First ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards unveiled
Tourism operators in Southeast Asia can now enter the new ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards
With nature-based tourism as its theme this year, the award will recognise two winners from each ASEAN member country, representing urban and rural sectors respectively. Winners will receive a package of benefits that will raise their business profile.
Winners will be highlighted on their national tourist office website and stand to gain exposure through NTO press conferences at trade shows such as ATF, TRAVEX, ITB and WTM.
In addition, winners will be highlighted on ASEAN’s website http://www.aseantourism.travel.
The awards were launched as part of ASEAN’s Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025, ASTA aims to boost the profile of sustainable tourism businesses in South-east Asia, promote responsible tourism in the region, combat seasonality and rebalance tourist flows towards best practice tourism experiences.
The key objectives of the awards are to boost the profile of sustainable tourism businesses in Southeast Asia, promote responsible tourism in all ASEAN countries, combat seasonality, and rebalance tourist flows towards best practice tourism experiences, said Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR director general of tourism marketing department, Sounh Manivong.
"The diversity and quality of ASEAN’s sustainable tourism options are amazing," said Manivong. "The aim of the awards is to prove it — and encourage green tourism practitioners to keep doing a great job."
Of the two winners in each country, one will be "rural", one will from an "urban" setting, to emphasise that city operators can be sustainable as much as rural ones.
The awards will take place every two years with a dedicated theme decided jointly by ASEAN NTOs. The inaugural awards 2017 to 2018, which are now open under the theme "nature-based tourism".
Manivong said such a theme also applies to urban tourism businesses as they may include experiences such as cycling, educational visits to urban parks, walking tours, or tree planting.
The deadline for submissions is 15 August. Results will be announced in December and the award ceremony will take place during ATF 2018 in January.
Valere Tjolle @ValereTjolle
Valere
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