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Six Senses Laamu has won the Marine & Coastal category of the 2022 Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards for the third time since 2018. The winners were announced on October 14 during the Opening Ceremony of the 81st Skål World Congress held in Kvarner, Croatia.
Founded in 1934, Skål International is one of the world’s largest international networks of tourism professionals and an Affiliated Member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), whose mission is to promote reliable, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism. Following the United Nations’ declaration in 2002 to highlight best practices globally, the Sustainable Tourism Awards were created to enhance visibility and recognize businesses for their efforts and initiatives within the sector globally. This year, the independent sustainability experts judged 50 entries from 23 countries.
Marteyne van Well, Regional General Manager, Maldives, says: “Being recognized for the third time by Skål International since 2018 is a big honor and achievement for our teams at Six Senses Laamu and the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI). It is rewarding to know that, although a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, our research, community outreach, and efforts have given us a voice and influential space in the global community.“
Through innovation and continuous research, Six Senses Laamu has implemented projects on energy and water conservation, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprint reduction, waste management, and recycling or repurposing materials. MUI incorporates resident resort marine biologists, in addition to partner NGOs, including the Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, and the Olive Ridley Project. MUI’s mission is to lead the tourism industry in the Maldives through meaningful marine conservation efforts based on research, education, and community outreach. Since winning its first Skål award in 2018, Six Senses Laamu and MUI have conducted 47,882 educational sessions with guests and certified 205 children through their Junior Marine Biology Program.