The Cook Islands is proving that sustainable tourism isn't just possible – it's essential. Here's how this South Pacific nation is preserving their paradise for generations for come.

Landing on Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands chain felt like stepping back in time. Gazing out of the taxi from Rarotonga airport to our resort, we were immediately struck by the absence of high-rise hotels, fast-food restaurants and corporate chains. There were no traffic lights, only coconut palms lining the road, the scent of salt and frangipani drifting through the air and the jungle meeting the ocean in a seamless panorama. It felt like Hawaii in the 1960s: uncrowded, laid-back and refreshingly authentic.

Our taxi driver pointed to a low-slung resort along the shoreline. "No building can be higher than a coconut tree," she said. This isn't just a local tradition but a law set in 1965 by the Cook Islands' first premier, Albert Henry, to prevent overdevelopment. She explained that only Cook Islanders can own land, ensuring that large corporations don't dominate the landscape. We looked out onto hotels blending naturally into their surroundings and white-sand beaches ringed with long green parks, all free from litter and crowds.

We soon learned that this preservation of paradise is deeply intentional. Cook Islanders have made a conscious effort to ensure that Rarotonga never follows the path of overdevelopment seen in places like Honolulu. Instead, locals have committed to conservation, low-impact tourism and sustainable practices that benefit both locals and visitors. "People come here because it is a paradise uncluttered by overdevelopment," explained Jeremy Goodwin, regenerative tourism manager for the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CITC). "Our sacred duty as custodians of the land is to look after our paradise."

The Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands between New Zealand and Hawaii, has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1965. With a total population of 21,000, the islands are divided into two groups: the Southern Cook Islands, which includes the more accessible Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and the remote Northern Cook Islands, made up of low-lying coral atolls. Cook Islanders have their own Māori language, with different dialects across the islands. And while tourism is a key industry, the islanders have ensured that sustainability remains at the nation's core.

"For hundreds of years, the protection of the Cook Islands relied on the traditional Ra'ui System where access to a particular resource or area is forbidden for a given period," explained Karla Eggelton, CEO of CITC. "The system aims to conserve food resources and protect ecological conditions in lagoons, reefs and other marine resources."

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Green Getaways is a BBC Travel series that helps travellers experience a greener, cleaner approach to getting out and seeing the world.

This philosophy persists today – and extends beyond the sea. On the northern island of Pukapuka, for example, locals have practiced sustainable living for centuries, packing up their belongings and sailing by boat to another atoll within the lagoon for seasonal........

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