United Nations World Tourism Organization Recognizes RIU Hotels & Resorts with Prestigious Award

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has awarded RIU Hotels & Resorts First Prize in the Ulysses Innovation in Tourism Enterprises category for the project: RIU Karamboa – Tourist Development of a New Destination. This is the first time a Spanish hotel company has won this prestigious award.

The hotel was recognized for its contribution to the international tourism promotion of Boa Vista and Cape Verde, the economic development of the island and for the sustainable operational model and its environmental policies and practices.

In November 2008, RIU Hotels & Resorts opened the 750-room RIU Karamboa. The Spain-based resort company worked closely with European tour operators to secure flights to the destination.

Today, there are twelve weekly charter flights to Boa Vista, connecting the island to main European cities. The project also stood out for its contribution to the economic growth in Boa Vista. RIU invested 80 million Euro and employs 484 people at the resort, 97 percent of whom are locals.

The UNWTO also considered the sustainable construction and operation of the hotel. RIU exceeded the environmental regulation of the Cape Verde's Government for the construction of the hotel in Boa Vista.

In addition to following the guidelines and regulations set by the government, RIU implemented several measures in the hotel to save water and energy, to manage the waste responsibly and introduced biodegradable and environmentally-friendly products.

The UNWTO celebrated the seventh edition of the Ulysses Awards on May 27, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. With these awards, the UNWTO recognizes and encourages innovative knowledge creation, dissemination and application in the area of tourism and bring to light the latest advances.