Secret Paradise is an award-winning, positive-impact tour company based and operating in the Maldives since 2012. It is a certified Travelife Partner and climate-literate company. In 2025 it was shortlisted for the World’s Leading Small Sustainable Organisation in the 2025 World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards. In 2024 it was a finalist in the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards in the education category, and in 2023 it was awarded silver at the ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards in the category Best for Nature-Positive Tourism.

Secret Paradise has won multiple awards for responsible tourism — what does “responsible tourism” mean to your company, and why is it important in the Maldives?

Responsible tourism for our company means ensuring that travel has a positive impact on the environment, communities and culture of the Maldives. It is important in a country where coral reefs, marine life and island communities are vulnerable to climate change and tourism pressure.

What sets Secret Paradise tours apart from a conventional Maldives holiday?

Our style of travel offers a deeper connection to the country, its people and the environment. Our aim is that through ‘unconscious’ learning, hands-on activities and conversation, guests leave with a greater understanding of the destination, the challenges it faces and how they can contribute by travelling responsibly, all while having fun!

How do you ensure that your tours respect and benefit the local communities that open their homes to guests?

We build strong relationships with our local hosts and island communities. We follow ethical travel practices, create fair income opportunities and support education and awareness through supporting properties in their sustainability journey and providing opportunities such as work experience, internships and local island guide training. We share information with guests about the culture of the Maldives, dress codes and behaviour to help maintain respect.

What are some challenges of running a sustainable tour company in the Maldives, and how do you overcome them?

Running a sustainable tour company in the Maldives presents several practical challenges. Improving waste management, reducing plastics and introducing energy-saving solutions in our supply chain take time and investment. To support our partners, we have this year designed a programme that we will roll out in 2026, providing guidance and small behaviour changes through learnings from BehaviorSMART, helping properties reduce waste and use resources more efficiently. Another challenge is that not every operator in the Maldives follows environmental guidelines consistently, and oversight can vary. We choose to lead by example, and our tour leaders will have quiet conversations with others when they see activities that may put the environment and marine life at risk. By working cooperatively and showing what responsible tourism looks like in practice, we aim to strengthen standards across sustainable tourism in the Maldives.