Six Senses cares about the hosts and local communities. Committed to preserving the environment and sustainable operations, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and Six Senses Laamu have been working on various sustainability campaigns, fulfilling their environmental responsibility while promoting the idea of sustainability to tourists.
Six Senses Zil Pasyon Proudly Draws the Short Straw against Plastic Pollution
Six Senses Zil Pasyon starts a new journey towards a plastic-free future by introducing stainless steel straws as a villa amenity, showing its commitment to the brand’s goal of being plastic-free by 2022. During the turndown service of each villa, a stainless-steel straw and its cleaning brush are placed in the room for guests to take home. These straws were custom made for Six Senses Zil Pasyon and each one has an engraving reading: “Six Senses Plastic Free by 2022”. Each straw is presented in a hand-made pouch made from the traditional African shweshwe material by the local women, supporting the local community. Mark Leslie, General Manager, says: “We would like our guests to take home not only memories of our island, but also new ideas on how we can all make small changes in our everyday lives towards a more sustainable future.”
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Launches Coral Propagation Program
Situated on a coral bay, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is an ideal setting for families to introduce their children to the wonders of marine life and learn about the importance of the environment. In line with Six Senses’ commitment to sustainability, to protect the pristine yet fragile marine ecosystem, the resort has collaborated with a team of marine biologists in 2018 to carry out a complete assessment on the coral reef condition at Ninh Van Bay, leading to the launch of the coral propagation program. The procedure is done by carefully transplanting coral fragments onto artificial reef structures meanwhile the team regularly monitors the growth of each coral frame, in hope to develop more resilient coral offspring that can withstand high ocean temperatures and global warming. Guests can also join a build-a-reef session with the resort’s sustainability and experience team and sponsor their very own dedicated coral frame, and return to see how their coral frames are flourishing.
More Resorts in the Maldives Commit to Seagrass Protection
To maintain the clear, picturesque lagoons that tourists expect on holiday, seagrass is commonly removed when found near resort islands in Maldives, damaging the natural marine life in return. In view of this, the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign, headed by the Blue Marine Foundation and the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) at Six Senses Laamu, was launched and has so far convinced more than 25 percent of resorts in the Maldives to protect their seagrass meadows. Over 30 resorts joined the campaign and collectively pledged to protect more than 830,000 square meters of seagrass around resort islands across the country. The website www.protectmaldivesseagrass.com also received more than 22,000 visits in a four-month period, with the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass hashtag mentioned over 300 times each day at the height of the campaign; over 1,600 people from both the local and international community have registered their support to protect seagrass in the Maldives. Charles Clover, executive director of the Blue Marine Foundation, said, “Many resorts have joined the campaign and are now protecting this critical habitat; however, some resorts are still continuing to remove their seagrass. Support from the government, resorts, organizations and tourists is evidence that the practice of seagrass removal is finally ready to be put to an end.”
