Joanna James
Popular tourist destinations have always grappled with the cost of tourism as more visitors mean the cost to the natural environment is that much greater. Here are 5 ways in which the Maldives is setting an example on how to create a sustainable tourist industry.
As a collection of more than a thousand and one hundred islands, the Maldivian sea bed contains a whopping 250 species of corals. Although a vast majority of the islands remain uninhabited save for around 200, some of these isles boast wetland ecosystems that are found nowhere else on the planet. Opening these natural attributes up to tourist pursuits is too risky and that is why the country's Ministry of Environment has launched several Coastal Protection Projects with the aid of the World Bank. These Coastal Protection Projects not only aim to safeguard the biodiversity of these coral species and wetlands but also to offer limited recreational pursuits that do not damage their natural integrity.
One of the most successful coastal erosion prevention strategies implemented in the Maldives is the Alifu Atholhu Uthuruburi Rasdhoo project which also included support from the Indian government. This area was once a landfill that was polluting the beaches and the water resources in the area by contaminating them with buried waste. This new initiative is set to put things right by setting up a coastal protection area that's 214m long which also includes cleaning up the debris of waste that occupy the area and the building of a groyne field.
Travellers based at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences and other resort hubs around the Maldives are well aware that fishing is one of the best things to do in Maldives. While fishing tours are organized by local tour organizers for angling enthusiasts holidaying in the archipelago the rules are quite clear when it comes to commercial fishing. The ban on mass fishing in specific areas of the Maldives has not only safeguarded marine ecosystems but also prevented the country from experiencing the side effects of over-fishing. As one of the world's biggest exporters of tuna and other fish species, this fishing ban has created a more sustainable fishing industry by cutting back on the cost to the marine environment.
Ranked among the world's most luxurious beach holiday destinations, Maldivian resorts and over-water villas are globally renowned as indulgent and decadent vacation hotspots for holidaymakers. This does not mean that Maldivian resorts have not joined the government's efforts to create a more sustainable hospitality industry. Eco-tourism is not a catchphrase but a practically implemented strategy in most local resorts with many being even built according to green architectural principles.
Plastic and other non-biodegradable materials have also caused great damage to the marine ecosystems across the world and the Maldives has set up a recycling project that ensures that glass and plastic bottles used in certain resorts and spas are recycled and reused.
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