Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts – looks back at its sustainability initiatives spearheaded by Cinnamon Nature Trails – the eco-tourism and excursions arm of the brand, over the past year – in the wake of ongoing disasters. The need for such initiatives were further affirmed with the most recent being the irrevocable distress caused to marine and ocean life by the Singapore MV X-Press Pearl fire. The initiatives launched within the last year are aimed at protecting and preserving marine life and oceans.
Popularly known for its sustainable and pioneering conservation initiatives to protect Sri Lanka’s rainforests, oceans, and biodiversity as a whole, Cinnamon Nature Trails offers wildlife tours to travellers and guests, both within Sri Lanka and overseas.
With this year’s theme for World Oceans Day being around “Life and Livelihoods”, we continue to spearhead and partner with national bodies and institutions to introduce initiatives to save our oceans.
One such initiative: Sustainable Whale Watching – with the sighting of the lost Whale in 2009 – a Blue Whale in Trincomalee, has led the whale watching team to engage local coastal communities in their excursions. This enables them to earn an additional income, supplementing their usual fishing earnings with over 03 months during the season.
Fostering the protection of corals at Pigeon Island – Cinnamon Nature Trails in partnership with the Department of Wildlife and Conservation (DWC) sustainably removes nearly 300 Crown-Of-Thorns starfish (COTS) – an invasive plant, three times a year, from the area, in order to protect the coral reef. COTS are marine invertebrates that feed on coral, thriving naturally on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. However, when conditions are optimum COTS are able to reach plague proportions – devastating hard coral communities.
As an ongoing initiative since 2019, Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon works as an integral part of the beach care-taker programme – initiated by the Marine Environment Protection Authority, wherein Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon maintains cleanliness of the 1km beach adjoining the hotel with the help of staff and beach operators.
In addition, Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives working in tandem with local experts have begun re-growing new coral colonies from coral fragments – a coral propagating project, which focuses on the pre-emptive restoration and rejuvenation of reefs affected by coral bleaching. Creating artificial reef structures, with corals maricultured in nurseries to be transplanted on the bare substrate, the project has been ongoing for 18 months with 24 structures already planted and is expected to be one of the most successful artificial coral reef propagation projects in the Maldives.
Following in suit – Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon began the creation and planting of artificial coral houses within the inner reef on 6th June 2021. This project aims to aid in the protection and growth of aquatic ecosystems and small fish marine life.
As a purpose-led brand that believes in creating a balance with nature and connecting with communities as part of its overall sustainability approach, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is guided by this purpose in every aspect of its business, from how they care for their people and communities, to their commitment to creating a healthier planet; and preserving the beautiful destinations that they operate in for generations to come.
