The Health Tourism International Chamber of Commerce (HTICC) is joining the international community in saving the planet, knowing that tourism is an important way to reach this goal. The HTICC will launch the New York International Tourism Film Festival “Hippocrates Award,” which will be celebrated on December 15-19, 2010 in New York City.

The Hippocrates Festival will present the best films promoting tourism from many countries of the world. The festival will display films in several categories: destinations; cultural tourism; oenology tourism; rural tourism; adventure, expeditions, and travel; golf tourism; religious tourism; eco-tourism and nature-based tourism; health tourism, thermal and spa; gastronomy; hotels; and sport tourism. The best film will be awarded the Grand Prize – Hippocrates. It will also be awarded to the best films in each category. Since the main goal is to promote creativity in tourism, the festival also bet on other events complementary to the films exhibition, such as workshops, symposiums, photography exhibitions, and a health tourism convention.

The New York International Tourism Film Festival Event is dedicated to leveraging the power of film and multi-media to educate, empower, and inspire appreciation and protection of nature and the life within.

Hippocrates operates on the guiding principal that nature connects us all and never has it been more urgent to promote, honor, and share films that engage people to become better stewards of nature.

Film submissions are invited for the global awards competition. Filmmakers, researchers, broadcasters, conservation organizations, students, and amateurs with a passion for nature are invited to submit entries.

For the first time, the festival is putting a call out to artists for its annual poster artwork. Artists and designers are encouraged to submit work for the Film Festival Poster Competition by April 30, 2010. Children can also participate in the 2010 Health Tourism International Chamber of Commerce Children Environmental Poster Competition. All grade/primary/secondary school students are invited to participate. The competition seeks to promote and stimulate environmental awareness among students and effectively educate younger generations on the importance of environmental protection.

A beauty pageant event, Miss Nature International, will complement the 2010 Hippocrates Award. The event will have its candidates and winners actively promote and get involved in the preservation of the environment and the protection of Mother Nature. Apart from a strong emphasis on environmental protection programs, Miss Nature also aims to showcase and promote various tourist destinations. The winner of Miss Nature will serve as the ambassador to environmental protection campaigns worldwide.

www.hippocratesaward.com