BELMOND X PARLEY
Supporting the protection of the oceans and biodiversity through community conservation, education and connection, with the aim to set a new standard for the hospitality industry
Belmond and Parley for the Oceans have entered a multiyear partnership with the aim to set a new standard for the hospitality industry. Together, in a range of locally-tailored initiatives, we will protect the oceans and biodiversity with a focus on community, education and conservation.
Attuned to the delicate beauty and fragility of the planet and nurturing a sense of connection to place, time, and community, Belmond believes that “as connectors and curators, we must first be caretakers.” Our partnership will provide Belmond’s properties with a framework for expanding their commitment to be loyal custodians of the ecosystems and communities they collaborate with.
“Every project and partnership we explore at Parley begins with a mutual love for the oceans and a desire to foster closer connections to the natural world.”
Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans.
Images by Cami Torres / Parley for the Oceans
PROTECTING OUR OCEANS
Essential to all life on Earth, oceans cover 70% of our planet and hold more than 99% of the biosphere, regulating climate, producing half of the world’s oxygen, and providing food and livelihoods for millions of people. As human activity has profoundly impacted the Earth, our oceans are under severe threat, due to plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels driving global warming, and vast biodiversity loss. Understanding the gravity of the threats to our oceans and striving to work towards a more sustainable future, Belmond and Parley are working together to face these challenges and incorporate initiatives that mitigate their impacts.
TAKING ACTION
The collaboration includes a range of locally tailored initiatives following the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign) and is rooted in community-led conservation efforts. This approach will turn each hotel into an epicenter of ocean activism where change is led from the inside out, beginning locally and extending globally through the industry.
OCEAN GUARDIAN PROGRAM
As a cornerstone of the partnership, Parley and Belmond have joined forces to educate, engage, and empower Belmond employees to become a part of our shared mission: to position the hotel's teams as the custodians of land and sea in their regions. Parley provides the necessary tools to turn the hotel’s teams into Ocean Guardians, by implementing proactive measures that foster environmental protection and conservation, making staff members instrumental in spreading awareness and influencing positive change. Each hotel will have its customized program based on the territory's history, physical settings, aspirations, and vocations. All Ocean Guardians activations include three main pillars of education: ocean awareness, ocean immersion, and ocean activism.
“The Ocean Guardians program will empower our teams, guests, and the local community to help conserve this precious ecosystem.”
Dan Ruff, CEO of Belmond
parley x Maroma
Riviera Maya, Mexico
With a focus on bringing local voices to the forefront of environmental solutions, the partnership begins at Maroma in Mexico, where a strong legacy of sustainability initiatives provides the foundation to turn a hotel into an epicenter of change. Piloting the Ocean Guardian program, a series of workshops and initiatives in collaboration with local scientists aim to protect biodiversity along the Riviera Maya, and support citizen science efforts to map the Mesoamerican Reef.
parley x Copacabana palace
rio de janeiro, brazil
The iconic Copacobana Palace was chosen to continue the Belmond x Parley journey, ensuring change is led from the inside out with an Ocean Guardians beach cleanup, educational workshop and employee expedition. To honor the beauty and fragility of the oceans and invite locals and guests into solutions, we held a photography exhibition transforming eight windows of the hotel with the work of four Brazilian photographers, and collaborated on a new theme for the annual Copa Ball: Infinite Ocean Blue.