Green Pearls® is an international information platform for sustainable travel, a worldwide label and communication agency – a filter for eco-friendly vacation without compromises and a worldwide operating communication agency for sustainable tourism. The website www.greenpearls.com introduces pioneers of green tourism, who support environmental protection and focus on social responsibility. The German company in Darmstadt unifies 96 handpicked, sustainable and unique places worldwide.
The company was founded by three partners of whom two have a long background in the travel industry. One of the founders is the GM and the only one working active in the company.
We made a interview with the founder Stefany Seipp
What is the background story of the founders?
In August 2012, Stefany Seipp founded Green Pearls® GmbH as a portfolio of handpicked, sustainable and unique places worldwide with two silent partners Since then, she functions as the head of the German company and is responsible for the company’s strategy and for the extensive communication, sales and marketing measures for the partners as well.
Together with two shareholder, the 56-year-old founded Green Pearls® as an information platform and communication agency for sustainable places throughout the whole world. Her vision: travelers should not only be greeted warmly and be pampered with first-class service on vacation, but also contribute to the social and ecological balance in vacation countries as soon as they booked it.
The idea for Green Pearls® developed on Koh Samui. There, in 2009, Stefany Seipp heard the story of hotel owner Akorn Hoontrakul, chairman of the Imperial Hotel Group. Akorn fell in love with a small bay of the Thai island and bought the land in 1985 within only seven days. He wanted to build a hotel that differed from the other popular tourist destinations – a natural structure, for which no tree or bush had to leave. In order to make sure of that, Akorn slept outdoors on the beach every day and monitored the construction process with Argus eyes. When Stefany Seipp heard of this touching pioneer story and discovered the truly only untouched spot in Tongsai Bay located on Koh Samui, she thought of a “green” information platform for the first time.
She asked herself: “How can you bring sustainability to the public? How can we prevent that hotels open a drawer and close it immediately, as soon as a green certificate is inside? How do you portray all the different sustainable approaches?”
With Green Pearls® she created a label, platform and communication agency where conscious travelers find the authentic places they are looking for. Even more than places, Green Pearls® offers green vacations for all senses, sustainable experiences that you can take home and draw from.
Thereby it is not about missionizing. Rather, travelers are shown possibilities, how they can contribute to sustainable tourism with joy and without sacrifices.
Stefany Seipp has been at home in the world of tourism for over 29 years. Due to her international career in tourism, she was able to acquire 82 Green Pearls® members in 32 countries within the past years. After her philology and art studies in Trier, she completed an apprenticeship as a travel agent. Alongside her job as a flight attendant at Lufthansa, she additionally studied business administration.
She gained her expertise in hotel business and business management as a sales manager at Hapag Lloyd Company. There she acquired new clients, cared for existing clients and conducted all cost analysis. In a several year family break, Stefany Seipp dedicated herself to her three children and as a fine artist created paintings and sculptures, which set the life process of paper in focus as being a part of a sustainable process She also acted as an artist agent
As sales director of Herget Representation & Networking GmbH, a representation for luxury hotels and resorts with a focus on Asia, she returned to tourism in 2009. Here she was responsible for all sales and marketing activities of the member hotels of the company in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, acquire partners and operators, organized the fairs and roadshows and navigated marketing and communication measures
The world traveler, who has so far been to 82 countries in the world, mostly does not choose her travels due to the destination, but rather due to the host. Because lastly, the personal stories are the ones that give us a very emotional entry into unknown cultures and surroundings and
“It is my personal wish that my children, grandchildren and their children see and experience the world with my eyes a bit as well. Many wonderful places on this earth are already lost. It is worth that we all fight for it, so that the existing ones stay for the coming generations. The small steps, which we take each day are the ones that make a change. We borrowed the world from those, who come after us,” says Stefany Seipp
Why did you start this platform, what is the idea behind this startup?
Green Pearls® is not a start up but established since seven years. The idea is to give green businesses and destination in the touristic industry a space to present themselves in the area of sustainability. With transparent communication the Green Pearls®'partners get visible and findable in the area of sustainability.
How do you want to impact people attending your platform/community in the future?
by transparent, clear and trustful content and authentic information
Also a short fact based story about the platform.
All Green Pearls® partners unite high standards, active environmentally friendly initiatives, as well as social commitment. “Those, who choose a vacation in a ‘green pearl’ travel consciously different and play an important part in contributing to make the world a little bit better. Our partners do not let sustainable certificates get dusty in their drawers – all perform countless contributions for the protection of natural resources, socially disadvantaged or the local community”, says the founder of Green Pearls, Stefany Seipp.
The collection shows the large diversity of different approaches to sustainability. Aspects such as environmental protection, local and authentic experiences, social and cultural engagement is ranked in the so-called “Green Score”. This way, the guest transparently sees, in which areas the “green pearls” are especially active.
Part of the Green Pearls requirements are a sustainability plan on management level, the use of seasonal and local ingredients in the kitchen ensures to protect flora and fauna, integration of the local community and fair wages for employees
On the German and English website www.greenpearls.com, hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants and destinations being home in 34 countries are represented. Here, interested readers inform themselves in detail on sustainable initiatives of the members, search for travel types like beach vacations, honeymoons, city trips or adventure holidays and are inspired by the suggestions on the Green Pearls blog.
“Green Pearls” are distinguished with a high amount of individuality: a historical castle with Demeter vegetable garden in East Switzerland is promoted just as an Alice in Wonderland cocoon in Thailand, green travel businesses in Thailand or a Moroccan hotel in the Atlas mountains. During a Green Pearls vacation, conscious travelers receive the chance to cross barriers, lend a hand or increase their green knowledge.
The sustainable communication experts of the Green Pearls® team highlight the individual green aspects of the Green Pearls partners through worldwide communication and social media measures. News is shared via monthly newsletter, blogs, and media trips. Media events, roadshows as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Instagram: @greenpearls
Twitter: @green_pearls
Facebook: @GreenPearls and @GreenPearlsDE
Pinterest: @greenpearls
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9184296/
@green_pearls / @GreenPearls / @GreenPearlsDE / eco friendly / Green Pearls / sustainable travel. / vacation