Sustainable luxury in the Maldives

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 unique, made by the slow erosion of volcanic islands which leave a ring of coral islands surrounded by the clear blue waters that are synonymous with this luxury holiday destination. With more than 250 species of hard coral and 1100 species of fish calling the Maldives home, we need to be collectively responsible for their survival. Tourism is still growing in the Maldives and with new resorts opening each and every year, it is now more important than ever to promote and support sustainable tourism initiatives.

It’s our responsibility as global travellers to make sustainable choices wherever possible. Of course, our actions in flying around the world have huge impact, but if we wish to travel that’s kind of impossible to avoid and certainly impractical to reach every corner of this enchanting planet. What we can do however, is to seek out hotels and resorts in our chosen destination that are making efforts to develop sustainable practices, and work towards reducing the impact that travel and tourism creates. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit the Maldives, will appreciate just how unique the environment is, with coral atolls, pristine reefs and abundant marine life highlighting the natural beauty. It’s within fragile eco systems like these where the need for sustainable practices is paramount, and where efforts to be more sustainable can have the most impact. 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 that the newest Six Senses resort in the Maldives had sustainable tourism as one of their core values. The simply stunning Six Senses Kanuhura has embraced the concept and have multiple initiatives that are apparent when you explore the pristine island. From fruits, vegetables and mushrooms that are grown on the island to moving towards menus that will be 40% plant based, and from interaction with community and conservation efforts to declaring that Maldivian seagrass meadows should be protected, every effort is made to ensure that the sustainability goals of Six Senses are achieved and exceeded. 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. This campaign has been endorsed and supported by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism which will further promote the positive impact from protecting these endangered sea grass 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. At each Six Senses resort, this is where guests are invited to join interactive workshops that are both educational and fun. Whether that is learning how to make your own natural toothpaste, zero waste candles and locally sourced coconut oil or learning about coral restoration, recycling and composting, there are classes and activities for all that will most certainly make you think about how to reduce our impact on the 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. General Manager, Jason Kruse talked about how “sustainability is very important to JA Manafaru” and this was clear to see during our time on the island. The island gardens produce fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, whilst as many products as possible are produced on the island. Both of these initiatives reduce unnecessary packaging and the negative impact of food miles. 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.

You won’t find plastic water bottles or plastic straws at JA Manafaru, even the toothbrushes and razors are made from sustainable bamboo. Every aspect of life is being constantly scrutinised, in an effort to find new ways to lessen the environmental impact. Refillable dispensers in each bathroom contain locally produced, organic and paraben free amenities that are both plant based and reef friendly, eliminating the need for single use plastic. Jason Kruse also spoke of existing solar panels and a new waste management system that is in development, which alongside procuring produce with less packaging and composting much of the food waste will see further positive impacts. All drinking water is desalinated on the island using reverse osmosis, before being remineralised and distributed throughout the island in planet friendly glass bottles, another step towards reducing the need for single use plastic at JA Manafaru.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort

As part of Marriott International, the sustainability initiatives at The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort follow the group wide 2025 Sustainability and 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 an impressive solar energy project in August 2024 has already provided the desired results removing more than 77,000kg of CO2 emissions in the first 3 months of operation. General Manager, Mr Vijay Kumar commented “sustainability is key and we are committed to creating solutions to minimise the impact we have on this beautiful eco-system, our new panels will serve to harness the sunshine we are blessed with in the Maldives and reduce our reliance on energy sources such as diesel.”

The bottled water plant at The Westin Maldives produces 500 to 1000 litres each and every day, meaning that the water needs of all guest rooms and dining outlets are met. Seawater is desalinated and filtered through water treatment systems and reverse osmosis membranes to remove the salt and other impurities. The purified water is then sterilised, mineralised, and bottled under hygienic conditions in biodegradable glass bottles. This provides an eco friendly and essential alternative to imported bottled water and removes the use of single use plastic water bottles entirely. Carbon emissions are reduced by eliminating the need to import water from the mainland and by integrating the recently installed solar panels, the carbon footprint is further lowered.

When tourism launched in 1972 with the opening of Kurumba Maldives, it was impossible to predict how tourism in the Maldives would look today. In 2024 there are now close to 200 resorts and many other tourist facilities including guest houses and dive vessels. The Noovilu Seaplane Terminal opened in 2023 which sees over 500 flights daily, whilst the brand new terminal at Male International Airport will be able to manage in excess of 7 million passengers annually. Tourism in the Maldives is truly alive and kicking with continued global demand, so it’s only right that sustainable tourism in the Maldives becomes the next big thing allowing future generations to enjoy everything that the Maldives has to offer.

Paul Eyers

Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who write about luxury hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia with a focus on sustainable travel, eco travel and vegan travel. Currently based in Malaysia, Paul also writes about sporting events and some of the finest golf courses throughout the region.