Located on the island Veligandu in the South Male Atoll of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, the resort implements its commitment to protecting the environment and preserving local culture through education, innovation, and empowerment adhering to the Green Globe Standard for Sustainable Travel and Tourism.

Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said: “We are pleased to award the Anantara Veli Resort & Spa Maldives with Green Globe Certification. Our accredited third-party auditor found that the resort achieved 77 percent compliance against our standard and far exceeded the required pass scores for most of the criteria. Anantara Dhigu Resort&Spa Maldives and Naladhu Maldives Resort are also Green Globe certified.”

“The Anantara Veli is dedicated to conserving and protecting the marine life existing within its locality,” added Mr. Bauer.

“The Maldives are coral islands of incredible beauty and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year for diving and snorkeling in the lagoons. Anantara Veli has a coral nursery for conserving and protecting the surrounding coral reefs, and the resident marine biologist holds weekly marine life presentations. It has also developed collateral on marine life preservation to educate guests – as well as other collateral on energy and water conservation, waste management and cultural etiquette that should be observed when visiting local communities.”

Anantara Veli, Anantara Dhigu, and Naladhu Maldives General Manager, Jeffrey Seward, commented: “On no other location on Earth can the impact of climate change be seen so dramatically and, therefore, we are immensely proud to be the first resort operator in the Maldives to have all our resorts Green Globe Certified.”

“As a wide-reaching operator in the Asia Pacific region and beyond, Anantara is committed to sustainable tourism operations through the integration of social and ecological responsibilities into our core business operations, and to this end, the company has set a target to achieve Green Globe Certification at all its resorts. I cannot think of a more pertinent destination than the greatest paradise on Earth to kick start this ambitious commitment.”

As part of their social involvement program, the Anantara Veli Resort & Spa offers opportunities for local artisans and performers within the hotel, integrates indigenous culture into everyday experiences, and promotes local culture through weekly “Maldivian nights,” which feature traditional Maldivian cuisine and entertainment.

The Anantara Veli Resort & Spa Maldives is one of the few resorts in the Maldives that has bungalows built on stilts in the water of the lagoon (Over Water Bungalows). This leaves plenty of room for guests on the island itself, where restaurants and other resort facilities are located.