Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts Reduces Sargassum by 95 Percent at Riviera Maya Beaches with Innovative Barrier System

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, the leading all-inclusive resort brand with properties in the Caribbean and Spain, has announced the brand’s Comprehensive Coastal Management Plan, implemented to re-establish the natural balance of local ecosystems in the areas which the brand operates, has resulted in a successful 95 percent reduction of the presence of sargassum on the beaches of its Mexico properties.

Earlier this year, the brand signed a collaboration with a maritime services company to assist in the protection of its beaches via the deployment of a series of networks to contain, accumulate and redirect sargassum. The new and innovative technologies used, including a pioneering, non-invasive barrier system, were put in place by a team of marine biologists, oceanographers, engineers and divers, and operate with respect to the marine fauna and flora. To ensure all measures that influence the local ecosystem are carried out with respect to the environment, the brand also consulted with several engineering companies, government agencies and relevant government ministries. Eco-Bahia, Bahia Principe’s ecological foundation will evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.

Further, as part of its commitment to sustainability, the brand has implemented additional measures at its properties in Jamaica and Dominican Republic, to reduce erosion at beaches, preserve the dune systems and their vegetation, manage the infrastructure in the coastal environment including waste systems, protect the aquatic system and its flora and fauna, preserve water quality, promote sustainable fishing measure, and raise awareness and educate communities close to the sea.

“The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that coastal systems are particularly sensitive to three factors linked to climate change: sea level, temperature, and ocean acidity,” said Antonia del Toro, director of corporate social responsibility for Grupo Piñero, the brand’s parent company. “At Grupo Piñero, we are aware of this reality and of our responsibility to find solutions that preserve the destinations in which we operate and have therefore implemented this project that combines environmental actions with the vital work of raising social awareness.”

Grupo Piñero’s Comprehensive Coastal Management Plan also includes objectives involving the mitigation of hydrodynamic imbalance, promotion of sustainable use or improvement of its effectiveness and resilience to climate change.

About Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts

Grupo Piñero’s Bahia Principe hotel chain has a presence in the Dominican Republic, where it is the market leader in terms of the number of hotel beds, as well as the Riviera Maya (Mexico), Jamaica and Spain (in the Canaries and Balearic Islands). Year after year, the Bahia Principe hotels receive a large part of the most prestigious international awards for quality that are given in the vacation industry. Alongside its high-end hotel facilities, the Piñero family’s company also manages two large luxury home resorts: Playa Nueva Romana Residences & Golf (Dominican Republic) and Bahia Principe Rivera Maya Residences & Golf (Mexico). The company has also developed other lines of business in the tourism industry, the most notable of which include the tour operator business (Soltour and BP-USA Travel) and guest reception services (Coming2).