The 2004 Responsible Tourism Award Winners - Press Release

PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF

THE 2004 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS

The Awards recognize companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to 'responsible' tourism – that is, projects which make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities, while minimizing the negative impacts that tourism can have.

The Awards, in ten categories, are organized by online travel agent responsibletravel.com, in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine – the magazine of The Royal Geographical Society.

Over 700 nominations – including one from Archbishop Desmond Tutu - were received from tourists who were asked to identify holidays and tourism organisations that provided an enjoyable and a responsible travel experience.

Winners

Full details of winners can be found at www.responsibletravel.com/awards

Joint Overall Winners, sponsored by First Choice

The Calabash Trust and Exodus

Calabash Trust and Tours – township tours in Port Elizabeth South Africa - are a shining example of how tourism can benefit the poor.

Exodus are an outstanding example of how responsible tourism can become part of a companies DNA and run like a thread through all the companies activities.

1. Best Tour Operator

Winner: Exodus Travel

This was an extremely competitive category, Exodus were chosen for their systematic approach to integrating responsible tourism throughout their entire business, including their supply chain, and thereby setting a model for other businesses to follow.

Contact Details: Powell Ettinger, pettinger@exodus.co.uk , www.exodus.co.uk/restourism

Highly commended: Intrepid Travel and The Adventure Company.

2. Best Hotel

Winner: Casuarina Beach Club, Barbados

The winner was selected for its employment of disabled people, initiatives to benefit the poor and outstanding environmental performance.

Contact Details: Loreto Duffy-Mayers (Environmental Manager), info@casuarina.com ,

Tel: (246) 4283600

Highly commended: Hilton Hotels

3. Best Mode of Transport or Transport Initiative, sponsored by The Energy Saving Trust

Winner: Eurostar

Eurostar’s high-speed rail service linking the UK and France has provided a lower emission alternative to flying for 59 million people over 10 years.
Contact Details: Gareth Headon (Press Office), Gareth.Headon@eurostar.co.uk , Tel: (020) 7922 4425

4. Best in a Mountain Environment

Winner: Kasbah du Toubkal

A mountain accommodation situated in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco , Kasbah de Toubkal has forged an extraordinary partnership between the Berber community and Discover Ltd, leading to the sensitive development of tourism and extensive benefits to the local community.

Contact Details: Mike McHugo (Managing Director), mike@discover.ltd.uk ,

Tel: 01833 744392

Highly commended: Guerba World Travel

5. Best in a Marine Environment, sponsored by the Fiji Visitors Bureau

Winner: Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd

Chumbe Island, near Zanzibar has funded a number of outstanding conservation and social programmes from tourism revenues.

Contact Details: Sybille Riedmiller (Project Director), sybille@chumbeisland.com ,

Tel: 255 (0) 27 2643557

Highly commended: Blue Ventures

6. Best for Poverty Reduction, sponsored by Exodus

Winner: The Calabash Trust

The Calabash Trust provides township tours in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and has brought significant benefits to township communities through tourism.

Contact Details: Paul Miedema (Co-owner), calabash@iafrica.com , Tel: 27 41 5856162

Highly commended: Makasutu Cultural Forest , Kahawa Shamba, and the Santa Lucia eco-lodge

7. Best in a Protected Area

Winner: The North Moors National Park Authority and their Developing Assets of Protected Areas scheme (DAPA).

DAPA was selected for its creation of an effective link between the rural economy and sustainable environmental park management.

Contact Details: Michael Graham (Estate & Moorland Officer)

M.Graham@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk , Tel: 01439 770657

Highly Commended: Operation Wallacea

8. Best for Conservation of Endangered Species, sponsored by Friends of Conservation…

Winner: Nature Trek

A UK based tour operator, Nature Trek has made available nature based and wildlife tours to mainstream tourists and exhibits a consistent, diverse and measurable approach to conservation issues worldwide.

Contact Details: Maryanne Mills, Maryanne@naturetrek.co.uk

Highly Commended: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

9. Best for Innovation, sponsored by Active Hotels Winner: The Mihai Eminescu Trust
A village project based in Viscri, Transylvania, The Trust has turned a poor, remote village, deserted by young people, into a thriving cultural tourism attraction, without spoiling its traditional way of life and beautiful natural surroundings.

Contact Details: Luminita Holban (Project Co-ordinator), lholban@mihaieminescutrust.org , Tel: 020 7229 7618

Highly commended: Kahawa Shamba

10. The person who has contributed most significantly to responsible tourism, sponsored by Intrepid Travel…

Winner: Adama Bah

Adama has worked for 20 years bringing together different stakeholder groups in the Gambia to work together to increase the benefits of tourism to local people and the environment.

Contact Details: adama.bah@concern-universal.org

Highly Commended: Tricia Barnett from Tourism Concern

Ends.

For further information

Justin Francis, Managing Director, responsibletravel.com

Justin@responsibletravel.com

Tel: 07787 555088

Notes for editors:

The Winners will be announced at an Awards Presentation by John Stapleton on the World Stage at Responsible Tourism Day, World Travel Market, 10th November 2004.

The judging panel:
Harold Goodwin (International Centre for Responsible Tourism at the University of Greenwich) who will Chair the panel; Cath Urquhart (travel editor, The Times); Fiona Jeffery, Group Exhibition Director of World Travel Market; Nick Smith (editor, Geographical Magazine - the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society); Tricia Barnet (Director of Tourism Concern); Sue Hurdle, Director of The Travel Foundation; Jane Ashton, First Choice Holidays; Ian Reynolds, ABTA; Justin Francis (MD, responsibletravel.com); Jonathan Hodrien (Friends of Conservation); and Richard Hammond (travel journalist and media consultant).