New York -The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is delighted to announce the 2019 leaders in sustainable tourism at the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony. The Awards, now in their 15th year, took place on April 3-4 at a special ceremony during the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain, to celebrate inspirational, world-changing tourism initiatives from around the globe.

WTTC Announces Winners of 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards— Photo by WTTC WTTC Announces Winners of 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards— Photo by WTTC
WTTC Announces Winners of 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards— Photo by WTTC

The 2019 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Award Winners are highly commended and recognised for business practices of the highest standards that balance the needs of 'people, planet and profits' within the Travel & Tourism sector. Our 2019 Winners promote inclusive growth and illustrate a strong commitment to supporting change and transformation in business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more environmentally conscious sector.

The Winners of the 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are:

  • Climate Action Award - Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba
  • Investing in People Award - Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, India
  • Destination Stewardship Award - St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Social Impact Award - Awamaki, Peru
  • Changemakers Award - SEE Turtles, USA

The Awards are judged by a panel of independent experts, led by Prof. Graham Miller, Executive Dean, Professor of Sustainability in Business, University of Surrey. The panel included academics, business leaders, NGO and governmental representatives who narrowed down the list of 183 applications to just fifteen finalists. The three-stage judging process included a thorough review of all applications, followed by on-site evaluations of the Finalists and their initiative.

The Winner of each category was determined by the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2019 Winners' Selection Committee, chaired by Fiona Jeffery OBE, Founder & Chairman, Just a Drop, and composed of Wolfgang M. Neumann, Non-Executive Director and Strategic Advisory, Global Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Sector; John Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and Louise Twining-Ward, Senior Private Sector Specialist, Global Tourism Team, World Bank.

WTTC represents the global private sector of Travel & Tourism. Its Global Summit is the most important event in the sector worldwide each year.

Full list of Winners and Finalists:

Climate Action Award, for organisations undertaking significant and measurable work to reduce the scale and impact of climate change:

  • WINNER: Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba
  • FINALIST: The Brando, Tetiaroa Private Island, French Polynesia
  • FINALIST: Tourism Holdings Limited, New Zealand

Investing in People Award, for organisations demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive, and equitable employer in the sector:

  • WINNER: Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, India
  • FINALIST: Reserva do Ibitipoca, Brazil
  • FINALIST: Shanga by Elewana Collection, Tanzania

Destination Stewardship Award, for organisations helping a place to thrive and bring forward its unique identity for the benefit of its residents and tourists:

  • WINNER: St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, St. Kitts and Nevis
  • FINALIST: Grupo Rio da Prata, Jardim and Bonito, Brazil
  • FINALIST: Masungi Georeserve, Philippines

Social Impact Award, for organisations working to improve the people and places where they operate:

  • WINNER: Awamaki, Peru
  • FINALIST: Intrepid Group, Australia
  • FINALIST: Nikoi Island, Indonesia

Changemakers Award, this year focused on organisations fighting the illegal wildlife trade through sustainable tourism:

  • WINNER: SEE Turtles, USA
  • FINALIST: Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung (KPLB), Indonesia
  • FINALIST: The Cardamom Tented Camp, Cambodia

About the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards:

More details on the Awards and the Finalists can be found at http://wttc.org/T4TAwards

The 2019 Awards programme has five categories:

  • Climate Action Award - recognises organisations undertaking significant and measurable work to reduce the scale and impacts of climate change.
  • Investing in People Award - recognises organisations demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive and equitable employer in the sector.
  • Destination Stewardship Award - recognises destinations which help a place to thrive and bring forward its unique identity for the benefit of its resident and tourists.
  • Social Impact Award - recognises organisations that are working to improve the people and places where they operate.
  • Changemakers Award - recognises organisations that have made real, positive and impactful change in a specific area of focus defined by WTTC. This focus will change each year, and in 2019 will focus on fighting the illegal wildlife trade through sustainable tourism.

Finalists and Winners receive complimentary flights and accommodation and recognition during an Awards ceremony which took place as part of the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain on 3-4 April 2019. Finalists and Winners get to meet the Travel & Tourism industry's top Chief Executives, leading journalists, renowned experts and government officials attending the Summit.

Tourism for Tomorrow Award Partners:

  • Headline Sponsor of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards: AIG Travel, Inc.
  • Category Sponsors: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, TAUCK, TRIP Foundation, Value Retail
  • Editorial Partner: The Telegraph Travel
  • Awards Supporters: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), African Travel and Tourism Association (Atta), Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN), BEST Education Network (BEST-EN), Considerate Group, EUROPARC Federation, Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), The Long Run, The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Tony Charters and Associates, Travelife, Voyageons Autrement, The International National Trusts Organisation, Impact Travel Alliance

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.

Amy Iliffe
+27 20 7326 9880
WTTC