Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is proud to announce it has successfully achieved Green Globe Certification, following a comprehensive independent audit completed after a focused six-month programme. Officially awarded on 23 December 2025, the resort achieved an impressive 86% compliance score, marking a significant milestone in its sustainability journey.

Green Globe Certification is one of the world's most respected sustainability standards for tourism, requiring verified compliance with more than 40 rigorous criteria spanning environmental stewardship, social responsibility, cultural heritage and sustainable management. The process emphasises transparency, continuous improvement and measurable outcomes—making certification a notable achievement within the global hospitality industry.

General Manager Mark Eletr said the result reflects both strategic commitment and collective effort across the resort.

“We are delighted with this achievement and with the steps we have taken to truly prioritise sustainability at Kandooma. That commitment was reflected early on through the expansion of two key roles within our team, ensuring sustainability leadership and accountability were embedded from the outset.”

As part of this approach, the resort established a new combined Sustainability Officer and General Manager's Executive Assistant role to lead on-the-ground implementation, supported by expanded strategic oversight from the Director of Marketing, who has recently completed tertiary qualifications with a strong sustainability focus.

“Traditionally, an Executive Assistant role carries a heavy administrative workload,” said Mark Eletr. “By streamlining my own administration and adopting AI tools that drive efficiency, we were able to restructure the role to place sustainability at its core. Expanding our Director of Marketing's responsibilities has also strengthened our strategic direction, bringing genuine expertise and passion to the table. With both roles reporting directly to me, sustainability is clearly elevated as a priority across the resort, and this structure has been working extremely well.”

Mark believes one of the greatest outcomes of achieving Green Globe Certification has been the journey itself.

“This was a full resort team effort. It required buy-in, collaboration and a shared vision for what we want Kandooma to be in the long term. Importantly, we've now put in place robust policies, processes and measurement frameworks that will endure beyond current leadership and staffing, becoming embedded in who we are and forming a cornerstone of our annual planning cycle.”

The certification strongly aligns with IHG Hotels & Resorts' Journey to Tomorrow—the group's global sustainability framework focused on people, communities and the planet. Journey to Tomorrow sets ambitious goals across carbon reduction, water stewardship, waste management, responsible sourcing and positive community impact throughout IHG's global portfolio.

By achieving 86% compliance against Green Globe's audit criteria, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives demonstrated strong performance across energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, marine ecosystem protection, responsible procurement, colleague wellbeing and meaningful community engagement. Initiatives including coral reef conservation, marine education, staff sustainability training and newly implemented guest sustainability pledges highlight the resort's holistic approach to responsible tourism.

“It's been a tough few months getting everything in order, but we got there—and I'm thrilled with the audit result,” Mark said. “This now gives us a clear ongoing improvement plan and a roadmap for the years ahead. We didn't want to simply pay a fee and hang a certificate on the wall. We deliberately chose Green Globe because it is evidence-based and challenging. Some peers told us it would be too hard, but that's exactly why we pursued it. We wanted a standard that would push us to be better, now and into the future.”

Green Globe Certification provides a structured and credible framework for continuous improvement, ensuring the resort continues to evolve its sustainability practices year after year. Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives remains firmly committed to supporting responsible tourism, engaging guests in sustainable travel choices, and contributing positively to the protection of the Maldives' unique natural and cultural heritage.

For more information visit  https://maldives.holidayinnresorts.com