The World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM London announces today the launch of its only publically-voted category – the People’s Choice in Responsible Tourism in association with National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Nine recent previous winners of the World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM London have been selected by the judging panel to go forward into this year’s People’s Choice category, representing a diverse range of responsible tourism experiences and achievements worldwide.
The finalists include an NGO educating the tourism industry and putting a stop to the unnecessary use of wild animals in tourism, an adventure park in rural Brazil redefining the meaning of truly accessible tourism, and an off-grid luxury beach resort near Zanzibar which has been conserving a fragile marine park and successfully supporting local students through education and into employment.
Justin Francis, managing director of organisers Responsible Travel, and founder of the Awards comments “One of the main aims of the World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM London is to inspire tourists and the tourism industry by what is possible to achieve through responsible tourism.
“The People’s Choice Award is a real celebration of the best of the best globally. These diverse organisations are previous winners, already proven to be the leaders and innovators driving positive changes in the tourism industry, but we now want to know which of these provides the real inspiration to the travelling public.”
Everyone who casts a vote in the People’s Choice Award will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win an 8 day walking holiday for two to the Amalfi Coast, Italy, courtesy of Responsible Travel supplier, Exodus Travels.
This year the People’s Choice Award is launched in partnership with National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine, with the voting hosted, for the first time, directly on the National Geographic Traveller website.
Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller (UK) said “We feel privileged to partner with Responsible Travel and act as an official media partner for these prestigious awards. National Geographic Traveller seeks to champion sustainable and responsible travel and as such we are excited about hosting the voting for the Peoples Choice for Responsible Tourism in the global search for the most inspirational and enduring responsible tourism experiences in the world.”
The nine organisations being put forward to the public vote are:
- Adventure Alternative, UK
- Campo & Parque Dos Sonhos, Brazil
- Chole Mjini, nr Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours, Australia
- Hotel Verde, Cape Town, South Africa
- Kutch Adventures India
- Thomson Airways, UK
- V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
- World Animal Protection, UK
Voting closes on Friday 21st August 2015 and the winner will be announced at the World Responsible Tourism Awards ceremony on World Responsible Tourism Day, 4th November 2015, at World Travel Market in London. The winner of the holiday prize draw will also be announced in November 2015.
To vote go to: http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/competitions/world-responsible-tourism-awards-2015-peoples-choice
To find out more about each of the finalists go to http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards/categories/peoples-choice.htm
Details on the holiday prize, provided by Exodus Travels can be found at: http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards/prize-holiday.htm
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For information, interviews of high-resolution images please contact:
Sarah Bareham
World Responsible Tourism Awards manager
01273 829269 (UK)
About the World Responsible Tourism Awards
For more information on the World Responsible Tourism Awards visit www.worldresponsibletourismawards.com
Now in their 12th year, the World Responsible Tourism Awards were founded by Responsible Travel in 2004 to celebrate the most inspiring stories in responsible tourism.
The Awards are organised by Responsible Travel and ICRT (International Centre for Responsible Tourism). The Awards ceremony is hosted by World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, during World Responsible Tourism Day, the world’s largest event for responsible tourism which this year takes place on Wednesday 4th November.
This year, the Awards feature 13 categories covering a variety of topics, which reflect the hottest issues currently debated in the world or responsible and sustainable tourism. For the first year tourism businesses and organisations around the world can submit themselves for consideration. The only publically voted Award is the People’s Choice Award. Public voting for the People’s Choice will be open early June.
Follow Awards news and updates on Twitter: @RTAwards or #WRTA2015 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/responsibletourismawards where you can also find stories from our previous international winners.
About Responsible Travel:
Responsible Travel is the founder and organiser of the World Responsible Tourism Awards and the world’s leading market place for small and tailor-made tour operators, all screened for their commitment to responsible tourism.
Responsible Travel connects these operators with people looking for real & authentic holidays. Starting with just 2 tour operators in 2001 we’ve become the leading place to find tours from over 400 small & specialist tour companies in 197 countries. As tourism grows globally the opportunity for authentic experiences diminishes, and the impacts of tourism on places & local people (not always positive) grows. We’ve found the secret to authentic travel is treating local people & places responsibly.
In addition Responsible Travel:
– campaigns for positive change in the travel and tourism industry.
– is publishing an expanding collection of open, honest travel guides
CEO Justin Francis has been included in Courvoisiers The Future 500, Thames and Hudsons 60 Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future and taken his place on the Advisory Board of The International Centre for Responsible Tourism.
The company is based in Brighton’s North Laine district, England.
About National Geographic Traveller (UK)
National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under license by APL Media Limited, from the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. The magazine is also available in China, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Israel, Poland, Latin America, Armenia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Indonesia, Romania and South Africa. The 180-page travel and lifestyle magazine is packed full of outstanding photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. natgeotraveller.co.uk
About World Travel Market London
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
Almost 51,500 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM London, now in its 36th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals. WTM 2014 will generate around £2.5 billion of travel industry contracts.
WTM London is part of Reed Travel Exhibition’s World Travel Market events, which also includes Arabian Travel Market, World Travel Market Latin America and World Travel Market Africa. www.wtmworld.com