Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has announced that it has successfully achieved Green Globe Certification, following an independent audit conducted after a focused six-month programme. Officially awarded on 23 December 2025, the resort attained an 86 per cent compliance score, underscoring a strong performance across globally recognised sustainability benchmarks and reinforcing Kandooma’s longer-term commitment to responsible operations in the Maldives.
Green Globe Certification is recognised as one of the world’s leading sustainability standards for the tourism sector, with certification granted only to organisations that demonstrate verified compliance with more than 40 criteria spanning environmental stewardship, social responsibility, cultural heritage and sustainable management. The framework places emphasis on transparency, measurable progress and continuous improvement, positioning the certification as a meaningful achievement within the international hospitality landscape where sustainability outcomes are increasingly expected by travellers, partners and corporate stakeholders alike.
General Manager Mark Eletr said the outcome reflects strategic intent backed by a shared commitment across the resort’s teams. He noted that sustainability focus was established early through the expansion of key responsibilities within the organisation to ensure leadership and accountability were clearly embedded. As part of this approach, the resort introduced a combined Sustainability Officer and General Manager’s Executive Assistant role to lead operational implementation, supported by enhanced strategic guidance from the Director of Marketing, who recently completed tertiary studies with a strong sustainability focus.
Eletr explained that rethinking internal processes helped make this restructuring possible, allowing sustainability to become central to how the resort operates day to day. “An Executive Assistant role is traditionally heavily administrative. By streamlining my own processes and integrating AI tools to improve efficiency, we were able to redesign the role to place sustainability at its centre,” he said. He added that broadening the Director of Marketing’s remit has strengthened strategic direction by adding expertise and commitment, with both roles reporting directly to him to ensure sustainability is elevated across the resort and integrated into leadership decision-making.
Beyond the certification itself, Eletr highlighted the value of the journey and the systems developed during the process, describing it as a whole-resort effort requiring collaboration and a shared vision for Kandooma’s long-term direction. He said the resort has now established policies, processes and measurement frameworks designed to endure beyond current leadership, forming a structured component of its annual planning cycle and providing a practical foundation for continued progress.
The certification aligns closely with IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Journey to Tomorrow framework, the group’s global sustainability strategy centred on people, communities and the planet, with targets related to carbon reduction, water stewardship, waste management, responsible sourcing and community impact across IHG’s worldwide portfolio. With an 86 per cent score against Green Globe’s criteria, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives demonstrated strong performance in areas such as energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, marine ecosystem protection, responsible procurement, colleague wellbeing and community engagement. The resort’s approach is also reflected in practical initiatives including coral conservation and marine education programmes, colleague sustainability training, and newly introduced guest sustainability pledges that encourage visitors to participate in protecting the destination they have come to enjoy.
Reflecting on the process, Eletr said the effort over recent months has been demanding, but strategically worthwhile, providing a clear improvement plan and a forward roadmap rather than a purely symbolic milestone. “We did not want a symbolic certification—we chose Green Globe because it is rigorous and evidence-based. Some said it would be too difficult, which is exactly why we pursued it. We wanted a standard that pushes us to improve, now and in the years ahead,” he said, emphasising that the resort is treating certification as a working tool to strengthen performance over time.
Green Globe Certification also provides an ongoing framework for continuous improvement, helping ensure sustainability practices are reviewed, measured and enhanced year after year. Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives said it remains committed to advancing responsible tourism, encouraging guests to make sustainable choices throughout their stay, and contributing positively to the protection of the Maldives’ natural and cultural heritage while delivering the high-quality island experience the destination is known for among global travellers.
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