2019 Travel & Tourism Awards

Page 16 www.lux-review.com preferences such as food choices or dietary requirements, all of which is communicated to the resort staff through a central office in Bali. On arrival in Bali, guests are met by the resort’s dedicated concierge team, who assist with details of arrival and transfer. While awaiting flights to the resort, guests relax in Wakatobi’s VIP lounge and enjoy a light breakfast before boarding the plane. The Bali concierge team can also arrange transportation, accommodation, and activities for extended layovers, including small details such as providing local currency and cell phones, coordinating tours around Bali or making dinner reservations. Travel to the resort is by charter aircraft, and on arrival at Wakatobi’s private airstrip, the resort staff handles all details of the transfer, leaving guests free to relax during a short boat ride to the resort’s beachfront location. Alongside this dedication to exceptional guest service, central to the resort’s success over the years has been an equal dedication to community-based conservation. Clients are comprised of discerning travellers who value unparalleled service and a commitment to the protection of the marine ecosystem; as such the resort works hard to accommodate every guest and offer them a truly luxurious experience that cannot be found elsewhere. Another key factor in the resort’s success is its dedicated team. Consistently delivering top-notch guest experiences in an unpredictable and remote location such as Wakatobi takes a huge and ongoing collaborative effort. All staff members of Wakatobi are provided ongoing training through programs created at the Resort, in the Bali administrative office, Europe and the United States. Company vision, values and goals are shared and distributed. High value is placed on the contributions of each team member, who are encouraged to share their expertise and input. While personalized service has become a hallmark, equally important to the guest experience are the initiatives that have made Wakatobi Resort a world leader in the realm of privately-funded conservation initiatives. Even before breaking ground, the founders realized the importance of protecting the spectacular coral reefs that surrounded the property. Rather than relying on largely unenforceable outside regulation, they chose to partner with local communities, offering direct financial support in the form of lease payments, in exchange for honoring specific no-take zones on the reefs. The initiative, which became known as the Wakatobi Collaborative Reef Conservation Program, is funded by a portion of guest revenue, and now provides active protection for more than 20 kilometres of coral reef, while providing a range of economic and social benefits to some 17 area villages, where some 100 employees of the resort live. Though remote, Waktobi maintains a solid contact to the outside world through the most up-to-date technology and communication systems. Should the need arise, guests can easily reconnect to take care of business or resolve unexpected events without major interruptions to their vacation plans. Internet and email are provided by both a satellite link and a terrestrial connection, which provides a backup should weather interfere with the satellite. The island now