
Hospitality for turtles
22 September 2020/ A resort that is inspired to the principles of eco-friendliness is also remarkable for the way it reacts to the presence of nature /
On the morning of July 13th, a sea turtle from the species Caretta Caretta climbed up a beach to lay its eggs. Nothing strange there, but the turtle chose a place on a private beach inside the Vivosa Apulia Resort, a tourist resort in Salento (Southern Italy), in high tourist season, and laid its eggs right in between the beach umbrellas.
Now, the resort management could choose several different courses of action. They could remove the eggs, thinking that they “soiled” the property, or simply ignore them (eggs are laid at a depth of about 50cm under the sand) and place sun beds and umbrellas right on top of the nest, probably causing the eggs to be destroyed. They could wait for the eggs to hatch and use the baby turtles as a tourist attraction, allowing guests to do as they pleased; but most people do not know how to deal with baby turtles, and even with the best intentions, they risk causing damages to animals of an already endangered species.
Instead, director Silvio Grilli decided to do the right thing: he contacted a dedicated wildlife center, the Sea Turtle Rescue Center at the Salento Natural History Museum, and the Center put a safe net in place around the nest, to protect and safeguard the eggs. So the eggs will be protected and the Center’s experts will be able to monitor the hatching, to ensure everything happens in such a way as to ensure the respect and safekeeping of the animals. “We are happy to see that this section of the coast is becoming fundamentally important for sea turtles nesting in Salento,” Grilli said.

This episode is actually not isolated. The whole philosophy of the resort is based on a strong link to the territory, a great respect for nature and a desire to teach the same respect to its guests, from the youngest age, with many activities. The resort, with 8ha for the hotel itself plus 15ha of park and pinewood, is nestled inside an extensive protected area, the 1600ha Parco regionale litorale di Ugento. The whole project is inspired to the themes of sustainability and elegance, on the backdrop of the scents and colors of Salento.
The spaces were designed with care to respond to…
Continue reading Games & Parks Industry September 2020, page 8