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Hans Haensel, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Destination and Leisure Management stated: “Emirates has taken environmental commitments seriously; and our resorts and their conservation work form a central focus of our corporate environmental policy. Across the whole organisation we are continuing to search for ways to improve environmental performance – on the ground and in the air.”

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President & CEO of WTTC said: "The Conservation Award, is one of four award categories, and is awarded to hotels and tourism organisations which have demonstrated that their tourism developments and operations have directly contributed to conservation of natural habitats, biodiversity, and wildlife protection. Emirates Hotels & Resorts is a pioneer in this space and has also clearly demonstrated this through its commitment to sustainable development practices, and supports cultural heritage across all their properties".

Mr. Haensel added: "We are extremely proud to receive this award; it is real recognition for over ten years of valuable work at Al Maha, and more recently at Wolgan Valley, Australia, which has led to the creation of new wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and the protection of endangered species in Dubai. This award recognises the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability in tourism, where it is no longer an option; but a basic expectation.”

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa was Emirates’ first resort and was designed and built following the principles of environmentally sustainable development. The experience at Al Maha and the technology advances over the past decade contributed to even greater efficiency, which has continued at Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, which opened only in October 2009, and is already the first hotel in the world to be certified carbon neutral by an internationally accredited organisation. 

Al Maha's philosophy centres on the two most critical global environmental issues; bio-diversity extinction rates and carbon emissions reduction.

Al Maha has been instrumental in creating the conservation reserve within which it is set, and we continue our dedication to that cause on an ongoing basis. By staying with us, guests actively support desert conservation programmes, as a portion of our turnover is put directly into conservation projects.

Large scale habitat rehabilitation programs are also ongoing, including the propagation of over 6,000 indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses, and the re-introduction of the regions' first free-roaming herds of endangered Oryx and many other indigenous wildlife species, Al Maha is a haven of protection, with an ever-growing diversity of large and small mammals and the wildlife of Arabia.

Ongoing collaborative research is also in place at each destination, and these efforts have been acknowledged by such organisations as UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and the World Heritage Committee.

“Our greatest wish is that the global hotel industry makes the changes necessary to protect the natural and historic environments which have attracted travellers for decades. It is only with a commitment to protect our naturally beautiful locations across the world, such as Al Maha, that our industry can continue to grow and thrive” concluded Mr. Haensel.