This article will appear in two parts, this is part 2 (see part 1here).

5) What do you think of local people’s and tourists’ attitude toward sustainable living and lifestyle? What do you think can be further improved or enhanced? How do you help the community in Bangladesh?

Well I have an advantage here in that most Bangladeshi villagers naturally live an “eco” lifestyle. They live in mud homes and use very little power. Everything is recycled because buying new things costs a lot of money. I think the two biggest challenges/opportunities for enhancing the “greenness” of the local people are: 1) teaching them to properly dispose of trash and not to just throw it on the ground or in the river and 2) making sure that they keep a green lifestyle as their incomes grow as a result of the increased tourism in the area.

I intend to address these issues by:

• Environmental education in a local school – we want to increase environmental awareness in the community as well. Unfortunately in Bangladesh environmental sustainability is very low on the priority scale for most people.
• We are also going to train the local people how to integrate modern construction techniques and traditional mud construction with the hopes of preserving this ancient building tradition that is slowly being replaced by corrugated iron sheet houses.
• Teach my employees the importance of proper trash disposal and the benefits of sustainable living.
• Provide an example of amazing, beautiful, durable mud architecture that the Bangladeshis will want to copy. (Sadly right now in Bangladesh anything that is “foreign” is perceived to be better quality than anything made in Bangladesh; I am hoping to change this perception.)
• Have environmental seminars and clean-up days in the host community.
• Provide home loans and design/construction assistance to employees who have worked at the resort for more than 5 years if they want to build a mud/ environmentally friendly home.

As for the guests, I think that most of the foreigners who live in Bangladesh are already environmentally/socially minded because they are often here working with government and non-profit programs. Based on my experience here so far, some of the wealthy Bangladeshi clients may need more of an environmental education… We will (diplomatically) show them where the trash bins are and ask that they respect the natural beauty of the area and not pollute it. I think that the best way to get other people to respect the environment is to set a good example yourself and instil a sense of pride and participation in the guests who are experiencing the place.

Our company is based on the three pillars of profitability, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility; all of our decisions must keep these three values in mind.

Panigram Resort is based on the three pillars of profitability, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility; all of their decisions must keep these three values in mind.

6) Are you targeting a preferred guest profile (eg couples, families or nature lovers) or is everyone welcome? What are some of the activities which tourists can expect and what is a must-see in Panigram Resort/Bangladesh?

Our target markets are primarily the foreigners and wealthy Bangladeshis who are living in Bangladesh, because right now Bangladesh does not have a major tourist presence. That said, everyone is certainly welcome at our resort! We will have options for singles, couples, families, nature lovers, and folks who just want to be pampered at a spa resort.

We are billing the resort as a “taste of Bangladeshi village life” so many of our activities are centred around that theme. The people are really the most interesting part of Bangladesh (they are so warm and hospitable) and you can still see traditional village life here (as opposed to a “tourist recreation” of it in other places.) Activities will include:

• Rickshaw rides through the country
• Guided tours of the villages and local archaeological sites
• Boat tours (sunset cruise, cruise around the resort area, Sundarbans cruise, etc.)
• Fishing with the local villagers or with the trained fishing otters
• Pottery classes in the pottery village that is just a 10-15 minute walk from the resort

We will also have more “typical” resort activities/facilities like a swimming pool, hammock house, playground (with a tree house), and a full service spa and wellness centre.

“Must see” items: definitely the pottery village, boat tour, and rickshaw ride through the country.

7) When it comes to protecting the environment, should people trust non-profits, foundations and the like, or for-profits? What signs convince you and what worry you in each case?

This is a debate that many of my social entrepreneur friends and I have been having lately. While we all recognise that there is still a need for non-profits, we feel that many of the non-profit organisations are not run terribly efficiently. They have lofty goals, but lack of management skills and fiscal accountability often results in a lot of wasted time and resources.

Pottery village, boat tour, and rickshaw ride through the country are several activities in Panigram Resort and Spa which you won't want to miss!

I don’t think that it is a matter of trust really. I think that both for-profits and non-profits have good intentions. It is my experience though that the profit motive makes people think of the most efficient ways to get things done which results in more “bang for the buck”. That said, there are certain causes that probably can not or should not be made “for profit” like campaigns to protect endangered species, etc.

8) What can you do or help to change people’s mindset towards sustainable living? How eco-conscious are you towards the environment?

I think that the primary barriers to becoming “green” are the perceptions that it is a) difficult and b) would require sacrifices of quality or standards of living. I hope to change both perceptions at Panigram Resort. When you walk in you will see a gorgeous, luxury resort. You probably won’t initially be aware that it is environmentally sustainable. As we educate our guests (through signage, conversations, tours, etc.) we hope that they will see that it IS easy being green!

I consume locally grown food, I ride a motorcycle instead of driving a car, I don’t print out documents unless absolutely necessary, I turn off the lights, air conditioner, etc. when I leave a room. In Bangladesh there aren’t as many choices for “green” products and household goods that we have in the US, but I try to buy local whenever I can.

© EcoAsia 2009