What is REEFsponsible Travel?

The REEFsponsibles are dedicated to promoting Asia Pacific’s top diving destinations AND using only operators who help maintain a sustainable future for these communities.

Southeast Asia is home to more than one third of the world’s total corals, and unfortunately much of it is suffering from destructive fishing, unregulated tourism and climate effects. One of the major catalysts for destructive fishing practices is poverty within fishing communities. Many of Asia’s best dive spots have unfortunately developed where only a small percentage of the population has reaped the benefits that come with being a world class diving destination. Many communities have never had the opportunity to discover the riches that lie below the surface which attract divers and tourist from all over the world.

After years of traveling through the Asia Pacific region, you begin to see a clear line between the dive operators and the community in some of the underdeveloped regions you travel. The dive industry has grown considerably in the past decade and sometimes this means that progress happens quickly, making it hard to control the development of the industry. This is why The REEFsponsibles have chosen to focus their efforts on education programs for youth. Efforts to get local communities involved in the tourism industry are a long process. Many of these communities have relied on the sea for generations, to show that there is a new ways of making income that can sustain itself does not come over night.

Every REEFsponsible holiday you take generates funds to support our educational program, “Fish Tales.” This program works with existing programs and creates new ones to teach local youth about the importance of maintaining an environmentally friendly future, and introduces them to the underwater world we as divers have the pleasure of exploring. We are all aware of the strain facing the world’s oceans today and helping youth to understand this problem helps to raise a whole generation who can appreciate and support this pressing issue.

The REEFsponsibles operation is small and run in a very grass roots-style. We have personally researched and chosen all the centers we work with, most of which we have visited ourselves or they have been recommended by friends and coworkers within the industry. These centers were chosen because of their attitude and commitment to making the dive industry a more sustainable environment for all involved.

When you choose a holiday with us, you support these centers and their conservation programs simply by making a booking; remember profits from bookings are what fund the conservation programs and allow us to do the work we do. Learn more about Fish Tales here. If you would like to be involved in one of our programs, please Contact us.

We have prepared some useful tips for traveling responsibly that can help you make the right decisions when booking your next holiday. Remember to read about why each resort was chosen based on their efforts and views in Our Partners pages.

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