Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 7 August, 2016 3:47 pm |

Did you know that Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island plants a mangrove tree in commemoration of every visitor to the island? Dedicated to saving and protecting the environment, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island invites Abu Dhabi’s tourists to contribute to the preservation of Abu Dhabi's natural resources while leaving a legacy at once.

Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island has been adored by its guests for its rich history and 'close to nature experience' that is reflected throughout the island. Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island has pledged to protect the wildlife and its sanctuary by promoting awareness to team members and guests. Since Anantara’s opening on Sir Bani Yas Island in 2008, the practice of planting one mangrove tree per visitor has played a major role in promoting Abu Dhabi’s preservation activities to the country’s tourists.

All guests visiting Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island receive a brief introduction to the environmental facts of the island, as well as its Arabian Wildlife Park with over 15,000 free-roaming animals — one of the largest of its kind in the world. The island’s mangrove plantations do not play an unimportant role in this introduction, as they are a major contributor to the island’s conservation efforts.

"Our strong conservation mandate has made us a popular destination for guests seeking an experience that blends luxury and sustainability. A unique element to our conservation programme is planting a mangrove tree for each visitor to Sir Bani Yas. This not only offsets any changes but also helps maintain the ecology on the island.” says Christian Gerart, General Manager of Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts.

Several stunning mangrove forests surround Sir Bani Yas Island and many of these mangrove areas were planted many years ago. Although they could be considered an artificial habitat, these mangroves are now well established and provide the same ecosystem service as a naturally established mangrove, providing several different types of habitats that are important to a variety of animal species on Sir Bani Yas Island. The base of the trees supports the growth of algae, which provides a rich feeding ground for a host of invertebrates, as well as a feeding and nursery ground for many species of fish. By planting one tree per visitor, Sir Bani Yas has been able to increase the mangrove population on the island drastically and was able to achieve great conservational results. In consequence to its dedicated environmental and conservation efforts, Sir Bani Yas Island has been awarded as the World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination at the World Travel Awards in 2015.

As part of an island experience, Anantara invites participants of its Culture and History Tour to plant their own mangrove tree at the end of the excursion. By giving the tree a name, leaving a note when planting it into the water, or even taking pictures with it, guests have the chance to touch and see the environmental impact they have when visiting Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island.

Anantara’s Culture and History Tour is AED 235* for adults and AED 100* for children and is available for all Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island guests. Tours are available twice a day at 10.00 am and 5.30 pm.

Life is a Journey. Book your next Anantara escape to Sir Bani Yas Island at anantara.com. To book the Culture and History Tour please call Anantara Activities at Sir Bani Yas Island on 02 801 5266 or email activitiesdirs@anantara.com.

 

Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise, currently boasting over 30 stunning properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE and Qatar, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Africa.

For more information on Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, please visit www.anantara.com.

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About Global Hotel Alliance

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world´s largest alliance of independent hotel brands. GHA currently includes 32 brands such as Anantara, AVANI, PER AQUUM, Tivoli, Alila, Art Series, Atura, Corinthia, First, GLO Hotels, Grace Hotels, Individual Collection, Kempinski, Lungarno Collection, Marco Polo, Meritage Collection, Meydan, Mokara, Niccolo, Nuo, Omni, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL,QT, Rixos, Rydges, Shaza, Tangram, The Doyle Collection, The Leela, Thon, UltraTravel Collection, and Viceroy encompassing over 500 upscale and luxury hotels with over 100,000 rooms in 76 different countries.
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