The tourism companies that want to achieve energy savings through clean energy projects, will now have financing opportunities for it thanks to the agreement signed by the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) with the BAC San José bank.
The idea is to finance green and environmentally friendly projects through the Banking Fund for Development that has $ 140 million and $ 20 million investments with the Dutch Cooperation Bank.
BAC offered free lectures with the participation of Pablo Abarca, president of CANATUR, Irene Cañas, Deputy Minister of Environmental Management and Energy from MINAE and Jorge Vieto, an expert who spoke on “Management and energy efficiency in the tourism sector.”
The deputy minister talked about the goals of the country to generate cleaner energy to comply with international agreements, and she also praised these interagency partnerships, since sustainability and management of climate change is a task and a joint responsibility of citizens and the public and private sectors.
Hotels spend about 40% of their income to pay foe power, water heating, air conditioners, and drying clothes and linens. Hence, the need to sign an alliance to finance energy conversion in the tourism sector, with the purchase of hybrid or electric cars, as well as the use of solar panels.
To achieve this goal the alliance will provide technical assistance to SMEs with the support of experts who can perform advisory work, and will also provide financing with preferential conditions to companies that apply.
Pablo Abarca, president of CANATUR, said that
the signing of this agreement confirms this chamber’s commitment to sustainability, offering a real choice to national tourism entrepreneurs to make investments, which in addition to renewing their environmental responsibility, gives them an opportunity to reduce their operating costs.”