Sustainable Travel: Protecting the Riau Archipelago.

A big part of promoting sustainable travel, is inspiring travelers to consciously explore and protect lesser known parts of the world. One of those spots is Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago just 80km off the coast of Singapore.   

This stunning Marine Protected Area is home to an incredible amount of biodiversity, including sea turtles, otters, dugongs and dolphins. The area is three times the size of Singapore and offers some exciting underwater discoveries.

However, population demands, destructive environmental practices and overfishing are putting a lot of pressure on the natural marine resources. They must be protected. The issue is that the Marine Protected Area is currently only protected on paper. There is no actual management in place to ensure protection in the form of patrols for example, so destructive fishing practices still take place.

Our sustainable hotel clients Nikoi Island and Cempedak founded The Island Foundation to support the recovery of overfished and threated coral reef and marine ecosystems, among other things.  

Both hotels are auctioning vacation stays in the beautiful Marine Protected Area. So, if you happen to be reading this in Singapore, why not the friendly bidding wars at Conservation International’s fundraiser event this Friday, the 28th of June 2019? The program also includes liquid delights and panel discussions. Get your tickets – or if you are unable to attend, simply make a donation – here.