Winners of the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

The four winners of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards were announced during the 10th Global Travel & Tourism Summit at the National Centre for the Performing Arts

The four winners of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards were announced during the 10th Global Travel & Tourism Summit at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China. Of the 12 finalists, Emirates Hotels & Resorts, Whale Watch Kaikoura, Accor, and Botswana Tourism Board, were crowned the winners for their successful work in advancing sustainable tourism best practices in different parts of the world.

The awards are organized in association with two strategic partners: Travelport and The Travel Corporation’s Conservation Foundation. Other sponsors/supporters include: 4hoteliers, BEST Education Network, Breaking Travel News, Budget Travel, CNBC, eTurboNews, fvw, Friends of Nature, Gap Adventures, the International Tourism Partnership/Green Hotelier, Mercado e Eventos, National Geographic Channel/Sky News, National Geographic Traveler, Planeterra, Newsweek International, the Rainforest Alliance, Reed Travel Exhibitions, Saffron Media, South China Morning Post, Simon & Baker Travel Review, Sohu.com, Sustainable Travel International, The Economic Times of India, Tony Charters & Associates, Travel & Adventure Show, Travel Daily China, Travel Daily News, Travelmole, Travel Weekly US, Travesias, TTG Asia, TW Group, TTN Middle East, USA Today, and World Heritage Alliance.

WHALE WATCH KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND

Indigenous Maori-owned and locally operated, Whale Watch Kaikoura wins the Community Benefit Award for its outstanding achievement in rebuilding the local economy through community-based tourism in Kaikoura on the East Coast of South Island in New Zealand. Whale Watch Kaikoura specializes in giving more than 100,000 visitors annually the opportunity for up-close observation of marine life, including rare Sperm Whales, using environmentally-friendly vessels. The company was founded in 1987 by local Maori, to create jobs for the indigenous Ngati Kuri community, and has since grown into a multi-million dollar nature tourism business.
Read more at

EMIRATES HOTELS RESORTS, UAE

In the Conservation category, Emirates Hotels & Resorts is awarded for its success in creating the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) – the first protected area in the United Arab Emirates – through the establishment of the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. In Australia, their Wolgan Valley Resort next to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is one of the best examples in the world of conservation through tourism. The project is successfully reversing extensive grazing and development damage to restore rare native flora and fauna.
Read more at

BOTSWANA TOURISM BOARD

Botswana Tourism Board is awarded the Destination Stewardship Award for its “low-volume – high-yield” approach to tourism in the Okavango Delta – an internationally-recognized Ramsar Site (ODRS) and particularly for the legislative framework put in place and ecotourism standards to ensure proper management of one of the world’s most iconic nature travel destinations. Today, sustainable tourism in the Okavango employs 34 percent of the adult population in the area, while protecting the largest inland wetland in the world for future generations.
Read more at

ACCOR, FRANCE GLOBAL

Accor wins the award for Global Tourism Business for its Earth Guest Program and company-wide philosophy based on hospitality, respect for diverse cultures, environmental best practices, and the social welfare of local people where they operate in more than 100 countries.
Read more at

MONARCH AIRLINES MD COMPLETES WTM VISION’S STELLAR SPEAKER LINE UP

WTM Vision Conference is a half-day event to update senior travel industry leaders through high-caliber speakers, content, and research giving analysis, statistical assessment, and interpretations. The conference takes place on Wednesday, June 16 in London, from 9:15 am for a 10:00 am start until 1:00 pm.

Confirmed speakers to date include:

• A panel of industry leaders covering the cruise, retail, airline, and online sectors featuring Tim Jeans, Monarch Airlines; Carol Marlow, P&O Cruises; Nick Longman, TUI UK and Ireland; and Paul Evans, founder of the Low Cost Travel Group; will focus on the UK outbound market and what the future for their businesses and sector holds.

• Social media guru Graham Lee of Firebrand will be presenting case studies on how the travel trade can best use the ever-increasing number of social media opportunities to engage with their customers and importantly attract new ones.

• Sarah Boumphrey and Caroline Bremner from Euromonitor International will predict the future economic performance of the global travel and tourism sector.

At just £95 + VAT, including a FREE OF CHARGE Euromonitor International Report, WTM Vision Conference represents outstanding value for money in today’s market.

For more information and to book now, visit www.wtmlondon.com/vision

LINKS

• 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners and finalists
• Photos (for high resolution photos please contact Susann Kruegel at [email protected])
• Footage on www.YouTube.com/wttc
• Next year’s ceremony will be held in Las Vegas, USA

CONTACT

Susann Kruegel
Manager, e-Strategy and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
World Travel & Tourism Council
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7481 8007
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.tourismfortomorrow.com
Watch the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wttc

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...