World Responsible Tourism Awards 2014
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London : A South African animal sanctuary and a Brazilian adventure resort specialising in accessible tourism were announced Joint Overall Winners this morning at the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2014 in London, sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism.
In a special ceremony at the World Travel Market’s Global Stage as part of the World Responsible Tourism Day annual celebrations, South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance and Campo and Parque dos Sonhos jointly took the coveted position of Overall Winners from of a selection of 25 finalists gathered from around the world.
The full list of this year’s finalists are –
1. Joint Overall Winners – sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism
Campo and Parque Dos Sonhos, Brazil and South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance, South Africa
2. Best Animal Welfare Initiative – supported by Born Free Foundation
Joint Gold Winners:
World Animal Protection, UK/International http://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/
South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance, South Africa http://www.saasa.org.za
3. Best Aviation Programme for Carbon Reduction – sponsored by Visit Gozo
Gold Winner: Thomson Airways, UK/International http://www.thomson.co.uk/
4. Best for Beach Tourism – sponsored by Jersey Tourism
Gold Winner: Chole Mjini Conservation & Development Co. Ltd, Tanzaniahttp://www.cholemjini.com/
Silver Winner: Casa de las Olas, Mexico http://www.casadelasolas.com/
5. Best City Hotel – sponsored by Los Cabos Tourism Board
Gold Winner: Hotel Verde, Cape Town, South Africa http://hotelverde.co.za/
Silver Winners:
ITC Grand Chola, India http://www.itchotels.in/hotels/itcgrandchola.aspx
Jury’s Inn, Brighton, UK http://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/brighton
6. Best Cultural Heritage Attraction – sponsored by Wightlink
Silver Winner: Festivals of Puebla, Mexico www.puebla.travel
7. Best Destination – sponsored by Visit Norway
Gold Winner: V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa http://www.waterfront.co.za
8. Best for Engaging People & Cultures – sponsored by New York State Division of Tourism
Gold Winner: Kutch Adventures, India
Silver Winner: Footsteps Ecolodge, Gambia http://www.footstepsinthegambia.com
9. Best for People with Disabilities – sponsored by Enable Holidays
Joint Gold Winners:
Campo & Parque Dos Sonhos, Brazil http://www.campodossonhos.com.br/
Cavan Town & Environs, Ireland http://www.thisiscavan.ie
Silver Winner: NATIVE Charming Hotels and Accessible Tourism, Spain http://pantou.org/native-charming-hotels-and-accessible-tourism
10. Best for Poverty Reduction – sponsored by Tobago House of Assembly
Gold Winner: Adventure Alternative, UK http://www.adventurealternative.com
Silver Winners:
Lewa Wildilfe Conservancy, Kenya http://www.lewa.org/
Mdumbi Backpackers, South Africa http://www.mdumbi.co.za/
11. Best for Wildlife Conservation – sponsored by Discover Dominica Authority
Gold Winner: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours, Australia http://www.echidnawalkabout.com.au/
Silver Winners:
Chambal Safari Hotels Pvt Ltd, India http://www.chambalsafari.com/
On Track Safaris, South Africa http://www.ontracksafaris.co.uk/
12. Best Short Film for Responsible Tourism – sponsored by Fair Trade Tourism
Gold Winner: Travel Oregon: Communities Powered by Travel – John Day River Territory, Oregon http://industry.traveloregon.com/industry-resources/destination-development/rural-tourism-studio/john-day-river-territory/
Silver Winners:
GLP Films: Basecamp Foundation – Pioneering Sustainable Tourism in Kenya’s Masai Marahttp://vimeo.com/50342525
World Wildlife Fund – The Guardians http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9LZXlAdipg
13. People’s Choice in Responsible Tourism – sponsored by Spirit Slovenia
Winner: Nam Nern Night Safari, Lao PDR http://www.namet.org/namnern.html
Runners-up for this category:
Chepu Adventures EcoLodge, Chiloe island in Patagonia – http://www.chepu.cl/
The Great Projects, Africa, Asia, South America & Europe – http://www.thegreatprojects.com/
Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Masai Mara in Kenya – http://www.maranaboisho.com/
people and places, UK – http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/
ReefCI, Belize – http://reefci.com/
Snowcarbon, The Alps – http://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/
TUI Nederland, the Netherlands – www.tui.nl/sustainabletourism
Village Ways, India & Ethiopia – http://www.villageways.com/
The World Responsible Tourism Awards are sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism, and were founded in 2004 to celebrate the most inspiring stories in responsible tourism.The Awards are organised by responsibletravel.com and ICRT (International Center for Responsible Tourism) and the ceremony is hosted by World Travel Market .
This year, the Awards feature 11 categories covering a variety of topics, which reflect the hottest issues currently debated in the world or responsible and sustainable tourism. – WTM London
Nov. 6, 2014