Newest Award for Jean-Michel Cousteau's Fiji Islands Resort

VANUA LEVU, Fiji – October 3, 2011 – Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort announces the World Travel Awards has named it “Australasia’s Leading Green Hotel” in 2011. In the selection process, 213,000 travel industry professionals in more than 160 countries worldwide voted for the most excellent travel providers. The World Travel Awards was launched in 1993 to recognize excellence in all segments of the global travel and tourism industry, and the voting process is monitored and independently audited.

The resort also previously received “Australasia’s Leading Green Hotel” in 2008, the first year the category was included, and has been awarded a total of seven honors by the World Travel Awards, including “Fiji’s Leading Resort” in 2009, 2008 and 2005. In 2007 it was recognized as “Fiji’s Leading Boutique Resort” and the resort’s Villa was “Fiji’s Leading Suite.”

“We thank our colleagues in the travel industry for their continued recognition of our commitment to sustainable and socially responsible travel,” said General Manager Greg Taylor. “We believe providing an unforgettable and authentic Fiji experience for guests includes supporting environmentally friendly practices and community interaction.”

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is an all-inclusive luxury resort overlooking Savusavu Bay. Surrounded by a pristine marine and island environment, this intimate, internationally acclaimed resort combines culture, environment, diving and water activities, wellbeing, relaxation and exceptional cuisine. Couples, families and water sports enthusiasts appreciate the resort’s varied offerings as well as its underlying social and environmental responsibility. Jean-Michel Cousteau, an impassioned diplomat for the environment, is also the founder of the nonprofit organization Ocean Futures Society, which explores the global ocean and educates people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection.

The resort’s 25 one- and two-bedroom thatched-roof bures are scattered among the palm trees of this former 17-acre coconut plantation. Designed using environmentally friendly materials, each bure features a high temple ceiling, native timber floors and a private deck. The decorations exude tropical elegance.

The resort encourages guests to learn about and value the local Fijian traditions and island ecosystems by offering an exceptional range of complimentary resort activities. Cultural hosts introduce guests to the Fijian way of life through village trips and kava ceremonies. It is also the only resort in Fiji with a full-time on-site marine biologist—a native Fijian who leads guests on snorkeling trips, reef walks, and mangrove reforestation tours, and gives multimedia presentations on the local marine life, among other activities.

Water sports options for guests include diving with one of the world's top dive operations, established by Jean-Michel Cousteau and dedicated to preserving the delicate reefs and their inhabitants. The resort also offers snorkeling, glass-bottom boat trips, informative tide pool walks and a giant clam restoration project.

For a touch of nurture and wellbeing, guests can indulge in a Fijian spa treatment in a beachfront spa bure. The ocean breeze and sound of the lapping waves contribute to total relaxation.

The rich and diverse cuisine of Fiji has evolved through the combined influences of geography, the indigenous Fijian and Indian population, and the bounty of the islands. Menus feature fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, grown in the resort’s extensive organic garden, as well as the freshest local seafood and fish.

For more information, please visit www.fijiresort.com. For reservation or packages, call 800-246-3454 or email info@fijiresort.com.

About Ocean Futures Society

The mission of Ocean Futures Society is to explore our global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet. Founded by Jean-Michel Cousteau, OFS is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA. with offices in Paris, Lucca, Italy and Sao Paulo, Brasil.

For more information, visit www.oceanfutures.org.

About Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, recognized as one of the top resorts in Fiji, has received several major honors: it was featured in the book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” awarded a 2007 “Global Sustainable Tourism Award” by ISLANDS Magazine, ranked first on TripAdvisor’s 2007 “Top 10 Environmentally-Friendly Destinations” list worldwide, and listed as first in Fiji on the Condé Nast Traveler 2006 Gold List.

The resort is managed by Canyon Hotels & Resorts®. The Canyon Group invests in and develops intimate, ultra-luxury branded resorts in unique destinations, imbuing each with a sense of community specific to its destination. In addition to Fiji, the Canyon Group’s resort portfolio spans the globe, from properties on the ski slopes of Courchevel 1850 in the French Alps, to the towering peaks of Yellowstone, the artist colonies of Santa Fe and the canyons of Southern Utah. The Canyon Group is headquartered in Larkspur, California.

For more information, visit www.fijiresort.com.