Forest Scoops the Pool in Responsible Tourism Awards

Team Effort Praised

New Forest District Council received the accolades of Best Destination, Best Personal Contribution and Overall winner of this years Responsible Tourism Awards. Spokesperson Maureen Holding said: “We believe that working together to deliver a responsible tourism policy is of great benefit to the local community and visitors alike. “We are already recognised as an excellent Council and now we will also be considered an excellent tourism authority.” Following 20 years at the forefront of the New Forest’s sustainable tourism strategy, NFDC’s tourism destination manager Anthony Climpson was delighted to be presented with the Best Personal Contribution award. He said: “I am absolutely stunned at scooping these three top awards and for me it simply reflects the huge team effort of everyone. On his personal award, he said: “I think my job is the best in the world, which is why I’ve stayed here so long. I love this wonderful place and its quirky people.”Mr Climpson was made an OBE in 2005 for his services to tourism

The judges said…”This is a destination which has worked over the last 15 years with visitors, the industry, the community – including commoners and small holders – to look after the environment (the VICE model: Visitor, Industry, Community, Environment) and to benefit all interests as well as providing a model for other destinations to follow. ??This includes the exciting contribution of the New Forest Breakfast to sustainable development, only possible because there are now sufficient local suppliers to meet the demand for local produce from locals and visitors.

Other Responsible Tourism Awards destination winners included:

Apex Hotels Ltd, UK for their efforts in urban regeneration, converting office blocks on brown field sites into hotels and ensuring that they are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Finca Esperanza Verde Ecolodge, Nicaragua for using tourism to generate local, economic development in a rural area of Nicaragua by improving infrastructure as well as creating employment and enterprise opportunities and demonstrating what a positive difference tourism can make in a local community.

Explorandes, Peru for developing homestay accommodation with real volume and livelihood activities, kayaking, textiles and culture, through a partnership with a group of thirty families at Llachon on the shore of Lake Titicaca.

blue o two for developing a new business approach to diving in the Red Sea, in a highly competitive price-driven market demonstrating that responsible diving is possible for a mainstream business and establishing a way of doing business which is causing their competitors to become more responsible.

Borana, Kenya for making a sustainable contribution to the alleviation of poverty through generating employment, improving school facilities, funding a mobile clinic which reaches thousands of people and for innovative initiatives like “Hide and Sheep” which adds value to local products for the benefit of the economically poor.

La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras for working with four different indigenous communities to create a series of experiences and products which are complementary to each other, avoiding the danger of competition between villages and creating 150 jobs in and around the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Central America.

Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa for conserving 1750 acres of the Cape’s threatened fynbos by using 5 hectares for tourism development and for working to engage local communities through football, employment and micro-enterprise opportunities.

Andaman Discoveries, Thailand for putting people first – recognising that the best custodians of cultural heritage are the people. They have worked with communities to empower them and to create a sense of place, identifying what villagers see as important, and using this information to develop tourist activities and make productive relationships with the industry.

To feature YOUR destination on Sustainable Destination Showcase…
Email [email protected]