The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced yesterday (21 April) the winners of the 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards at the Gala Dinner for the 8th Global Travel & Tourism Summit. The Awards, in association with Travelport, recognise and promote best practices in sustainable tourism development all over the world.

The winners are:

• Destination Award - Blackstone Valley, USA
• Conservation Award - Ecotourism Australia
• Investor in People Award - RARE / La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras
• Global Tourism Business Award - Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Thailand & Global

The judging process, chaired by Costas Christ, a world expert in sustainable tourism, included a team of 11 international judges who selected 3 finalists in each award category, followed by an on-site inspection visit of all finalists. The winners were then selected from among the finalists by a panel of four judges including:

• Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
• Graham Boynton, Group Travel Editor, The Telegraph Media Group
• Francis Farrell, Vice President & Publisher, National Geographic Adventure
• Fiona Jeffery, Chairman, World Travel Market & 'Just A Drop'

During the official ceremony, Costas Christ said, " Twenty years ago sustainable tourism was just an idea, now it is entering the Travel & Tourism mainstream as more companies embrace new innovations demonstrating environmentally-friendly operations, a commitment to safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of our planet, and addressing poverty alleviation through enlightened business practices. The winners of the 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are helping to lead the way forward at a transformative moment in the history of modern travel."

Jeff Clarke, President & CEO of Travelport and Member of WTTC's Executive Committee applauds the winners saying "With growing climate concerns, delivering sustainable travel has emerged as an important responsibility for our industry. As travellers' awareness of their impact on the environment increases, we face a formidable challenge in providing environmentally-conscious services and at the same time, promoting the importance of tourism to economic development, cultural understanding and peace among nations. The recipients of the 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have made tremendous strides toward addressing this challenge by developing products and services that aim to mitigate the impacts of carbon footprints while promoting sustainable travel. Their innovation has demonstrated a commitment not only to preserving our planet but also to facilitating mass travel globally."