How one resort manager is redefining sustainable hospitality practices in one of the world's most pristine—and challenging—marine environments
When most hospitality professionals discuss sustainability, they're often thinking about urban hotels with access to established recycling programs, electric vehicle charging stations, and renewable energy grids. But what happens when your resort sits 1,300 kilometers from the nearest major city, in a World Heritage-listed marine park where the local town can only support ten new houses per year due to water constraints?
This is the reality facing Tristan Jahme, General Manager of Manta Rays Ningaloo Beach Resort in Exmouth, Western Australia. His approach to sustainable hospitality offers valuable insights for the entire industry, demonstrating that true sustainability often emerges from necessity rather than choice.
The Unique Challenge of Remote Sustainability
Located adjacent to the Ningaloo Reef—the world's longest fringe reef, Manta Rays operates in an environment where traditional hospitality infrastructure simply doesn't exist. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, where visitors must travel hours by boat to reach the coral, Ningaloo's reef is accessible directly from shore, creating both incredible opportunities and significant environmental responsibilities.
"The biggest challenge we have is the remoteness and accessibility to technology," explains Jahme. "In urban environments, there's access to electric vehicle charging stations and recycling facilities. The more remote we get, the fewer options we have."
This constraint has forced creative solutions. The resort introduced solar power two years ago and recently began recycling aluminum cans, a basic service that only became available to the remote community in recent years. These seemingly simple steps represent major infrastructure achievements in such an isolated location.
Water: The Ultimate Sustainability Challenge
Perhaps nowhere is the sustainability challenge more acute than with water management. The entire town of Exmouth sources water from a single local aquifer that's already at capacity. "There's tremendous pressure on this aquifer to the point that the town has identified it could probably only support ten new houses to be built per year," Jahme notes.
This scarcity has driven innovative thinking about water conservation. While growing fresh produce locally might seem sustainable in principle, the arid environment, receiving less than 250mm of rainfall annually, makes irrigation counterproductive from a water conservation standpoint.
Local Sourcing: Ocean to Table Excellence
Where local sourcing isn't possible on land, the ocean provides abundance. The resort sources all seafood locally through sustainable, line-caught methods from pristine waters largely free from the pollution and shipping traffic that affects Australia's more populated east coast.
"We're really lucky. Ciguatera [a reef fish toxin] is really only an issue experienced on the east coast of Australia," Jahme explains. "Our oceans on this side are a lot more pristine, and we don't have challenges with ciguatera."
This ocean-to-table approach extends to local prawns and Exmouth bugs (slipper lobsters), while other fresh produce is sourced from Carnarvon, 400 kilometers south, or Perth, 1,300 kilometers away, highlighting the complex logistics of remote hospitality operations.
Innovation Through Necessity: Practical Sustainability Solutions
Some of the most impactful sustainability initiatives at Manta Rays emerged from practical operational needs:
Water Dispensers: The resort is phasing out single-use plastic water bottles in favor of filtered water dispensers, a simple change that will eliminate thousands of plastic bottles annually.
Electric Bicycles: With the town three kilometers away and summer temperatures reaching 45°C, electric bikes provide guests sustainable transportation that's actually practical in extreme heat.
Community Recycling: Through the "Containers for Change" program, the resort has generated $15,000 from recycling eligible containers, funds that are donated directly to local school programs and community elderly outreach.
The Future of Sustainable Uniforms
One area where remote properties face particular challenges is uniform procurement and management. Traditional approaches involving multiple designers, frequent replacements, and complex supply chains become exponentially more difficult in remote locations.
"We are currently looking at a full refit for all our uniforms," Jahme reveals, noting specific requirements like UV protection for maintenance staff working in 45°C+ temperatures and antimicrobial properties for housekeeping staff.
This presents an ideal opportunity for innovative uniform solutions that incorporate:
● Recycled materials (bamboo, hemp, recycled plastic bottles)
● Built-in UV protection and antimicrobial properties
● Fire-retardant properties for kitchen staff
● Closed-loop supply chains that can accommodate remote locations
● End-of-life recycling into community donations (school uniforms)
Authentic Hospitality in Harmony with Environment
What sets remote sustainability apart is its authenticity. "I think it's marketable as long as you're true to what you're doing and you're not trying to market that you are being sustainable and you're not," Jahme emphasizes.
Guests visiting Ningaloo come specifically to experience pristine marine environments, swimming with whale sharks, exploring untouched reefs, and witnessing nature largely unchanged by human impact. These guests naturally expect their accommodation to reflect the same environmental consciousness that draws them to the destination.
Lessons for the Broader Industry
Remote hospitality operations like Manta Rays offer valuable lessons for the entire industry:
1. Necessity Drives Innovation: When basic infrastructure isn't available, properties must create their own solutions, often leading to more sustainable practices.
2. Community Integration: Sustainability initiatives that benefit local communities create genuine stakeholder buy-in and long-term viability.
3. Authentic Positioning: Sustainability messaging must align with actual practices and guest expectations, particularly in environmentally sensitive destinations.
4. Supply Chain Flexibility: Remote operations require adaptable supply chains that can accommodate unique logistical challenges while maintaining sustainability goals.
Looking Forward
As the hospitality industry grapples with increasing sustainability demands, remote destinations like Ningaloo offer a preview of what's possible when environmental stewardship becomes operational necessity. The innovations emerging from these challenging environments, from closed-loop uniform systems to community-integrated recycling programs, provide blueprints that urban properties can adapt and scale.
For uniform suppliers and hospitality partners, properties like Manta Rays represent ideal testing grounds for sustainable innovations. Their operational constraints demand products that truly deliver on sustainability promises, while their guest base provides informed feedback on environmental initiatives.
The future of sustainable hospitality may well be written in places like Western Australia's remote coast, where the marriage of luxury service and environmental stewardship isn't just good marketing, it's the only way to operate responsibly in some of the world's last pristine environments.
Manta Rays Ningaloo Beach Resort demonstrates that sustainable hospitality isn't about compromise—it's about innovation, community partnership, and authentic commitment to preserving the very environments that make destinations special.
Richard Hatter FIH CHE EMBA
Former Hotel ICON Hong Kong General Manager and Adjunct Associate Professor Hong Kong PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management