REPORT - LONDON - WTM 2007: The New Forest was the overall winner at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, presented on 14 November 2007 at World Travel Market. The organisation also scooped the Best Destination Award and New Forest Tourism Destination Manager, Anthony Climpson OBE, took home the Personal Contribution Award.

 

The Award ceremony took place on WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of protecting environments, respecting local cultures, benefiting local communities, conserving natural resources and minimising pollution.

The Awards scheme - organised by online travel directory responsibletravel.com in association with World Travel Market, The Times and Geographical Magazine - recognises companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to responsible tourism.

Launched in 2004, the Awards ask tourists to nominate those tourism ventures that they feel provide outstanding holidays that also benefit local people and the destination. This year, over 1,700 nominations were received.

Justin Francis, Co-founder and Managing Director of responsibletravel.com said: “This is the fourth year of the Awards and every year, it never ceases to amaze me how much thought and innovation has gone into the holidays that we short list. Not only do such ventures offer sensational experiences for travellers, but they aspire to such impressive standards of responsible tourism that just keep getting better every year. I hope the Awards prove an inspiration for many more tourism organisations throughout the world.”

Amanda Wills, Managing Director Virgin Holidays, Headline Sponsor of the Awards said: “We are delighted to be able to act as headline sponsor of the 2007 Responsible Tourism Awards. Virgin has always been about driving change through successful entrepreneurship. We are passionate about responsible tourism and proud to be associated with awards that provide recognition to those individuals and businesses whose success in pioneering social and environmental responsibility, acts as inspiration to others.”

The importance of sustainability in tourism has never been greater. In the words of Sir Richard Branson, "Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents, it is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world. And to prove we aren’t all talk, all profits from Virgin Holidays, Atlantic and Trains (estimated to be $3bn over the next 10 years) will be ploughed into research, to develop sustainable sources of energy.”

 

VIRGIN HOLIDAYS RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD WINNERS 2007

Overall Winner: The New Forest

The judges were unanimous in their praise for The New Forest, 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 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.

Best Tour Operator sponsored by The Adventure Company

Winner: Gecko’s Adventures, UK

Chosen for maximising the positive economic and social impacts of their tours, through the use of locally owned accommodation and their employment of local tour leaders who share with travellers their passion for their country’s history, heritage, culture and natural beauty.

Highly commended: KE Adventure Travel, Tribes Travel and Imaginative Traveller

Best Large Hotel /Accommodation (more than 50 rooms), sponsored by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

Winner: 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.

Highly commended: Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa, Thailand and Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh

Best Small Hotel / Accommodation (less than 50 rooms) sponsored by Tourism Queensland

Winner: 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.

Highly commended: Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Dominica and Lamai Homestay & Guesthouse, Thailand

Best for Transport & Technology sponsored by Virgin Trains

Winner: Eurostar, UK

For developing the comprehensive ‘Tread lightly’ programme to reduce Eurostar’s negative environmental impacts across the whole business, on the rails and at the terminals; using biodegradable and recyclable disposables; recycling water; reducing energy consumption and setting a whole business example which airlines could follow.

Highly commended: NatureAir, Costa Rica and greentomatocars, UK

Best in a Mountain Environment sponsored by Blacks

Winner: 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.

Highly commended: Peregrine Adventures and Shakti Uttaranchal Tours Pvt Ltd, India

Best in a Marine Environment sponsored by Tourism Tasmania

Winner: 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 while establishing a way of doing business which is causing their competitors to become more responsible.

Highly commended: Blue Ventures, UK

Best for Poverty Reduction sponsored by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Check Out for Children

Winner: 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.

Highly commended: Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique and communitychallenge, UK

Best in a Park or Protected Area sponsored by Conservation International

Winner: 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 Platano Biosphere Reserve in Central America.

Highly commended: Chalalan Ecolodge, Bolivia

Best for Conservation of an Endangered Species sponsored by Sri Lanka Tourism

Winner: Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa

For conserving 1750 acres of the Cape's threatened fynbos by using 5 hectares for tourism development and working to engage local communities through football, employment and micro-enterprise opportunities.

Highly commended: Earth, Sea & Sky/Ionian Eco Villagers/Nature World Travel, Greece and Biosphere Expeditions.

Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage sponsored by Jamaica Tourist Board

Winner: 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.

Highly commended: Go Native America, USA and Intrepid Travel, Australia

Best Volunteering Organisation sponsored by Lonely Planet

Winner: Azafady, UK / Madagascar

For demonstrating real achievements meeting the locally defined needs of communities in Madagascar and for producing detailed reports on impacts and being transparent about where the volunteers’ money goes.

Highly commended: Quest, Camps International and people and places

Best Destination sponsored by G.A.P Adventures

Winner: The New Forest

For demonstrating how the economic, social and environmental objectives of Responsible Tourism can be achieved with the full participation of all the stakeholders at the destination level. The New Forest has set an example which others are seeking to emulate and surpass.

Highly commended: Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica

 

Person who has made the greatest contribution to responsible tourism sponsored by Canadian Tourism Commission

Winner: Anthony Climpson, The New Forest

For twenty years, long before green became fashionable, Anthony Climpson was developing an integrated approach to managing tourism in the landscape, successfully engaging local communities, local government and tourism businesses in conserving the New Forest.

Highly commended: Dr Cheryl Mvula, Wildlife Conservation and Responsible Tourism Consultant, Tribal Voice Communications Ltd and Charlotte Shigwedha, Managing Director, Mondesa Township Tours, Namibia.