Award-winning sustainable tour company
When Secret Paradise was created in 2012 , local tourism was at the beginning of its journey , and the company was mindful of promoting local tourism in line with Maldivian culture and beliefs . In addition , it was essential to combine the beauty of the Maldives with education , activities , and cultural engagement .
Every Secret Paradise adventure has been carefully designed to ensure guests have an unforgettable Maldives experience . They have developed a range of tours to ensure something for everyone , no matter the length of their stay .
This ethos resulted in Secret Paradise being commended in the “ Meaningful Connections ” category in the 2020 World Responsible Tourism Awards and long-listed for the 2015 “ Best for engaging people and culture ” category in the same awards scheme .
Although they believe in keeping things simple , as a small business , they recognized that it was better to build a solid foundation based on a few fundamental principles that could be followed through and kept alive than produce a manifesto that would gather dust on a shelf .
They took the three sustainable values of economic , social , and environmental responsibility and drew up several vital actions .
These included :
• To have a local guide travel with guests from arrival to departure
• To educate guests on local history , customs , and cultural practices and provide opportunities for them to engage with the local community in some format
• To actively support local communities , NGOs , and environmental organizations within the Maldives
• To brief and educate all guests on how they can support the protection of the environment
• To use locally owned and operated tourism infrastructure
• And finally , to provide employment for local people
That last point is of great importance — the business would not exist without people .
Over time they have built three key communities .
NGO Community
Secret Paradise Maldives seeks out ways to open up channels to allow NGO organizations the opportunity to interact with guests and , in so doing , increase their exposure to a broader audience .
Many of their tours involve some form of conservation awareness or activity .
Guests spend time with guides and NGO representatives to gain insight into local islands ’ conservation
36 Travel + Lifestyle To Table of Contents