News
Celebrating Nature’s Bounty and Spreading Awareness for a Better Tomorrow
Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of resorts in the Maldives do their bit for the environment, the oceans and the community
While
there is never a “right-time” to celebrate the planet we live on and all of
nature’s abundance, with World Reef Awareness Day, World Environment Day and
World Oceans Day all in June, it seems like the ideal month to highlight and
re-engage conversations around sustainability, taking care of our environment
and oceans, and supporting our local communities. Studies have shown that travellers are increasingly more concerned
about their impact on the world and there has been an increase in awareness of
environmental and social issues. Apart from eco-conscious accommodation,
travellers are also looking for meaningful travel initiatives.
Earlier
last year, Marriott
International launched the Good
Travel with Marriott Bonvoy
program which aspires to shift the way vacations are perceived – from pure
leisure to a value-adding opportunity that allows travellers to explore and
build deeper connections in local communities.
Conscientious
travellers to the Maldives can look forward to include initiatives to continue
to eliminate single-use plastics, implementation of re-usable glass bottles for
water and juices, usage of paper products around the resorts
and initiating monthly dives against debris and clean-up days
along with various other initiatives to promote the conservation of marine life
and awareness of the same.
The
Adopt a
Coral initiative at Sheraton
Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa invites
guests to participate in the fun and interactive coral-fragment plantation
activity in an effort to promote reef habitats and generate new coral. The
resort has teamed up with Reefscapers, a coral propagation organization
appointed by the Maldivian Government as custodians of the coral colonies in
the Gulhi Falhu lagoon which was slated to be destroyed as part of a
reclamation project. The activity is led by experts and offers a hands-on
experience to participants while also providing an alternative business to the
250 inhabitants whose sole previous source of employment was fishing.
The resort witnessed
coral spawning in December 2021, a milestone in the resort’s coral propagation
initiative that started in February 2020. To date, over 6,000 coral fragments
from 15 different species of corals have been transplanted. The resort also runs its own
‘water bottling plant initiative’ as part of the resort’s sustainability
program that is dedicated to removing large amounts of plastic bottles from the
resort. This initiative is an important aspect of the property’s commitment to
protecting and preserving their environment through day-to-day operation,
encompassing Marriott International’s wider “Serve 360: Doing Good in Every
Direction” campaign. On World Environment Day this year Sheraton Maldives Full
Moon Resort & Spa is conducting an activity for guests to learn
to weave palm fronds like Maldivian locals at Kakuni Beach,
and they are also building a large coral frame and inviting guests to join the activity on
occasion of World Oceans Day. Their Resident
Marine Biologist Kate Sheridan will also hold fun and educational sessions on
both days for guests.
W Maldives
has partnered with cutting-edge Hong Kong swimwear label Mazu Resortwear to
create two exclusive prints with a bold message in mind. Made out of 12
salvaged plastic bottles, the limited edition swimwear collection is stealing
the scene in style and is inspired by the team’s commitment to save the ocean.
The luxury playground also routinely runs beach clean-up drives and lagoon
cleaning initiatives. This World Oceans Day, the resort is inviting guests to
“I Reefed W Maldives”, a coral propagation event this World Ocean Day and
witness how it prosper through the years.
At The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort,
guests can start young with their initiation into marine life conservation as their
marine biologist conducts educational talks with children and adults alike
about the diverse marine life around the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Baa Atoll,
where the resort is located. The resort has also launched a new project to
protect and restore coral reefs. The team at AQUA, the watersports center at
the resort, leads this exciting project, one of the biggest of its kind in the
Baa Atoll area. It is specific to the local reef topography and will focus on
restoring the reefs from top to bottom. Trial nurseries have been set up to see
if this method will be successful and healthy coral colonies can be
transplanted back onto the reefs. On the
upcoming World Ocean Day, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort has the
objective to continue protecting the ecosystem of Baa Atoll and making
long-lasting impact in their coral reefs, while generating awareness of the
risks of climate change, through an interactive introduction to the underwater
world presentation and a hands-on activity planting coral-fragments. These two
experiences will be conducted by its Marine Biologist Filipa Lopes, passionate
about ocean sustainability and conservation of the oceans.
“Supporting local” is not just a trend, but an important
undertaking for travellers who directly contribute to empowering the local
economy. The pandemic has underscored, for many travellers that everyone is in
it together. Marriott International is committed to supporting local
communities and embracing local businesses for
sustainability. JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa
uses Island Apothecary products – made from local natural ingredients, in some
of the signature couple treatments at Spa by JW. This initiative supports women
run businesses in the community as each bottle is mixed, bottled and shipped
straight from the island homes. The resort also uses locally sourced fresh
catch in their restaurants and handmade tipi tents to bring to life the FAMiLY
by JW experience in villas for kids. The resort team regularly schedules lagoon
cleaning and island cleaning initiatives with associates, and has the same
planned in the month of June as well.