Hotelier Maldives GM Forum 2023: Industry leaders discuss how sustainable practices can drive tourism business success

On October 19, the Hotelier Maldives General Managers (GM) Forum 2023 hosted a panel discussion on the topic of ‘How Sustainable Practices Drive Business Success in the Tourism Industry’ at the Bandos Maldives resort. The panel discussion was moderated by Ibrahim Nasreen, Chief Commercial Officer at Public Service Media (PSM), and featured three panellists from different segments of the industry, including:

• Dr Simad Saeed; Managing Director, CDE Consulting
• Mohamed Inaz; Director of Climate Change & Sustainable Development, FJS
• Ahmed Maumoon; Chief Operations Officer, Maldives Ocean Plastics Alliance (MOPA)

The panel discussion lasted for one-hour and covered four questions that explored the key sustainability issues and opportunities facing the Maldives’ tourism industry, the benefits and challenges of implementing sustainable practices, the best practices and recommendations for enhancing sustainability, and the tools and indicators for measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices.

Key Sustainability Issues and Opportunities

The first question addressed the current situation and trends of sustainability in the Maldives’ tourism industry, and highlighted the main challenges and opportunities for improvement. The panellists shared their insights and perspectives on the sustainability issues and opportunities in their respective fields or sectors.

The panellists emphasised the impacts of climate change on the Maldives’ tourism industry, such as sea level rise, coral bleaching, extreme weather events, water scarcity, etc. They said that climate change poses an existential threat to the Maldives’ tourism industry, which depends on the natural beauty and diversity of the islands and reefs. They also said that climate change requires urgent and collective action from all stakeholders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing conditions.

The panellists focused on the environmental challenges of managing waste, energy, water, and biodiversity in the Maldives’ tourism industry, such as plastic pollution, water consumption, coral damage, etc. They said that the Maldives’ tourism industry generates a large amount of waste and consumes a lot of resources, which have negative impacts on the environment and the local communities. They also said that the Maldives’ tourism industry needs to adopt more efficient and sustainable practices to minimise its environmental footprint and enhance its environmental performance such better handling and management of waste, especially plastic waste.

The panellists agreed that sustainability is not only a moral obligation but also a business opportunity for the Maldives’ tourism industry. They said that sustainability can help the Maldives’ tourism industry to enhance its resilience, competitiveness, attractiveness, and profitability in the long run.

Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Sustainable Practices

The second question demonstrated the link between sustainability and profitability in the Maldives’ tourism industry, and showcased some of the examples and experiences of implementing sustainable practices in different settings or contexts. The panellists shared their own benefits and challenges of implementing sustainable practices in their operations or projects.

The panellists mentioned some of the benefits of implementing sustainable practices such as cost savings, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, brand reputation, competitive advantage, etc.

The panellists discussed some of the challenges of implementing sustainable practices in his organisation, such as financial constraints, technical barriers, regulatory gaps, behavioural changes, etc. They said that their organisations face some difficulties in securing funding, accessing technology, complying with regulations, and influencing behaviour change for sustainability.

The panellists explained some of the strategies or solutions for overcoming or addressing the challenges of implementing sustainable practices such as innovation, collaboration, education, incentives, etc.

The panellists agreed that implementing sustainable practices is not easy but worthwhile for the Maldives’ tourism industry. They said that implementing sustainable practices can help the Maldives’ tourism industry to create value for its customers, employees, shareholders, partners, and society.

Best Practices and Recommendations for Enhancing Sustainability

The third question provided practical guidance and advice for enhancing sustainability in the Maldives’ tourism industry, and fostered collaboration and partnership among different stakeholders to achieve sustainability goals. The panellists shared their own best practices or recommendations for enhancing sustainability in their respective fields.

The panellists recommended that the Maldives’ tourism industry should adopt a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability, which considers the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability in a balanced and coherent way. They also recommended that the Maldives’ tourism industry should align its sustainability goals and actions with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide a global framework and vision for sustainability.

The panellists suggested that the Maldives’ tourism industry should implement the principles and practices of green tourism, which aim to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive impacts of tourism on the environment. They also suggested that the Maldives’ tourism industry should use the tools and indicators of green tourism, such as eco-labels, certifications, audits, benchmarks, etc., to measure and communicate its environmental performance and impact.

The panellists agreed that enhancing sustainability is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity for the Maldives’ tourism industry. They said that enhancing sustainability can help the Maldives’ tourism industry to improve its quality, innovation, differentiation, and growth in the market.

Tools and Indicators for Measuring and Communicating the Impact of Sustainable Practices

The fourth question highlighted the importance and methods of measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices in the Maldives’ tourism industry, and shared some of the tools or indicators that are used or recommended for this purpose. The panellists shared their own experiences and examples of measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices in their respective fields.

The panellists emphasised the importance of measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices in the Maldives’ tourism industry, such as accountability, transparency, learning, improvement, recognition, etc. They illustrated the methods of measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices such as data collection, analysis, reporting, dissemination, etc.

The panellists agreed that measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices is not only a requirement but also a benefit for the Maldives’ tourism industry. They said that measuring and communicating the impact of sustainable practices can help the Maldives’ tourism industry to demonstrate its commitment, credibility, value, and contribution to sustainability.

The Hotelier Maldives GM Forum 2023, which is the most anticipated event for hoteliers in the Maldives, was held at Bandos Maldives resort on October 19, 2023. The forum attracted over 100 hoteliers from various resorts and hotels in the Maldives. This year’s forum was sponsored by several leading companies in the hospitality sector, such as Ooredoo Maldives, Fuel Supplies Maldives, Far Horizon, Bestbuy Maldives, Manta Air, Coca-Cola Maldives, Alia Investments, Villa Hakatha, Swimsol, Souvenir Marine, and more.