Fiji’s iconic Castaway Island has been honoured with a 2025 Travel Weekly Magellan Award in Hospitality Marketing: Live Installation/Activation Program for its innovative Sculptural Coral Gene Bank project.
Launched in June 2025 during World Ocean Month, the initiative — developed with non-profit Counting Coral — blends art, science, and sustainable tourism. Built from marine-grade steel and over
3,000 precision components, the underwater installation functions as both an art piece and a living coral gene bank, preserving resilient and rare coral species while supporting reef research and regeneration.
Guests can snorkel above the sculpture, take marine biology tours, and participate in live coral planting, with proceeds funding coral restoration efforts.
General Manager Steven Andrews said, “This award reaffirms Castaway Island’s commitment to regenerative tourism and protecting Fiji’s marine ecosystems.”
The project forms part of OUTRIGGER’s global OUTRIGGER Zone conservation initiative, which has helped restore over 100 football fields of coral reefs since 2014. A secondary coral nursery is
planned for 2026, expanding restoration efforts across Fiji.
As Castaway Island approaches its 60th anniversary in 2026, this global recognition highlights its leadership in sustainability-driven hospitality and ocean conservation.
