WTM’s Responsible Tourism Awards are free to enter, and are now open for applications until Monday 6th August 2018. Application forms can be downloaded from the WTM website here.
Now in their 15th year, the tourism industry’s longest running and best known responsible tourism awards are once again looking to find the most inspiring companies and organisations work around the world. Anyone can enter, however small or large their organisation, so long as they have a remarkable story to share of how they are using tourism to make the world a better place.
Five Categories
For 2018, there are five categories that people can apply for:
‘Best for Managing Success’ looks for destinations that are coping with the demands of so called ‘overtourism’.
‘Best for Communicating Responsible Tourism’ seeks to recognise either a campaign by company or organisation that has raised awareness of an issue, changed behaviour or a marketing campaign using the aspirations of Responsible Tourism.
‘Best for Employment Conditions’ will be given to the company leading the way to ensure quality work for its staff.
‘Best for Local Economic Benefit’ is for ensuring best practice in benefiting the local economy through employment and local sourcing.
‘Best for Wildlife’ will be given to the company or organisation that impresses the judges the most with its work using tourism to improve the conservation of species and/or animal welfare in the wild.
The judges for this year’s awards are leaders in their own right from across the tourism and sustainability sectors.
Fourteen Judges
Led, as always, by Chair of Judges Professor Harold Goodwin, the judges are:
- Debbie Hindle, Managing Director, Four Travel – part of Four Communications
- Matt Walpole, Senior Director for Conservation Programmes, Fauna & Flora International (FFI)
- Rebecca Armstrong, Founder, Responsible Tourism Matters
- Ian Corbett, Sustainable Business Manager, TUI UK & Ireland
- John de Vial, Director, Travelife
- Justin Francis, Chief Executive, Responsible Travel
- Mark Watson, former Executive Director, Tourism Concern
- Martin Brackenbury, Director, Classic Collection Holidays
- Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, WTM London
- BBC journalist Tanya Beckett, who also presents this year’s awards
- David Ville, Group Sustainability Manager, Thomas Cook Group
- Dr Tom Moorhouse, Post-doctoral researcher at Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
- Professor Xavier Font, Professor of Sustainability Marketing, University of Surrey.
