Banyan Tree was founded with the core value of driving sustainable development. We employ an integrated and participatory approach to minimize our impact while safeguarding and enhancing the human and physical environment for present and future generations. As stewards of responsible tourism, we have conceptualized our values in our “Brand for Good” framework to go beyond the precautionary approach and inspire exceptional experiences among our guests to “embrace the environment and empower people” at each of our locations.

Industry Recognition

Angsana Velavaru has received various industry-recognized awards for compliance with stringent environmental practices and commitment to corporate social responsibility. EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking and certification group for sustainable tourism, awarded our resort Silver Certification as recognition for continuous certification, which incorporates annual measurement of operational indicators such as energy, emissions, water, waste and paper use, chemical and pesticide use, and community involvement.

Eliminating Single-Use Plastics

Our resort is committed to our brand-wide pledge to reduce and ultimately eliminate single-use plastics from our operations. In our first year, we managed to eliminate over 25% of targeted single-use plastic, meaning 1 in 4 of these items used will no longer be sent to landfill or end up polluting our environment. Angsana Velavaru’s CSR committee traveled to local islands to give presentations on single-use plastic, its environmental impact, and solutions for reduction and elimination. We also raised awareness for climate change, poverty, and hunger, and recycled 1.5 tons of plastic waste through coastal clean-ups with associates and guests.

Resource Conservation

Banyan Tree’s efforts connect with global climate action by conserving resources through efficient operations, with external assurance by EarthCheck. We provide our guests with glass-bottled water produced onsite, eliminating the use of plastic straws and minimizing overall plastic consumption. By 2021, we plan to reduce our resource consumption by 40% by installing special air-conditioning units.

Supporting Local Communities

Supporting long-term societal prosperity is central to Banyan Tree’s ability to create value for local communities. This is achieved through job creation, education, supporting artisanal cooperatives, community impact initiatives, humanitarian relief, and connecting travelers to local culture and heritage.

Community Cleaning

We organize a minimum of four cleaning activities each year to engage local community members, guests, and associates in effective waste management and promoting responsible resource consumption.

Embracing Marine Life

Angsana Velavaru MBT Marine Lab runs a comprehensive conservation program to create awareness for endangered marine life and reefs. The lab’s experts eagerly share their knowledge through weekly Marine Talks and encourage guest participation in reef restoration. The lab nurtures two coral rope nurseries, producing healthy-size corals after nine months of fragment attachment.

Coral Reef Conservation

Our marine conservation lab encourages coral planting to replenish damaged reefs. Through our coral restoration programs, guests and their families can participate in meaningful conservation efforts.

Embracing the Maldivian Culture

The resort organizes guided daily trips to local islands where guests can engage with the local community, visit schools, religious centers, and local restaurants. We locally source a material called Cajan for thatched roofs of all our land villas, providing income to local women on the island of Meedhoo. We supply dry palm leaves to local islands at no cost due to deforestation. We fund local schools, help refurbish classrooms, supply new teaching materials, and create productive learning environments. We also helped rebuild houses after the tsunami and provided funds and manpower to build a farm on a neighboring abandoned island.