In June 2011, Baa Atoll in the Maldives became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve along with the likes of Komodo Island in Indonesia and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. The atoll is home to one of the largest groups of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean (it's the seventh largest in the world) and supports over 1,200 species of fish and 250 species of coral.
In a complicated world, in which a million headlines vie for our attention, it can be easy to lose sight of the great work being done to make the world a brighter place. That is the purpose of Condé Nast Traveller's Bright Ideas in Travel, an annual list we first launched in 2022: to recognise the players, places, and projects that are approaching travel's most pressing issues with thoughtfulness and zeal.