Maldives: Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives, the luxury Maldives resort, has been rewarded for its outstanding commitment to environmental and social welfare by being awarded the highly-coveted Travelife Gold Certification for Accommodation Sustainability. The award is seen as fitting recognition for Finolhu’s long-term efforts and achievements in the areas of sustainable tourism and Corporate Social Responsibility.
With its prestigious location within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Finolhu is fully conscious of its obligation to environmental protection. The resort was awarded Travelife Gold Certification for Accommodation Sustainability following a rigorous testing and review process that highlighted and confirmed the resort’s progressive action in minimising its environmental impacts, improving the economic and social situation of the people in its community, respecting and protecting human rights and fair labour practices, and safeguarding the welfare and biodiversity of the flora and fauna within its local environment.
Mr Steven Phillips, General Manager at Seaside Finolhu, states “What entices many of us to travel is the chance to experience beautiful new surroundings and cultures. To ensure we can continue doing so for many years to come, it is important that we make positive choices to ensure the protection and conservation of our planet and its people. With this latest achievement, Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives formalises its commitment to making our very special part of the world a better place to live, work and visit.”
As a leading international accommodation sustainability certification programme covering the areas of environmental management, fair labour practices, human rights and community support, the Travelife programme has some of the strictest selection criteria in the world. By working closely with accommodation providers around the world, the organisation aims to assure a better future for both tourism and local communities. It achieves this through its certification programme by rewarding environmental and social consciousness, identifying possible areas in need of development, and providing valuable tips on how accommodation providers can improve their practices in terms of environmental protection and relations with the local communities.
Luxury travel to exotic locations continues to grow in popularity as discerning travellers seek out new and unique adventures in ever more remote settings, but it is that very popularity which can place the destinations which attract those travellers at risk. Taking steps to protect the environment in which accommodation providers operate is therefore a key element of sustainable tourism. In recent times, this focus on protecting natural beauty has been extended to include the culture and the people who live in the local community.
As modern travellers become increasingly concerned with environmental and social issues, they are more likely to choose hotels, destinations and resorts which practice sustainable tourism. Having been awarded Travelife Gold Certification for Accommodation Sustainability, Finolhu now has the international recognition to assure travellers of its long-term commitment to protecting the pristine natural environment and local community that make it such an attractive destination.
