Sustainable Hotels in the Maldives: The C&TH Guide

Looking for a slice of winter sun with a sustainable edge? At the forefront of the sustainable hotels movement, the Maldives should be your go-to destination. When visiting, consider how you can make a positive impact – financially or physically – rather than leaving the negative results of your visit in your wake. If you’re in need of ideas, we’re here to help. Here is the C&TH guide to sustainable hotels in the Maldives, including what to look out for, what you can do to help, and our pick of the best eco resorts.

Read the C&TH Responsible Tourism Guide

The C&TH Guide to Sustainable Hotels in the Maldives

Long haul sustainable travel is a contradiction that’s tricky to overlook. Over in the Maldives, the Indian Ocean archipelago that defines dreamy island getaways, sustainability is critical: rising sea levels as result of global warming mean that this low-lying country could disappear in a matter of years.

The easy option is to simply stop travelling to the islands – perhaps to stop travelling altogether. But to abandon nations that are so reliant on tourism – in the Maldives, tourism accounts for 28 of GDP and 90 per cent of government tax revenue – is just as ill-informed. Though overtourism is an urgent problem, the Maldives relies on this industry for its economic survival. Thus, increasing sustainability initiatives and ecotourism are a lifelines for the ecological survival of the archipelago.

What To Look Out For When Picking a Resort

• Check for sustainability credentials, and try to find the resort’s sustainability plan – if there isn’t one, that’s clue enough
• Research how the resort was constructed: have they been sustainable from the start, or are they greenwashing now that they have opened?
• Check the resort’s attitude to plastic. On some islands, single-use plastic is completely banned
• Research the resort’s contributions to the local economy, local businesses, and any local charities
• Are there any environmental initiatives at the resort that guests can get involved with during their stay?

What You Can Do To Help

• Use environmentally friendly products, like reef-safe sunscreen
• Leave plastic packaging at home, or take it home with you when you leave
• Eat meat – including some seafood like oysters and fish like Atlantic salmon – in moderation (or avoid it completely), as it has to be flown in or shipped to the Maldives

Sustainable Hotels In The Maldives

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