The sand is warm and soft between my toes, a balmy breeze ruffles the leaves in the palm trees, my stomach is full after an exquisite dinner, and the sky is putting on a colour-saturated show as the sun sinks below the horizon. It's easy to see why the Maldives is considered by so many to be the island holiday of a lifetime, a tropical paradise par excellence.
I cannot argue convincingly against that opinion – since its tourism industry began in 1972, the Maldives has become possibly the most glamorous and globally famous destination for affluent holidaymakers looking for an exotic tropical experience in luxurious accommodation. But the growing awareness and acceptance (in the main) of serious climate change has brought into sharper focus both how we live our lives, and how industries such as resort tourism need to adapt their business models and offerings toward the goal of greater environmental sustainability.
The unavoidable truth is, of course, that a tropical island holiday can never be environmentally beneficial if you have to fly there and back on a large plane – you're hugely carbon negative before you've even set foot on the ground. However, let's be honest: there will never be a time when humanity agrees never to travel to distant destinations for pleasure – it simply won't happen. Add to that the economic need for tourism among many nations, the Maldives included. So the question becomes this: within the parameters of the leisure pursuits we choose, how can we do our
