Luxury treading lightly

The line between environmentalism and luxury travel is slowly blurring, with technological advances and real commitment to positive change

- JEREMY TREDINNICK

The government has strict rules and regulations for all the resorts scattered across the Maldives

The sand is warm and soft between my toes, a balmy breeze ruffles the leaves in the palm trees, my stomach is full after an exquisite dinner, and the sky is putting on a colour-saturated show as the sun sinks below the horizon. It’s easy to see why the Maldives is considered to be the island holiday of a lifetime.

Since its tourism industry began in 1972, the Maldives has become possibly the most glamorous and famous destination for affluent holidaymakers. However the growing awareness of climate change has brought into focus how industries such as resort tourism need to adapt their business models toward greater environmental sustainability.

The unavoidable truth is, of course, that a tropical island holiday can never be environmentally beneficial if you have to fly there – you’re carbon-positive before you even set foot on the ground. But it’s equally true that we aren’t going to stop travelling for pleasure, plus there are important economic benefits to tourism for many nations, the Maldives included. So the question becomes: how can we minimise our impact on the environment?

Taking the lead 

Hotels around the world have realised the need to operate more efficiently and less wastefully. It’s common these days to see glass water bottles, bathroom products in refillable bottles, and signs in bedrooms asking you to consider reusing your towels and bedsheets. But there are more comprehensive and far-reaching initiatives possible – and a perfect case study for these can be found in the Maldives, for whom the climate crisis presents an existential threat to its very future.