RIU strengthens its commitment to marine conservation in the Maldives

Indian Ocean

RIU Hotels & Resorts has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability in the Maldives by renewing its collaboration on the Blue Reef Reforest project for a further three years (until 2027) and launching a new alliance with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP).

The aim of these initiatives is to preserve marine biodiversity in the Maldives by helping restore coral reefs and protecting the iconic endangered whale shark.

The Blue Reef Reforest project focuses on restoring the coral reef to the south of Kedhigandu island. Over the next few years, the project will install new artificial structures to increase coral coverage, promote educational activities and hold workshops and beach clean-ups with the local community and guests. These efforts strive to mitigate the impact of human activity and restore ecological balance to this delicate ecosystem.

Since 2006, MWSRP has been involved in whale shark research and conservation in the Maldives, where this species plays a key role in biodiversity and sustainable tourism. The programme’s Connecting Constellations project will collect scientific data on whale sharks, promote sustainable practices in the tourism industry and build local people’s skills through education and practical training programmes. What’s more, citizen science workshops and beach clean-ups will be held to raise the local community’s awareness of how important it is to protect marine wildlife.

In addition to these collaborations, RIU has several biodiversity protection initiatives that also aim to preserve coral reefs and marine ecosystems in destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain and Mauritius. It is also involved in programmes to protect a variety of animal species and their habitats in Mexico, Jamaica, Cape Verde and Aruba, where it supports projects that work to preserve jaguars, green macaws, sea turtles and cottontail rabbits, among other species.

These initiatives are aligned with RIU's sustainability objectives, which include protecting biodiversity and promoting social investment initiatives in its destinations. RIU continues to move forward with its Proudly Committed strategy through projects that not only benefit the environment, but also create value for local communities and promote environmental education.

For more information or bookings: www.riu.com