Richard Branson: Daryl Hannah: Edward Norton: President Nasheed and Jonathon Porritt create green cocktail

And the cherry on top of Six Senses mix: two big fat sustainable awards

Just days after the conclusion of the third annual SLOW LIFE Symposium  at Six Senses’ flagship Soneva Fushi resort in the Maldives, the company has scooped a special HICAP Sustainable Hotel Award in recognition of its corporate leadership in integrating sustainability as an embedded business philosophy.

It has also picked up a Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Award in the Doing it  All, Small Hotel Chain category.

It is a tribute to Six Senses unique mix of high luxury, global celebrity and top green values that it still manages to amass serious awards.

The SLOW LIFE symposium recently brought together some of the greatest minds in the fields of business and sustainable development and combined them with a mix of top celebrities to make an astonishing and powerful global cocktail – coloured green!

Delegates, including Sir Richard Branson and environmental activists and Hollywood actors Daryl Hannah and Edward Norton, spent three days examining ways to accelerate the adoption of sustainable business practices within the travel and tourism industries.

All these luminaries were joined by President Nasheed of the Maldives, who has pledged that his country will be carbon neutral by 2020.

And the Six Senses organization, has also won two awards for its pioneering work in environmental conservation.

Judges for the special HICAP award said that a special award had been warranted for Six Senses because of the company’s “consistent incorporation of sustainable best practices and innovations for all its properties – from conceptualization to operations, community engagement and destination management.”

The judging panel added: “As an active community member, each property engages with the local community in responsible and fair trade, but also the organization of a wide range of environmental education and healthcare programs, charity activities and disaster relief projects.

“Via this award, best practice in Corporate Leadership is given an example in Six Senses; how sustainable practices can be adopted and implemented as an integral component of a company’s brand and operational strategy; and how larger and more positive environmental and community impacts can be generated when the scale is increased from individual property achievements to hotel portfolios and networks.”

Judges from Conde Nast Traveler Awards said: Six Senses represented “the ultimate in high-end ecotourism, with audacious goals”. They added: “Six Senses puts to rest once and for all the idea that environmentally correct resorts appeal only to the crunchy granola set. Its 15 properties are both sustainable and luxurious.”

Sonu Shivdasani, the Chief Executive and Founder of Six Senses, said: “Not only do sustainability and luxury go hand in hand, we are rapidly reaching a point where they must go together if we are to preserve our planet’s fragile ecosystems.

“I am proud of the fact that Six Senses is leading the way in changing industry perceptions and proving that we can build a sustainable future without compromising on the quality of the holiday experience.”

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Get your copy at a special offer price: HERE