The aim of the campaign is to bring together resorts, organizations, tourists and Maldivians, all in recognition of the value of seagrass ecosystems. It is a way of spreading the message that tourism and seagrass can co-exist, with extraordinary benefits to guest experiences. 35 partner resorts, or 25% of resorts in the Maldives, and 22 partner organisations, including Greenpeace International have joined the cause. MUI says a total of 655,000 m² of seagrass at resorts across the Maldives, the equivalent of 90 football fields have been protected to-date.
The campaign is officially endorsed by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation.
Seagrass is a complex, underwater flowering plant that forms dense meadows. It plays an important role in fighting climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and providing a habitat for megafauna such as turtles, rays and sharks. They also help maintain healthy reefs and sustainable fisheries and protect beaches from erosion; all of which are key resources for the tourism industry.
A survey in 2018 by MUI of 50 resorts in the Maldives found that 50% of those with seagrass actively remove their meadows. The main reason for seagrass removal was because it was considered ugly or a nuisance. Before the campaign, seagrass was a highly undervalued ecosystem in the Maldives, considered as a nuisance, rather than celebrated for its importance.
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