Tony Webb, an American entrepreneur, has recently invested in a new tourism project of the future: an underwater hotel offering a unique experience to its visitors while fighting against the disappearance of coral reefs. At a time when companies are investing in space tourism, others prefer to bet on new equally sensational formulas taking advantage of the specificities of our relatively unexplored land environments.
This is the case of Tony Webb. The American entrepreneur has recently unveiled the face of what its meaning will become the tourism of the future and it lies not in the stars but in the middle of the ocean depths.
A passenger on the seabed
To make the experience particularly authentic, Tony Webb has created a luxury submarine. Called "Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel", the SPV is willing to innovative and ecologically too. The cabin was designed as a sort of station accessed via a lift.
Located about nine meters under the water surface, it is expected to house within it a dozen rooms with the comfort of a traditional hotel and a bonus, a great view of the ocean and its inhabitants. The project objective is twofold: to offer visitors a unique experience while raising awareness of environmental issues.
"We believe that the future of travel and tourism experiences will be made to measure. We also believe in travel and responsible tourism, which means that local economies and the environment benefit from these activities.
It's a win-win scenario, "said the Huffington Post, Eleanor Mitch, a member of the project. To do this, 10% of profits will be donated to the restoration of coral reefs, as well in the Hotel implant region than in other ocean areas, transferring coral colonies on the most affected sites .
A method of restoring coral reefs
More than half of the world's reefs is indeed threatened by coastal activities and climate change. To avoid the loss of these remarkable ecosystems, a team of scientists has developed a method of annealing, called "electrolytic mineral accretion."
This is to generate a weak electric current in seawater to stimulate the formation and growth of sustainable deposits of insoluble mineral salts. These functional structures have the same functions as a natural reef for wildlife that lives there.
The idea of the underwater hotel is the one to exploit this method to develop around new settlements. The structure will also be built from non-polluting and non-corrosive materials to minimize impacts to surrounding ecosystems. Of small dimensions, it can be moved to join sites requiring restoration work. The areas in question will be selected by a team of marine biologists adjoining the project.
"The importance of this is to try to link tourism to environmental improvement," said Dr. Thomas Goreau, marine biologist and President of the Global Coral Reef Alliance. "We are helping to restore the reefs and bring hotels to do something and part of the solution would be fantastic. So far, they are rather part of the problem. " (Source: Maxi Science)