Tony Potter, CEO and Managing Director, CHI Hotels & Resorts, the management company for Corinthia Hotels, announced that Tourism Cares, Gap Adventures and Cyrene, Libya are the 2009 World Tourism Award Honorees. Corinthia Hotels, together with American Express, International Herald Tribune and Reed Travel Exhibitions, co-sponsor this prestigious Award which will be presented at World Travel Market Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at Excel Centre, London. The announcement was made at a Corinthia Hotels Press Breakfast on September 10, 2009 at Tavern on the Green in New York City.

The World Tourism Award, inaugurated in 1997 and celebrating its 12th Anniversary, was established to recognize “the extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organizations, destinations and attractions for outstanding accomplishments in the travel industry.” 

The 2009 Honorees are being recognized for their dedication to sustainable tourism and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. The first award will honor Tourism Cares, in recognition of "its extraordinary work to preserve the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide; awarding scholarships to the future tourism workforce and organizing volunteer projects to help restore tourism-related sites."

The second award will honor Gap Adventures, in recognition of "its exemplary commitment and vision to 'give back' by creating and supporting Planeterra, matching all donations to this foundation dedicated to sustainable community development worldwide through travel and voluntourism."

The third award will honor Cyrene, Libya, in recognition of "Libya's unique approach in establishing an integrated model for North African Archaeological and Heritage Preservation and Management with an emphasis on the education and training of local nationals for employment in the development and maintenance of this site; and for Engineer Saif Shahat's initiatives taken to ensure the protection of Libya's Heritage Sites and the quality of its tourism."

Representing the 2009 World Tourism Award honorees at the Corinthia Hotels press breakfast were Bruce Beckham, Executive Director, Tourism Cares and Brad Ford, Director, Business Development, Gap Adventures.