Only one week to go until the 10 December deadline for applications for the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

WTTC invites tourism businesses and destinations worldwide to enter in one of the four categories: Global Tourism Business, Conservation, Community Benefit and Destination Stewardship, showcasing best practice in sustainable tourism. Applications may be submitted online on www.tourismfortomorrow.com/Apply/.

The Global Tourism Business award is the leadership recognition in best practices in sustainable tourism at a large company level with at least 500 full-time employees and operating in more than one country

WTTC's foremost awards, which include an international panel of expert judges and a rigorous on-site evaluation process, recognise and celebrate these advances in sustainable best practices. Finalists and winners will receive worldwide exposure, setting the standard for sustainable practices and projects.

Due to a three-step stringent judging process, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have achieved growing levels of respect among key audiences - the industry, governments and the international media. Winners and Finalists will be publicly recognised during a special ceremony at the 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, held from 17-19 May 2011 in Las Vegas, USA, in the presence of government and industry leaders.
 

We all agree Sustainable Tourism is vital. Sustainability refers to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. A suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee the long-term sustainability of valued destinations. Implementing sustainable practices is difficult and confusing. To overcome those limitations in 2008 a coalition of private and public sector, under the auspices of the UN launched the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria are a set of common guidelines created with the input of experts, groups and companies from around the planet, defining sustainable tourism in a way that is actionable, measurable and credible.

Setting the standard of sustainability for tourism businesses across the globe
These principles provide basic guidelines that help implement programmes and seek that all actors exceed the criteria and adapt to local needs. Most importantly, through its implementation worldwide, the criteria begin to set the stage for a common language that reduces the noise and complexities in talking about sustainable tourism to businesses and consumers. To support these efforts, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council was launched, with the mission to enable and promote sustainable tourism practices, and the vision to use the power of tourism as a force to address conservation and poverty alleviation. Owned and managed by its members, it is designed as a membership council that will allow its members to be active participants of the process and supports their efforts through education and training, and market access.

We congratulate WTTC on its efforts through the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards to showcase those pioneers in sustainable tourism, and provide a platform to recognise the invaluable efforts of many organisations as well as enable an exchange of information and best practices. We urge all to follow the footsteps of these industry leaders and set the stage for sustainability.

www.gstcouncil.org
 

The Adventure Travel Trade Association’s eighth annual Adventure Travel World Summit, an assembly of 600 tourism professionals from more than 50 countries, will be held 17-20 October 2011 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

ATTA’s Summit conferences engage, enlighten, inspire, and energise the leaders of the adventure travel community with networking, business and professional development programmes, educational seminars and adventure product review opportunities.

The ATTA and its Summit delegates, primarily tour operators, destination marketing organisations, tourism boards, media, agents, adventure lodges, and service organisations, influence the manner in which adventure travel is introduced, executed and sustained in destinations worldwide. These organisations collaborate to pursue mutual growth and also to encourage the adoption of best practices that sustain and protect the people and places impacted by tourism.

Having attended the 7th Adventure Travel World Summit in Aviemore, Scotland in October 2010, the WTTC team can only recommend to you to join the Adventure Travel community in Chiapas and help influence the sustainability of this rapidly expanding segment of travel and tourism.

www.adventuretravel.biz
 

Ecotourism Australia's annual conference, the Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference recently took place in the stunning setting of Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in Australia.

Global Eco brought together around 300 leading players from across the globe to examine best practice across sustainability, ecotourism, tourism in protected areas and climate change response.

The four day programme was packed with leading tourism professionals from all over the globe sharing their knowledge and experience with the industry. Featured in this outstanding programme were keynote presentations from the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards judges Erika Harms and Jena Gardner, along with fascinating case studies from 2010 Award winners Whale Watch Kaikoura and Emirates Hotels & Resorts, and finalist Singita Game Reserves.

The conference provided delegates with an excellent opportunity to examine and debate critical new research and policy, issues and emerging opportunities influencing the industry and its further development and sustainability.

After an inspiring four days, we are certainly looking forward to gathering again in Sydney for Global Eco 2011.

Tony Charters
Conference Convenor and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Judge

www.globaleco.com.au
 

On New Voluntourism and Community Development Initiatives

On 14 October 2010, Global voluntourism organisation Planeterra announced a new partnership with UK-based STA Travel, the world's largest student, youth and budget travel organisation.

STA Travel is committing USD1 million over five years to a responsible tourism programmes led by Planeterra, which will develop mutually beneficial volunteer travel and community projects targeted to STA Travel’s over 6 million passengers who travel annually to 90 countries.
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In addition to the USD1 million investment in its responsible travel and voluntourism programme, STA Travel will be raising USD120,000 for a new Community Tourism Training Institute in tsunami-affected Thailand. It will be located in Koh Phra Thong and accessible to communities throughout southern Thailand, providing a way to increase income and sustainable tourism in the area for the future. STA will be matching all individual donations to projects up to USD30,000 per year. With support of its industry partners and a donation matching programme, Planeterra is able to provide 100% of donations directly to projects.

Richard Edwards of Planeterra said that STA Travel will work with Planeterra and local partners to develop projects and direct donations to fund needs such as tools, materials and other items that keep projects going. They will also develop volunteer programmes so that people can visit a project, live onsite or with a local family, and contribute to the well being of the community.

Edwards underscored that STA Travel and Planeterra both focus on initiatives for sustainability that yield positive impacts for the long term.

www.planeterra.org
 

Susann Kruegel
Manager, Policy Initiatives
World Travel & Tourism Council
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7481 8007
Email: susann.kruegel@wttc.org
Web: www.tourismfortomorrow.com

Watch the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wttc or join our Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Facebook page 

We would like to thank our sponsors and contributors. The Awards are organised in association with two Strategic Partners: Travelport and The Travel Corporation’s Conservation Foundation . Other sponsors/supporters include: Adventure Travel Trade Association, Arthur Former’s Budget Travel Magazine, BEST Education Network, Breaking Travel News, Travel, CNBC, e-TurboNews, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the International Tourism Partnership/Green Hotelier, Mercado e Eventos, National Geographic Channel/Sky News, National Geographic Traveler, Newsweek International, Planeterra, Rainforest Alliance, Reed Travel Exhibitions, Saffron Media, Simon & Baker Travel Review, Sustainable Travel International, Tony Charters & Associates, Travel Daily News, Travelmole, Travel Weekly US, Travesias, TTN Middle East, TW Group, and USA Today.