The coral reefs in Egypt and the Maldives are among these countries’ most popular tourist attractions. But these fragile ecosystems are under serious threat, from the effects of climate change and simply from the large numbers of visitors and the general growth of the tourist sector. Kuoni has resolved to make its own contribution to protecting these coral reefs, to preserve them for future generations and safeguard the livelihood and tourism potential they offer to the regions concerned.
Coral reefs are complex and deeply impressive natural living environments. They provide the key life essentials for numerous types of animals; they protect coastal areas from general erosion and destructive wave action; and they are a valuable source of food, especially seafood, for the local populations. Being at a three-way interface between sea, land and air, these vital habitats are naturally subject to sizeable influences. But for centuries they have withstood the forces of the waves, the wind and the weather, and have managed to continually renew themselves. The tourist developments of the last few years, however, together with recent extreme phenomena such as tsunamis and tornados, which have themselves risen in intensity as a result of climate change, now pose a clear threat to these ecosystems, and are increasingly endangering the reefs’ regenerative capacities.
Coordinated action is essential if these natural phenomena are to be protected and preserved for future generations. To this end, Kuoni has teamed up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one of the biggest international nature conservation organisations, to work to protect the fragile coral reefs in Egypt and the Maldives. The work partly involves identifying the reefs most at threat from climate change and protecting these in collaboration with the local authorities. But it also entails working with the local people to develop and implement actions to protect endangered sea life such as sharks, dolphins and dugongs. Protecting these coral reefs should benefit all: the tourism sector, the local population, and the flora and fauna in the waters concerned.