Sustainable luxurious within the Maldives

The Maldives is a group of 26 coral atolls within the Indian Ocean that’s globally famend for luxurious island resorts, over water bungalows, pristine white sand seashores and extraordinary marine life. Every atoll is exclusive, made by the sluggish erosion of volcanic islands which depart a hoop of coral islands surrounded by the clear blue waters which can be synonymous with this luxurious vacation vacation spot. With greater than 250 species of arduous coral and 1100 species of fish calling the Maldives house, we should be collectively answerable for their survival. Tourism continues to be rising within the Maldives and with new resorts opening every 12 months, it’s now extra vital than ever to advertise and help sustainable tourism initiatives.

It’s our duty as world travellers to make sustainable decisions wherever attainable. After all, our actions in flying all over the world have big affect, but when we want to journey that’s sort of unattainable to keep away from and definitely impractical to succeed in each nook of this enchanting planet. What we are able to do nonetheless, is to hunt out lodges and resorts in our chosen vacation spot which can be making efforts to develop sustainable practices, and work in the direction of lowering the affect that journey and tourism creates. Anybody who has been lucky sufficient to go to the Maldives, will admire simply how distinctive the setting is, with coral atolls, pristine reefs and ample marine life highlighting the pure magnificence. It’s inside fragile eco programs like these the place the necessity for sustainable practices is paramount, and the place efforts to be extra sustainable can have probably the most affect. With tourism persevering with to develop exponentially within the Maldives, there has by no means been a extra vital time for the tourism business to ‘do the correct factor’ and for vacationers and travellers to help these resort that accomplish that.

Six Senses Kanuhura

It was no shock that the most recent Six Senses resort within the Maldives had sustainable tourism as certainly one of their core values. The merely beautiful Six Senses Kanuhura has embraced the idea and have a number of initiatives which can be obvious while you discover the pristine island. From fruits, greens and mushrooms which can be grown on the island to shifting in the direction of menus that might be 40% plant based mostly, and from interplay with group and conservation efforts to declaring that Maldivian seagrass meadows must be protected, each effort is made to make sure that the sustainability targets of Six Senses are achieved and exceeded. While some resorts select to take away the seagrass and the ecosystem providers they supply with the intention to create ‘crystal clear lagoons’, the groups at Six Senses Kanuhura and Six Senses Laamu (each within the Maldives) have actively promoted their environmental significance within the area to different resorts. This marketing campaign has been endorsed and supported by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism which can additional promote the constructive affect from defending these endangered sea grass meadows.

When asking Jeff Smith (Vice President of Sustainability at Six Senses) how they make sustainable and accountable tourism ‘enjoyable’ for his or her visitors he spoke passionately about Earth Lab. At every Six Senses resort, that is the place visitors are invited to affix interactive workshops which can be each instructional and enjoyable. Whether or not that’s studying easy methods to make your individual pure toothpaste, zero waste candles and regionally sourced coconut oil or studying about coral restoration, recycling and composting, there are lessons and actions for all that can most actually make you concentrate on easy methods to cut back our affect on the planet. Wanting ahead, he talked about group extensive initiatives together with a ‘bioblitz’ the place citizen science might be used to doc biodiversity, and a seed saving program that can present a lot wanted seeds to the native farmers and communities.

JA Manafaru

As the primary resort within the Maldives from the Dubai based mostly JA Lodges & Resorts, it was nice to see that they’ve embraced sustainable tourism practices on the idyllic JA Manafaru which is positioned within the pristine Haa Alif Atoll. Common Supervisor, Jason Kruse talked about how “sustainability is essential to JA Manafaru” and this was clear to see throughout our time on the island. The island gardens produce fruits, greens and mushrooms, while as many merchandise as attainable are produced on the island. Each of those initiatives cut back pointless packaging and the destructive affect of meals miles. Along with these, by providing visitors intensive vegetarian, vegan and plant based mostly meals choices by way of their progressive and resort extensive ‘Wellness Your Approach’ menus they’re additional including to their sustainability initiatives and lowering the affect of tourism at JA Manafaru.

You received’t discover plastic water bottles or plastic straws at JA Manafaru, even the toothbrushes and razors are constructed from sustainable bamboo. Each side of life is being consistently scrutinised, in an effort to seek out new methods to reduce the environmental affect. Refillable dispensers in every rest room comprise regionally produced, natural and paraben free facilities which can be each plant based mostly and reef pleasant, eliminating the necessity for single use plastic. Jason Kruse additionally spoke of present photo voltaic panels and a brand new waste administration system that’s in improvement, which alongside procuring produce with much less packaging and composting a lot of the meals waste will see additional constructive impacts. All consuming water is desalinated on the island utilizing reverse osmosis, earlier than being remineralised and distributed all through the island in planet pleasant glass bottles, one other step in the direction of lowering the necessity for single use plastic at JA Manafaru.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort

As a part of Marriott Worldwide, the sustainability initiatives at The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort observe the group extensive 2025 Sustainability and Social Affect Objectives. These targets handle the truth that as the biggest lodge operator on the planet, they’ve an excellent better obligation than most  to function responsibly with their ever increasing world presence. Sustainability initiatives at The Westin Maldives embrace a meals composting machine that makes use of meals waste to supply fertaliser for the 1200 sq. foot ‘Chef Backyard’ the place an array of contemporary produce are cultivated, offering natural farm to-table components to the resort’s eating places and bars. The completion of a powerful photo voltaic power mission in August 2024 has already offered the specified outcomes eradicating greater than 77,000kg of CO2 emissions within the first 3 months of operation. Common Supervisor, Mr Vijay Kumar commented “sustainability is essential and we’re dedicated to creating options to minimise the affect now we have on this stunning eco-system, our new panels will serve to harness the sunshine we’re blessed with within the Maldives and cut back our reliance on power sources corresponding to diesel.”

The bottled water plant at The Westin Maldives produces 500 to 1000 litres every day, which means that the water wants of all visitor rooms and eating retailers are met. Seawater is desalinated and filtered by way of water therapy programs and reverse osmosis membranes to take away the salt and different impurities. The purified water is then sterilised, mineralised, and bottled underneath hygienic circumstances in biodegradable glass bottles. This supplies an eco pleasant and important various to imported bottled water and removes using single use plastic water bottles solely. Carbon emissions are decreased by eliminating the necessity to import water from the mainland and by integrating the just lately put in photo voltaic panels, the carbon footprint is additional lowered.

When tourism launched in 1972 with the opening of Kurumba Maldives, it was unattainable to foretell how tourism within the Maldives would look at this time. In 2024 there are actually near 200 resorts and lots of different vacationer amenities together with visitor homes and dive vessels. The Noovilu Seaplane Terminal opened in 2023 which sees over 500 flights every day, while the model new terminal at Male Worldwide Airport will be capable to handle in extra of seven million passengers yearly. Tourism within the Maldives is actually alive and kicking with continued world demand, so it’s solely proper that sustainable tourism within the Maldives turns into the subsequent massive factor permitting future generations to get pleasure from the whole lot that the Maldives has to supply.

Paul Eyers

Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Meals Quest who write about luxurious lodges and resorts in Southeast Asia with a deal with sustainable journey, eco journey and vegan journey. At the moment based mostly in Malaysia, Paul additionally writes about sporting occasions and a number of the best golf programs all through the area.