hotel adds that guests can observe the pollinators with a guided nature walk to learn about the resort’s bee-harvesting project and the importance of bees. With plans in place to increase the number of colonies, more Anantara guests will have the chance to enjoy fresh honey at the breakfast buffet, says the press statement.
It adds that in Zambia, the Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara has partnered with Zambia Forest College to launch a beehive initiative that empowers women, promotes food security and makes the hotel’s supply chain more sustainable. Together they have manufactured beehives and donated them to the women of Mukuni village, as well as training them in organic beekeeping.
The hotel adds that in Anantara Villa Padierna Benahavis Marbella Resort in Spain, guests can book the ‘Beekeeper for a Day’ experience where they will have a guided visit to the local village Istan to learn about the world of bees and their vital role in Andalusia, the leading producer of honey in Spain. It will take them through the process of harvesting honey from the hives, while discovering the diversity of flora and fauna in the area.
In another initiative, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts, off the coast of Abu Dubai in the UAE, is working to establish a beekeeping and honey production facility. According to the statement, the facility will breed bees that can survive the harsh climate of the region, as well as protecting and encouraging species of native wild pollinators such as Arabian dwarf bees, a species of wild honey bee facing several threats, such as habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, invasive species and diseases. Their honey will supply the kitchens of both Sir Bani Yas hotels and Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara in the Liwa Desert.
At Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort in the north of Thailand, the resort is home to hives of the native Apis cerana bees. The team harvests honey during the season, which guests can enjoy tasting with breakfast delicacies whilst overlooking the three country views. The hotel also protects wild hives of all bee species they come across, adds the press statement.
