Conscious luxury pioneer Amilla Maldives has been named ‘Responsible Hospitality Partner of the Year’ 2024 at Forbes Travel Guide’s annual summit in Las Vegas. This noteworthy accolade was awarded in recognition of the Amilla team’s outstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as environmental sustainability.
“What makes the difference at Amilla Maldives is the passion to be as inclusive as possible,” said Hervé Houdré, Forbes Travel Guide’s Global Ambassador for Responsible Tourism. “It is definitely a major responsibility of the hospitality industry to be hospitable to all. There are a lot of great properties doing the right thing everywhere in the world, but we were particularly impressed with Amilla’s approach to inclusivity.”
Narelle McDougall, General Manager of Amilla Maldives, commented “This recognition from Forbes Travel Guide is praise for our team’s commitment to wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability. Responsible hospitality is about environmental sustainability, and equally it is about inclusivity for all; removing barriers; engaging and investing in local community, culture, employment and empowerment.”
An IncluCare-certified resort and a member of The Conscious Travel Foundation, Amilla Maldives is dedicated to providing the opportunity for everyone, regardless of abilities, to enjoy the beauty of the Maldives. The resort has been adapted with accessibility features that feel like an integral part of the property, blending seamlessly with the interior design and architecture. Adaptations range from subtly lowered mirrors, sinks and counters in guest bathrooms, to ramps in restaurant areas that feature designs inspired by local sea life. Amilla is continually evolving to further improve the resort experience for guests of all abilities and needs, including regular training for the team on how they can best support guests with mobility or sensory challenges.
Last year the resort completed a solar panel installation which generated 600,000kwh in nine months, reducing diesel consumption by over 170k litres. Its latest sustainability initiatives include introducing refillable, PCR-packaged, vegan-friendly luxury amenities from Swedish cult brand 19-69 and Dutch social enterprise Marie-Stella-Maris; and, to reduce the number of single-use plastic water bottles brought to the island, the provision of refillable silicone Rolla Bottles for all guests to use from arrival – and take home as a memento of their time at Amilla. As part of the Jellyfish10 initiative, Rolla Bottle commits 10 percent of all profits to funding ocean plastic pollution clean-up solutions.
Since December, Amilla Maldives is participating in NGO Blue Marine Foundation’s ‘Maldives Resilient Reefs’ (MRR) initiative to implement sustainable fishing practices. The resort pays an additional 20MVR/kilo for fish caught according to MRR guidelines – resulting in an extra USD1,883 for the local fishing community in December 2023 alone.
