We are pleased to support the 2013 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards, which launched today for a seventh straight year. Developed by Wild Asia, the awards honour accommodation and tour operators committed to spreading responsible tourism practices across all corners of Asia.
Beginning today, March 27, applications are sought from innovative tourism providers and businesses that are making a difference to their communities and environments by giving back through sustainable tourism. Seeking to help accommodation and tour operators gain international recognition for their dedication to responsible tourism, this year’s awards are also open to tourism businesses targeting a variety of travel tastes and budgets.
Grounded in the UN World Tourism Organization’s Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, the Responsible Tourism Awards have helped to shape international standards for environmentally and socially sound tourism. Launched in 2006, they remain the only Asia-wide awards committed to recognising sustainable tourism and have seen more than 200 entries. You can read more about the history of Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards winners through our many years of coverage on The Travel Word.
As in years past, we are eager to step up as media sponsors of the Responsible Tourism Awards and to support all those who strive to give back to their destinations.
The Awards Categories
This year’s Responsible Tourism Awards honour businesses in the following areas:
Best in Community Engagement and Development
This award recognises exceptional commitment to supporting the local community and economy in which a business operates. (Open only to accommodation providers.) Apply now!
Best in Cultural Preservation
This award recognises engagement and efforts by tourism businesses in preserving, enhancing and promoting local cultures and heritage. (Open only to accommodation providers.) Apply now!
Best in Protection of Natural Areas and/or Wildlife Conservation
This award recognises tourism businesses’ consideration of the local environment and biodiversity by actively supporting and protecting natural assets. (Open only to accommodation providers.) Apply now!
Best in Resource Efficiency
This award recognises excellence in waste, water and energy management and sustainable architectural design in order to minimise a business’s environmental impact. (Open only to accommodation providers.) Apply now!
Most Inspiring Responsible Tourism Accommodation Provider
This award recognises the accommodation provider that excels in all of the above categories by taking into consideration all the key principles of responsible tourism (maximum positive impacts to the local community and minimum negative impacts to the environment) and awards innovation for the most inspiring accommodation of the year. Apply now!
Most Inspiring Responsible Tour Operator (NEW!)
This award recognises the tour operator that excels in all of the above categories by taking into consideration all the key principles of responsible tourism (maximum positive impacts to the local community and minimum negative impacts to the environment) and awards innovation for the most inspiring responsible tourism business of the year. Apply now!
For finalists and winners in each category, the Responsible Tourism Awards provide an international stage from which to showcase their accomplishments, as well as give a push to best new tourism developments currently being practiced. After all, one goal of this rigorously judged competition is to inspire other tourism operators around the world to adopt a more sustainable approach to tourism.
Winners will be announced at ITB Asia, the continent’s biggest business-to-business travel trade event, which is taking place this October in Singapore.
Responsible tourism businesses can download an application from tourism.wildasia.org. Deadline for entry is May 23.
About The Travel Word
As a central portal for the diverse perspectives of impassioned travelers, seasoned hosts and conscientious local tourism professionals, The Travel Word aims to improve the ethical standards of tourism.
It is committed to inspiring mindful and independent travelers headed off the beaten path with local businesses making responsible and sustainable decisions about their destinations. Through anecdotes, articles, profiles, opinion pieces and news, The Travel Word’s local voices aim to inform travelers about unique and ethical ways to experience a destination, travel responsibly and help sustain the distinctive qualities of a place.
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