The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) named the winners of its 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards at a gala dinner last month, during the 7th Global Travel & Tourism Summit. The awards recognize and promote the best practices in tourism development all over the world.
The winners of the four categories are the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, for the Destination Award; the Aspen Skiing Company, USA, for the Conservation Award; Nihiwatu Resort, Indonesia for the Investor in People Award; and Lindblad Expeditions, USA & Global, for the Global Tourism Business Award.
WTTC Chairman Geoffrey Kent applauded the work of the winners and finalists of this year’s Awards and commented, “Over the past few years, we have witnessed a positive growth in environmentally sustainable business activity not only among the Travel & Tourism industry but also beyond. Consumer consciousness has encouraged companies, and especially WTTC companies, to engage in sustainable programs by delivering environmentally friendly products. While there remains a need to generate profit, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are helping demonstrate that companies can balance business and economic growth with ethics and sustainability.”
The winners were selected by a panel of five judges, chaired by Costas Christ, world expert in sustainable tourism. The judging process included on-site evaluation visits of all award finalists by a team of sustainable tourism experts around the world. Other judges on the panel were Graham Boynton, group travel editor, The Telegraph Media Group, UK; The Hon John Briceٌo, deputy prime minister and minister of natural resources, local government and the environment, Belize; Fiona Jeffery, managing director, World Travel Market, UK; and Hitesh Mehta, director of ecotourism, EDSA Landscape Architects, Planners & Graphic Designers, USA.
During the official ceremony, Costas Christ said, “The 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners represent a major turning point in the global tourism industry. Gone are the days when there were only a handful of ecolodges or a few small tour operators who were doing sustainable tourism successfully. Today’s best practice models also represent major tourism destinations and global tourism companies that are helping to protect cultural and natural heritage and support the well being of local peoples.”