15 years and counting: WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2019 call for entries

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) are calling for travel and tourism organisations across Asia to showcase their achievements in sustainable tourism by entering the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2019.

This year, applicants can enter in the following five categories: Social Impact, Destination Stewardship, Climate Action, Changemakers, and Investing in People.

• The Social Impact Award recognises an organisation working to improve the people and places where it operates.
• The Destination Stewardship Award celebrates organisations that have rejuvenated a place, maintained and developed its authenticity, brought stakeholders together and created something new and attractive.
• The Climate Action Award seeks to recognise innovative actions through either behaviour change of guests and employees, policy changes or the introduction of technology, to reduce the scale and impacts of climate change.
• The Investing in People Award recognises an organisation demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive and equitable employer in the sector.
• The Changemakers Award is a newly-introduced category which recognises an organisation which has made a real, positive and impactful change in a specific area of focus, which will change each year. In 2019, the focus will be on fighting the illegal wildlife trade through sustainable tourism.

Award applicants can apply online here or find out more information at the website. The 2019 Finalists will be announced in January 2019 and the winners will be announced during next year’s WTTC Global Summit, which will take place in Seville, Spain, 3-4 April 2019.

Gloria Guevara, president & CEO, WTTC said: “Over the past 15 years, Tourism for Tomorrow winners have exemplified leadership in responsible tourism initiatives and set the absolute benchmark for their industry peers.

“On behalf of WTTC and our members, I welcome organisations operating within the sustainable tourism space to apply to the Awards programme, which serves to further educate governments and the public and private sector through their outstanding accomplishments.”

Since the beginning of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards under WTTC, there have been approximately 2,450 applicants from over 50 countries, 186 finalists, and 62 winners who have demonstrated economic, environmental, and social & cultural benefits from best practices in sustainable tourism.

33 of these finalists and 13 of these winners have been from Asia. In 2018, there were 69 entries from the region. Being the largest and most populated continent, Asia faces the biggest challenge concerning sustainable tourism. However, hotels, destinations and operators demonstrated efforts, particularly in protecting the natural environment.

“Small and big strides in Asia towards sustainable tourism.”

Over the years, we have witnessed small and big strides in Asia towards sustainable tourism from installing solar micro-grids in remote Himalayan villages, protecting 300,000 acres of Indonesian coral reef, to creating the world’s greenest airport in Hong Kong, Asia’s Tourism for Tomorrow winners are leading the way in sustainable travel.