MAURITIUS: RIU Hotels & Resorts is collaborating with two local NGOs in Mauritius as part of its Proudly Committed sustainability strategy.
The hotel group is partnering with the Coral Garden Conservation(CGC) and Adolescent Non-Formal Education Network (ANFEN) which to have a positive impact on the local environment and community by promoting ecological restoration and social inclusion.
CGC’s Le Morne Coral Restoration project aims to restore at least one hectare of degraded reefs in the Le Morne lagoon over the next three years by creating nurseries where different species of coral will be cultivated and later transplanted to deteriorated areas, increasing marine biodiversity.
The initiative will train local people as “coral gardeners” to ensure that the project is sustainable.
Through its collaboration with ANFEN, RIU will support the Ecole Culinaire Aline Leal, an educational programme that offers technical food preparation training for teenagers at risk of social exclusion who have dropped out of the traditional education system.
This project aims to improve their technical skills and employability, but also addresses aspects related to literacy, life skills and personal development.
The initiative seeks to ensure that young people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds have equal opportunities and can therefore join the labour market more easily.
RIU also has several other biodiversity protection initiatives aiming to preserve coral reefs and marine ecosystems in destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain and Maldives.
It also promotes social inclusion programmes in a number of countries, with a special focus on the employability of vulnerable young people in Mexico and Spain.
Last summer RIU added solar panels to its Mauritius resorts.
Image: RIU