The Standard - Latest NewsToday, 7:09 AM
I have written before about the former Tai O police station as an example of breathing new life into a disused facility. The station is now a not-for-profit boutique hotel, the Tai O Heritage Hotel, with income used to maintain the 113-year-old building.
The hotel was last month awarded the 2015 Sustainable Hotel Award Sustainable Destinations by the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific. As its name suggests, the award is intended to push the travel industry to achieve high levels of sustainable development and operations.
The winners tend to be resorts or spas that are preserving and maintaining beaches, jungle and other natural environments. But in the Tai O Heritage Hotel's case it was recognition for its role in rejuvenating the local community and culture through such means as promoting local employment and cuisine.
The hotel has also received the 2015 HR Innovation Award Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Practices' silver prize. Organized by HR Magazine, this award encourages companies to embrace CSR initiatives and so salutes the hotel's achievements.
Wherever possible, reused heritage sites should be part of the local community.
In this respect, Tai O Heritage Hotel recently held an open day and food expo. It also organizes eco-tours and home visits and cleaning for the elderly in Tai O. Next month it will hold Christmas parties for Tai O's elderly and children.
Not all heritage sites can be used this way. But Tai O is an excellent example of how reuse can be a success and be recognized for it.
Bernard Charnwut Chan is chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings.
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