New Zealand wins top award at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008
Justin Francis, founder of The Responsible Tourism Awards and managing director, responsibletravel.com, organisers of the Awards said: “In this, the fifth year of the Awards, the bar has been raised for responsible tourism yet again. What inspires me is the efforts that businesses and destinations are making to ensure that responsible tourism lies at the heart of their strategies and plans. Without a doubt, this is the only way to plan for the future - responsible travel is not a passing fad or a niche travel trend for marketing purposes. It is an entire, holistic approach to tourism operations." Amanda Wills, managing director, Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the Awards said: “As headline sponsor for a second year, I have been both moved and inspired by the winners this year. Certainly there is much to learn from them, and it was a privilege to recognise and celebrate their efforts in this arena. It’s in the doing not the saying that we as an industry will make a difference, the winners lead the way.” Launched in 2004, the Awards are run in association with partners World Travel Market, The Daily Telegraph, Geographical Magazine and BBC World News. VIRGIN HOLIDAYS RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD WINNERS 2008 Overall Winner: New Zealand The judges declared New Zealand the overall winner for proving that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit. New Zealand has implemented many of the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations and demonstrated what national government can achieve - working with the private sector, local communities and local government - by harnessing tourism to benefit their people and their environment. If more national governments followed their example, tourism would make a much more positive contribution around the world. Contact details: New Zealand . Gillian Monahan, PR Manager for the UK/Europe, +44 (0)7801 444 004, GillianM@tnz.govt.nz Best Tour Operator, sponsored by The Adventure Company Winner: Explore, UK A leader in implementing responsible tourism principles for many years, Explore has been recognised for training and employing local tour leaders, pushing its suppliers to deliver, investing £300k into energy-efficient projects including cooking stoves in Cambodia and most recently for appointing a full-time responsible tourism manager. Highly commended: First Choice , UK and Boogie Pilgrim , Madagascar Contact details: Explore . Ian Bradley, Travel PR, +44 (0)208 891 4440, i.bradley@travelpr.co.uk OR Richard Mellor, Travel PR, r.mellor@travelpr.co.uk Best Large Hotel / Accommodation (more than 50 rooms), sponsored by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Winner: Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island,Australia For demonstrating that a large resort accommodating 60,000 guests per year and with 100,000 day visitors can be managed to have a low environmental impact; and for educating its guests about conservation, engaging positively with the indigenous people enabling them to share their culture and skilling them for employment. Highly commended: Hotel Sigiriya , Sri Lanka and Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Malaysia Contact details: Kingfisher Bay Resort. Jodi Clark, Media Manager, +61 7 3032 2809 OR +61 419 647 752, jodi_clark@kingfisherbay.com Best Small Hotel / Accommodation (less than 50 rooms) sponsored by VisitBrighton Winner: Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique For demonstrating what a small, privately-owned, luxury eco-tourist lodge can contribute through a $5 bed night levy, and for their role in the creation of the Umoji Association representing 20,000 local people through their chiefs and elected representatives. One of the first large community associations in Mozambique, it has enabled six communities to secure their land rights certificates from the Government. Highly commended: Our Native Village, India, Cottage Lodge , UK and Safari Garden Hotel , The Gambia Contact details: Nkwichi Lodge . Patrick Simkin, mandawilderness@teledata.mz and cc info@mandawilderness.org Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology sponsored by Maison de la France Winner: Bycyklen - The Foundation City Bikes in Copenhagen (Denmark) With more than 2,000 city bikes for free public use by locals and tourists alike, Bycyklen demonstrates the potential scale and replicability of an initiative which reduces carbon emissions in the city and promotes exercise. The Foundation works with non profit organisation Incita to provide local people with skills and enable them to gain employment. Highly commended: Bugbugs Media Ltd , UK Contact details: Bycyklen . Christian Christensen, +45 3366 2657 OR mobile: +45 2623 0073,chrich@tmf.kk.dk OR for technical information: Kim Madsen, head of workshop, +45 3616 4233, info@bycyklen.dk Best in a Mountain Environment sponsored by Exodus Winner: Community Action Treks & Community Action Nepal, UK/Nepal For the example they have set in using tourism for the economic and cultural benefit of communities, for the provision of health and education services, and for their work with porters which contributed to the development of the International Porter Protection Group. Highly commended: Shakti Tours Private Limited , India and Upland Escapes , UK Contact details: CAT (Community Action Treks). Robin Ashcroft, +44 (0)1539 536897 OR mobile: +44 (0)7778 467011, robin.ashcroft1@tiscali.co.uk Best in a Marine Environment sponsored by Royal Caribbean Winner: Ecoventura, Ecuador For contributing scholarships for education, and developing micro-business for local women, converting a fishing boat into a restaurant and boutique providing alternative livelihoods for the wives of fishermen. Ecoventura was also among the first cruise operators to be independently environmentally audited. Highly commended: blue o two , UK/Egypt and Scottish Seabird Centre , UK Contact details: Ecoventura . Doris Welsh, Director of Sales & Marketing, 305-262-6264, doris@galapagosnetwork.com Best Cruise or Ferry Operator sponsored by The Passenger Shipping Association Winner: Holland America Line, USA For recognising that the industry has negative environmental impacts and accepting responsibility for doing something about it. They have reduced dockside emissions by 20%, developed and implemented an “Avoiding Whale Strikes” training programme, increased recycling by 50% and introduced new scrubber technology. Highly commended: Ullswater Steamers , UK Contact details: Holland America Line . Erik Elvejord, Director of PR, 206-298-3057, eelvejord@hollandamerica.com Best for Poverty Reduction sponsored by PromPeru Winner: Gambia is Good Project, The Gambia For demonstrating that it is possible for local farmers, 1,000 growers, 90% of them women, to produce 20 tonnes of vegetables and fruit in the tourism season to supply the tourism hotels and make a real contribution to the reduction of poverty in The Gambia – this is a local project of international significance. Highly commended: Jungle Bay Resort & Spa , Dominica and Stormsriver Adventures , South Africa Contact details: Gambia is Good Project . MacKenzie Dove, +220 449 4473 OR mobile: 796 6619,mackenzie.dove@concern-universal.org Best for Conservation of Endangered Species or Protected Area sponsored by South Australian Tourism Commission Winner: Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps, Kenya For demonstrating that a high revenue, low impact tourism development approach can benefit the local Maasai, enabling them through developing conservancies and tourism in partnership with safari companies to create employment and community income and to conserve their land for wildlife. Highly commended: Turtle Conservation Project , Sri Lanka, Peak District Environmental Quality Mark, ,UK and Caiman Ecological Refuge , Brazil Contact details: Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps . Mohanjeet Brar, Commercial Director, 00254-721 856499, mohanjeet@gamewatchers.co.ke Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage sponsored by Jamaica Tourist Board Winner: Shigar Fort - Palace Restoration Project, Pakistan For the sensitive restoration of this historic building and its development as a hotel which has placed the property once again at the heart of the community as a cultural and economic asset bringing employment, microenterprise opportunities, and social and cultural empowerment for men and women. Highly commended: Andaman Discoveries , Thailand Contact details: Shigar Fort - Palace Restoration Project . Ms. Tallat Azeem, Director, Public Relations,(051) 2874000 OR mobile: (300) 8501207,dpr@serena.com.pk Best Volunteering Organisation sponsored by Intrepid Travel Winner: Camps International, UK Highly Commended in 2007, Camps International has now integrated their ‘pledge to the planet’ into their business plan and responded to the recent post-election violence in Kenya - which resulted in radically reduced tourist numbers - by maintaining local staffing levels and expanding their commitment to Kenya projects as a contribution to recovery. Highly commended: Blue Ventures Expeditions , Madagascar/UK and Voluntours , South Africa Contact details: Camps International. Matt Lacey, UK Director, 01425 485390, matt@campsinternational.com Best Destination sponsored by Conservation International Winner: New Zealand For developing an integrated approach to tourism development at the national level and managing it: identifying and then attracting those tourists who contribute most to the economy, focussing on yield rather than merely on numbers of arrivals, spreading the benefits of tourism and fully integrating environmental issues into its quality standard Qualmark Green. Highly commended: Town of Bouctouche , Canada and St Peter's , Broadstairs, Isle of Thanet, Kent, UK Contact details: New Zealand . Gillian Monahan, PR Manager for the UK/Europe, 07801 444 004, GillianM@tnz.govt.nz Best personal contribution sponsored by Tourism Ireland Joint winner: Jane Ashton - Head of Sustainable Development - TUI Travel PLC For successfully advocating the case for sustainable tourism in First Choice since the mid-nineties and for taking responsibility for securing change and providing leadership in First Choice and now TUI Travel, and across the large operator sector as demonstrated through the ground breaking People and the Environment report and the World Care Fund. Joint winner: Diana McIntyre-Pike - Chair/CEO - Countrystyle Community Tourism Network An innovator and leader for many years in Jamaica, Diana McIntyre-Pike has worked with communities to develop village stays and community experiences, as well as with the larger resorts and operators to market them, developing the Countrystyle Institute for Sustainable Tourism (CIST) to provide training to communities in basic hospitality skills, entrepreneurship and environmental awareness. Highly commended: Christopher James MBE - Regional Director, Travel Foundation Tobago Contact details: Jane Ashton , 01293 645911, jane.ashton@tuitravel.com; Diana McIntyre-Pike , +876-488-7207, countrystyletourism@yahoo.com
