Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 64

6161
Your resorts mostly cater
for wealthy people. Is intel-
ligent luxury also a concept
for the middle class?
S: Absolutely. A lot of what
we do is not terribly expen-
sive, it just requires some
initial thinking. Sand on the
floor, for instance, is not
expensive. Our philosophy
SLOW LIFE is universal.
SLOW LIFE stands for “sus-
tainable, local, organic,
wholesome”; and then
“learning, inspiring, fun and
experience.” This is increas-
ingly attractive also for
less affluent people. Human
beings today are searching
for a greater truth. They
do not want to consume for
the sake of consumption
only.
Is this the new corporate
responsibility?
S: Definitely. We entrepre-
neurs have to be able to give
answers to our clients. Peo-
ple are not going to give up
the idea of luxury, so we
have to change the percep-
tion of what luxury is.
And you act on this respon-
sibility?
S: One example: We have
made our resorts carbon-
neutral. We built a windmill
in India that is supported by
the money our guests pay.
But we want more, we want
to become a zero-carbon
company. By early 2011 at
the latest, the Soneva Fushi
resort will rely completely
on renewable energy.
Where does this new
responsible thinking on the
part of companies and cus-
tomers come from?
S: From necessity. There
aren’t enough resources in
the world, we can’t go on
like this. 90 percent of
predatory fish are said to
have been fished already;
we have to start restoring
our oceans to the state they
were once in.
This rethinking is essential
especially for the tourism
industry.
S: True. The environment is
changing, and this has an
impact on the travel indus-
try. The Mediterranean
Sea might at some point
become unswimmable,
being so full of jellyfish and
algae.
Apparently, there is a
whole philosophy behind
your business idea.
Can that philosophy have
an impact beyond the
resort business?
S: Yes, we have such plans.
We want to distribute the
system that we have to pro-
duce Six Senses Water; and
we would also like to supply
the Maldives government
with the solar panels that
we use at Soneva Fushi.
Also, we have designed a
luxury boat with a diesel
engine. Why not offer such
boats for sale?
We talked a lot about
wishes in this interview.
What is your last big wish?
S: I would be happy if our
philosophy had a real
impact, and if we could show
the world what the SLOW
LIFE concept can do.
IDEAS OF A MODERN HOTELIER
Listen to the interview at:
wwwwww..aauuddii..ccoomm//aarr22000099//sshhiivvddaassaannii
SONU SHIVDASANI
is founder and CEO of
the hotel management
company “Six Senses
Resorts & Spas.” His com-
pany develops, builds and
manages luxury resorts
and spas primarily in Asia.
Shivdasani is the son of
Indian parents. He studied
English Literature at
Oxford, and he also spent
some of his early
childhood in Nigeria and
Switzerland.