SONU SHIVDASANI
CEO and Founder, Soneva
If there’s a single person responsible for how hotels bring together sustainability and luxury, it’s probably the founder of Soneva, Sonu Shivdasani. Ever since he first visited the Maldives in 1987, along with his wife and co-founder Eva, he has been mesmerized by the place and, “its dreamlike beaches, beautiful climate and the opportunity to lose oneself and then find a new and improved version.” A proponent of relaxed, barefoot luxury, Shivdasani understands that along with his self-sustaining resorts, he must work towards bettering the lives of the country’s citizens. Giving back is important to him and in order to do that he has started a range of environmental initiatives. These include a waste disposal plant on Maalhos island and a project to bottle drinking water in recyclable glass bottles for inhabited islands in the Baa Atoll in order to minimise plastic waste. He has plans to add two more resorts in the Maldives which will give beach lovers something new to look forward to, while keeping with his vision of sustainability and livelihood opportunities for the island communities.
RUTH FRANKLIN
Co-founder, Secret Paradise
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