The Maldives resorts of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts including Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives, Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, and Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon have earned Travelife Gold Certification for their commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
“In the face of increasing climate change challenges, the Maldives has experienced more frequent soil erosion, loss of beaches, and saltwater intrusion into land and freshwater sources. The Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts play a vital role in coral reef preservation, contributing to safeguarding 3% of the world’s coral reefs, including the seventh largest reef system,” Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts said.
“Our resorts deployed Reef Cubes as a way of actively participating in marine habitat restoration. Through dedicated efforts in ocean data collection, the resorts support biodiversity conservation and collaborates with the Maldivian government’s national data collection initiatives.”
Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives and Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon has demonstrated ingenuity by transforming discarded wood, plastic cans, and barrels into herb and vegetable beds. The garden now serves most of their menu needs, promoting sustainable food production within the resort.
Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives and Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives have also implemented various initiatives, including tree planting, coral propagation, and educational sessions with environmentalists and marine experts to explore ways of reusing, repurposing, and recycling materials.
The Travelife Certification requirements cover the three main areas where the accommodation sector has the most impact. Properties are required to monitor and minimise their environmental impacts across energy, water, waste, wastewater, hazardous substances and biodiversity. From mid-2023 all Travelife Certified properties will be required to measure their greenhouse gas emissions from energy, water and waste.
Travelife Certified accommodations have to comply with all labour and treat their staff fairly. They also must show that they are actively protecting and respecting human rights, training all of their staff about how to identify and report signs of child exploitation and abuse. Properties with a Travelife Certification must be proactive when it comes to supporting their local community, such as giving information to guests about respecting the local way of life, ensuring they do not hinder community access to important resources and services and supporting a local charity or community improvement initiative.
