Marriott Bonvoy Resorts in Maldives Celebrates the Planet with Inspiring Initiatives
Wednesday 8th of June 2022
While there is no "right" time to celebrate the planet we live on and all of nature's bounty, with World Reef Awareness Day, World Environment Day, and World Oceans Day all falling in June, it seems like the perfect month to highlight and re-engage conversations about sustainability, protecting our environment and oceans, and supporting local communities.
Marriott International launched the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy program earlier this year, with the goal of changing people's perceptions of vacations from pure leisure to a value-added opportunity for travelers to explore and build deeper connections in local communities.
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, monthly dives against debris and clean-up days, and various other initiatives to promote the conservation of marine life and awareness of the same are all available to environmentally conscious visitors to the Maldives.
The Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa's Adopt a Coral initiative invites guests to participate in a fun and interactive coral-fragment plantation activity to help promote reef habitats and generate new coral. Reefscapers, a coral propagation organization appointed by the Maldivian government as custodians of the coral colonies in the Gulhi Falhu lagoon that were slated to be destroyed as part of a reclamation project, has partnered with the resort. The activity is led by experts and provides participants with hands-on experience while also providing an alternative business for the 250 residents whose sole source of income previously was fishing.
In December 2021, the resort witnessed coral spawning, marking a significant milestone in the resort's coral propagation initiative, which began in February 2020. Over 6,000 coral fragments from 15 different coral species have been transplanted so far. As part of the resort's sustainability program, the resort also runs its own 'water bottling plant initiative,' which is dedicated to removing large amounts of plastic bottles from the property. This initiative is an important part of the hotel's ongoing commitment to protecting and preserving the environment, which is part of Marriott International's larger "Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction" campaign.
This year, on World Environment Day, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is hosting an activity at Kakuni Beach where guests can learn to weave palm fronds like Maldivians, as well as building a large coral frame and inviting guests to participate in the activity. On both days, their resident marine biologist, Kate Sheridan, will host fun and educational sessions for guests.
W Maldives has collaborated with Mazu Resortwear, a cutting-edge Hong Kong swimwear label, to create two exclusive prints with a strong message. The limited edition swimwear collection, made from 12 salvaged plastic bottles, is stealing the show in style and is inspired by the team's commitment to saving the ocean. The opulent playground also organizes beach clean-ups and lagoon cleanups on a regular basis. This World Oceans Day, the resort is inviting guests to "I Reefed W Maldives," a coral propagation event where they can see how it grows over time.
Guests at The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort can begin their journey into marine life conservation at a young age, as their marine biologist gives educational talks to children and adults about the diverse marine life found in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, where the resort is located. A new project to protect and restore coral reefs has also been launched by the resort. This exciting project, one of the largest of its kind in the Baa Atoll area, is led by the team at AQUA, the resort's water-sports center.
It is tailored to the topography of the local reefs and will focus on reef restoration from top to bottom. Trial nurseries have been established to see if this method works and if healthy coral colonies can be transplanted back onto reefs. The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort's goal for World Ocean Day is to continue protecting the Baa Atoll's ecosystem and making a long-term impact on their coral reefs, while raising awareness of the risks of climate change, through an interactive underwater world presentation and a hands-on activity planting coral fragments. Filipa Lopes, a marine biologist who is passionate about ocean sustainability and conservation, will lead these two experiences.
"Supporting local" is not just a fad, but a significant undertaking for travelers who directly contribute to the local economy's empowerment. For many travelers, the pandemic has brought home the fact that we're all in this together. For the sake of sustainability, Marriott International is committed to supporting local communities and embracing local businesses. In some of the signature couple treatments at JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa Island Apothecary products – made from local natural ingredients – are used.
Because each bottle is mixed, bottled, and shipped directly from the island homes, this initiative supports women-owned businesses in the community. The resort also uses locally sourced fresh catch in its restaurants and handcrafted tipi tents to bring the FAMiLY by JW experience to life in kid-friendly villas. The resort team schedules lagoon and island cleaning initiatives with associates on a regular basis, and the same is planned for June.