The Crested Cormorant, Sardinian Warbler and protected species such as the Yelkouan Shearwater are among the many migratory birds that visit Pointe de la Vigie, a wildlife refuge designated by the League for the Protection of Birds.
Nowadays, value-added might mean something different, something that’s rare, unique and that has been ignored for too long: wildlife resources, natural riches. Contrary to the idea of consuming a landscape, initiatives such as the wildlife refuge designated by the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) at the Monte-Carlo Beach Relais & Châteaux encourage us to connect, and reconnect, with local biodiversity. Located behind the hotel resort and extending down to the sea, Pointe de la Vigie pine forest is a haven for migratory birds, insects, flowers, carob trees and many other species of trees and plants. “To be designated a wildlife refuge by the LPO involves foregoing the use of chemical products, creating facilities that promote and protect the habitat, and taking an inventory of the wildlife,” says Emmanuel Taillandier, the Monte Carlo Beach’s Deputy Manager, whose favourite bird species is the sublime but fragile Serin Cini. “We have identified nineteen different species of nesting, marine and migratory birds onsite.” This year Taillandier is determined to renew the three-year agreement signed with the League for the Protection of Birds in 2019, and to this end is proposing to triple the perimeter of the refuge, incorporating the gardens of La Vigie, which would extend the surface area to 10,000 sqm. Signage has been put up in the current refuge for guests to view the area, and the hotel offers an educational guided visit for children with a naturalist. “Our staff have received training on these issues, particularly water conservation and waste recycling,” says Emmanuel Taillandier. “We have also installed an insect house and nesting boxes for species that spend the winter here. We’ve had a good response from our guests, since they are beginning to understand the urgent need to protect our biodiversity in the face of the mass extinction of species. We know that if we do nothing, there will be no more birds in decades to come.” The team here remembers the joyful reaction of the LPO’s ornithologist during an inventory when he observed a juvenile Golden Eagle in flight, which is rare here given that this bird is normally seen in the mountains. This proves the quality of the area, which we must all help to preserve.
By Eve Chatelet
Improved sustainability measures and increased Green Globe certifications
In 2007 the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer group committed to a more eco-responsible model of luxury tourism, primarily through its Sustainable Development Charters, which have been renewed and expanded over successive years; the group is also proud that its hotel establishments hold the Green Globe certification. In addition to the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort and the Monte-Carlo Beach, the two hotels that have been Green Globe certified since 2014, the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo have held this prestigious travel industry certification since 2019. Alongside these hotels, the certification was also awarded to the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo in 2015, the Café de Paris Monte-Carlo in 2019, the Aigue-Marine headquarters of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer group located in Fontvieille, and most recently the conference centre in One Monte-Carlo, the exclusive new district just a short walk from the Casino Monte-Carlo. This green initiative translates into concrete actions in terms of reducing greenhouse gases and energy consumption and managing water and waste, spearheaded by the resort’s Green Team, taking into account the fact that guests also play an essential role in achieving these shared sustainability goals during their stay.
