InterContinental Phuket Resort has achieved a significant milestone by securing certification from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). This accomplishment marks the resort as the first InterContinental property in Thailand and the third under the IHG Hotels & Resorts umbrella in the country to earn this prestigious sustainability recognition. The certification process involved an independent audit conducted by Control Union Certifications, a GSTC-accredited organization, which evaluated the resort’s performance across four key areas of sustainable tourism: management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental performance.
The resort’s commitment to sustainability is evident through its various initiatives, such as water and energy conservation efforts, food-waste reduction strategies, local sourcing, and community programs in Phuket. Among its innovative food-waste initiatives is the use of an Oklin Food Waste Composter, which processes around 125 kilograms of food waste daily, reducing it by 80-90% within 24 hours and converting it into fertilizer. This process generates about 360 kilograms of fertilizer each month, which benefits local organizations, schools, gardens, and farms. Furthermore, the resort employs AI-based food-waste monitoring to help culinary teams minimize discarded food and optimize portion sizes, purchasing, and inventory management.
The environmental initiatives extend beyond the resort’s premises to Kamala Beach through the Proud Kamala program, which aims to maintain roughly three kilometers of coastline and reduce marine waste. The resort also collaborates with the Ocean For All Foundation’s “License to Clean” initiative, deploying a coastal-cleaning catamaran to collect waste from the surrounding waters, which is then sorted for recycling, reuse, or disposal. Water conservation is an integral part of the resort’s operations, with approximately 80% of landscape irrigation needs met by treated wastewater, supplemented by rainwater harvesting and other measures to lessen reliance on potable water.
In addition to its GSTC certification, the resort boasts LEED Gold certification, reflecting its commitment to energy efficiency through measures like LED lighting, motion sensors, lighting controls, and energy monitoring, which collectively aim to achieve about 25% energy savings. The resort also emphasizes local sourcing, partnering with more than 19 farmers and communities across Thailand, including those in Phang Nga. Some of these farms utilize fertilizer produced from the resort’s food-waste composting process, creating a sustainable loop between food production, kitchen waste, and dining operations. In collaboration with Chulalongkorn University and Kasetsart University, the resort’s Sipping Tiger venue experiments with cocktails made from locally sourced plants and botanicals, utilizing materials that might otherwise go unused.
Bjorn Courage, the General Manager, expressed that the GSTC certification serves as an independent validation of the resort’s dedication to sustainable practices and provides a framework for further enhancing its environmental and community initiatives. Located on Kamala Beach, InterContinental Phuket Resort features 221 rooms, suites, and villas, alongside a range of amenities including restaurants, bars, wellness facilities, and swimming pools. For reservations and additional information, guests can reach out to the resort via phone, email, or visit their website.
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