Sustainable tourism winners unveiled by WTTC
Tuesday, 27 May, 2010
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Two major hotel groups have picked up prestigious awards in recognition of their sustainable tourism efforts.
Accor and Emirates Hotels & Resorts joined New Zealand-based Whale Watch Kaikoura and the Botswana Tourism Board as winners of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
The four winners from 12 finalists were announced at the WTTC’s 10th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Beijing.
Chairman of the awards judges Costa Christ said: “We are seeing a new horizon in the global travel and tourism industry where more and more companies and destinations, both large and small, are leading the way forward in demonstrating that tourism can be an opportunity for protecting our planet and delivering tangible social and economic benefits at the local, national and international level.
“We are in a global transformation of the travel and tourism industry as we have known it. With these awards we commend these innovation and successes in sustainable best practices.”
Accor won 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 40 countries.
Chairman and CEO Gilles Pélisson said: “Accor’s strategy is underpinned by a deep respect for people and the environment.
“This respect is expressed through the Earth Guest programme, respectful of employees, customers, host communities and the planet’s natural resources.
“Winning this award recognises the deep commitment of our teams to sustainable development all over the world.”
Emirates Hotels & Resortswas awarded in the Conservation category 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.
Indigenous Maori-owned and locally operated, Whale Watch Kaikouratook 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.
The company was founded in 1987 to create jobs for the indigenous Ngati Kuri community, and has since grown into a multi-million dollar nature tourism business.
“Whale Watch is committed to carefully managing its use of a rare natural resource. We will cherish this Award, just as we cherish our values of hospitality to visitors and reverence for the natural world,” says Kauahi Ngapora, chief operating officer.
Botswana Tourism Board took the Destination Stewardship Awardfor its ‘low-volume – high-yield’ approach to tourism in the Okavango Delta.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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