The Maldives is a collection of 26 coral atolls in the Indian Ocean that is globally renowned for luxury island resorts, over water bungalows, pristine white sand beaches and extraordinary marine life. Each atoll is different, formed by the slow erosion from volcanic islands that leaves a ring coral islands surrounded with the clear blue water that is synonymous with this luxury destination. We are all responsible for the survival of more than 250 species hard coral and over 1100 fish species that call the Maldives their home. Tourism in the Maldives continues to grow and with more resorts opening every year it is now even more important to support and promote sustainable tourism initiatives.
As global travelers, we have a responsibility to make sustainable choices whenever possible. It’s true that our actions of flying around the globe have a huge impact. But if we want to travel, it’s impossible to avoid. And it is certainly impractical to visit every corner of this beautiful planet. We can however seek out hotels in our chosen destination which are working towards developing sustainable practices and work to reduce the impact that tourism and travel creates.
Anyone who has visited the Maldives will be able to appreciate the uniqueness of the environment, with coral reefs, coral atolls and abundant marine wildlife highlighting the natural beauty. In fragile eco systems, such as the Maldives, the need for sustainable practices and efforts to be more environmentally friendly are paramount. With tourism continuing to grow exponentially in the Maldives, there has never been a more important time for the tourism industry to ‘do the right thing’ and for tourists and travellers to support those resort that do so.
Six Senses Kanuhura
It was no surprise to learn that sustainable tourism was one of the core values at the newest Six Senses Maldives resort. Six Senses Kanuhura is a stunning island that embraces the concept of sustainable tourism. Six Senses is committed to achieving and exceeding its sustainability goals. From the fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms grown on the island, to the menus that will have a 40% plant-based content, to the interaction with the community and conservation efforts, to the declaration that Maldivian Seagrass Meadows should be protected. Whilst some resorts choose to remove the seagrass and the ecosystem services they provide in order to create ‘crystal clear lagoons’, the teams at Six Senses Kanuhura and Six Senses Laamu (both in the Maldives) have actively promoted their environmental importance in the region to other resorts. The Maldives Ministry of Tourism has endorsed and supported this campaign, which will promote the positive impacts of protecting these endangered seagrass meadows.
When asking Jeff Smith (Vice President of Sustainability at Six Senses) how they make sustainable and responsible tourism ‘fun’ for their guests he spoke passionately about Earth Lab. Earth Lab is a place where guests can participate in interactive workshops that are both fun and educational at each Six Senses Resort. There are classes for everyone that will encourage you to think about the impact we have on our planet. Looking forward, he talked about group wide initiatives including a ‘bioblitz’ where citizen science will be used to document biodiversity, and a seed saving program that will provide much needed seeds to the local farmers and communities.
JA Manafaru
As the first resort in the Maldives from the Dubai based JA Hotels & Resorts, it was great to see that they have embraced sustainable tourism practices at the idyllic JA Manafaru which is located in the pristine Haa Alif Atoll. Jason Kruse, General Manager at JA Manafaru said that “sustainability was very important to JA Manafaru”. This was evident when we visited the island. Island gardens produce fruits and vegetables, as well as mushrooms. As many products as possible, are produced on the islands. These initiatives reduce wasteful packaging and the negative impact that food miles have. In addition to these, by offering guests extensive vegetarian, vegan and plant based food options through their innovative and resort wide ‘Wellness Your Way’ menus they are further adding to their sustainability initiatives and reducing the impact of tourism at JA Manafaru.
JA Manafaru doesn’t use plastic water bottles or straws. Even toothbrushes and shavers are made with sustainable bamboo. The environmental impact of every aspect of our lives is constantly being scrutinised. Refillable dispensers are placed in each bathroom and contain locally produced, paraben-free, plant-based and reef-friendly amenities. This eliminates the need for single-use plastic. Jason Kruse spoke about existing solar panels, a new waste system in development and the benefits of composting food waste and purchasing produce with less packaging. All drinking waters are desalinated by reverse osmosis on the island, before they are remineralised in glass bottles and distributed across the island. This is a step towards reducing single use plastics at JA Manafaru.
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is part of Marriott International and follows the group-wide 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Goals. These goals address the fact that as the largest hotel operator in the world, they have an even greater obligation than most to operate responsibly with their ever expanding global presence. Sustainability initiatives at The Westin Maldives include a food composting machine that uses food waste to produce fertaliser for the 1200 square foot ‘Chef Garden’ where an array of fresh produce are cultivated, providing organic farm to-table ingredients to the resort’s restaurants and bars. The completion of a solar energy project by August 2024 has already achieved the desired results, removing over 77,000kg of CO2 in the first three months of operation.
Mr Vijay Kumar, General Manager, said: “sustainability was key and we were committed to creating solutions that minimised our impact on this beautiful eco system. Our new panels will serve as a means to harness the sunlight we are blessed with here in the Maldives, and reduce our dependence on energy sources like diesel.”
The Westin Maldives has a bottled-water plant that produces 500 to 1,000 litres per day. This means all the water requirements of guest rooms and dining outlets can be met. Seawater is desalinated through reverse osmosis and water treatment membranes. This removes salt and other contaminants. The purified drinking water is then sterilised in hygienic conditions, mineralised and bottled into biodegradable glass containers. This is a more eco-friendly alternative to imported bottled waters and eliminates single-use plastic bottles. The carbon emissions are reduced because the water is not imported from the mainland. Also, the footprint of the solar panels installed recently reduces the carbon emissions.
In 1972, when Kurumba Maldives opened, it was difficult to predict what the future of tourism would be in the Maldives. In 2024, the Maldives will have close to 200 resorts. There will also be many other tourist facilities like guest houses and dive boats. In 2023 the Noovilu Seaplane Terminal will open, with over 500 flights a day. The new terminal at Male International Airport is expected to handle more than seven million passengers per year. Tourism in the Maldives continues to thrive with global demand. It is only right that sustainable travel in the Maldives become the next big thing to allow future generations to enjoy all that the Maldives offers.
