Announcing the winners of the 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards
INTREPID TRAVEL & OL MALO LODGE & TRUST TAKE TOP AWARD AT FIRST CHOICE RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS 2006  Intrepid Travel and Ol Malo Lodge & Trust, Kenya were joint overall winners at this year’s First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards, having also scooped the Best Tour Operator Award and Best for Poverty Reduction Award respectively. The Awards scheme – organised by online travel agent responsibletravel.com in association with The World Travel Market, The Times and Geographical Magazine and supported by Conservation International – recognises companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to responsible tourism. Justin Francis, CEO responsibletravel.com said: “What makes these Awards so different is that tourists have nominated tourism ventures that they felt provided an outstanding holiday that also benefited local people and the destination. Since we introduced the Awards three years ago, we have seen a significant increase in entries – over 1200 this year as opposed to 700 in 2005.” Dermot Blastland, Group Board Director First Choice Holidays PLC sponsors of the Awards said: “First Choice is delighted to be headline sponsor of these Awards for the 3rd consecutive year. Tourism can be a tremendous force for good, but the challenges of operating tourism sustainably remain significant. The Awards serve to showcase inspiring examples of companies and individuals who have achieved this tricky balance. Over the past year we have seen increased interest and engagement in responsible tourism amongst our own colleagues as well as across the wider industry: this is no longer the domain of just the niche market. At First Choice we explain how we are working towards improved management of our own impacts in our on-line Environment and People report, www.fcenvironmentandpeople.com.”  FIRST CHOICE RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD WINNERS 2006  Overall Joint Winner: Intrepid Travel  Intrepid stood out for its efforts and foresight in empowering the local communities it works with by establishing local businesses in its destinations, using and training local operators. The judges were particularly impressed by the way in which Intrepid facilitates interaction between tourists and the host community, providing extensive guidelines to their travellers on how to travel responsibly both prior to and during travel. Intrepid was also notable for submitting itself to a rigorous external audit, and for thoroughly thinking through the work of its foundation, The Intrepid Foundation, over and above what others have done, creating an endowment to help the local people through a disaster on the scale of the recent tsunami. Intrepid Travel have set the bar very high this year.Contact details: Intrepid Travel. Darrell Wade, Co-Founder/CEO. +61 (0) 3 9473 2656 (Australia) Darrell@intrepidtravel.com Photograph courtesy of Danielle Colvin Overall Joint Winner: Ol Malo Lodge & Trust  This eco-lodge and charitable trust is situated in the deserts of Samburuland in Northern Kenya, on what was an overgrazed cattle ranch. Their key achievement to date is the establishment of The Ol Malo Eye Project which focuses upon the eradication of Trachoma - a cause of painful blindness in over 80% of adults over 30 – from the Ol Malo area. This is an infectious and preventable disease, the root of which is poverty. They value most highly of all their interaction with the community through the women and children who come to Ol Malo to produce beadwork and paintings. This a chance for Ol Malo to see if they are achieving their aim for the community: to contribute to the preservation of the Samburu people in such a way that the Samburus are independent, strong and empowered to live their lives in the way that they strongly desire and choose.Contact details: Ol Malo Lodge & Trust. Julia Francombe, Founder & Director. +254 20 7123107 (Kenya) julia@olmalodesigns.com Photograph courtesy of Mirjam Bleeker Best Tour Operator, sponsored by Haivenu Tours Winner: Intrepid Travel, UK Chosen for their efforts to devolve ownership of local operations to the local community and for the effectiveness of their foundation, The Intrepid Foundation. Highly commended: Wilderness Scotland Contact details: Intrepid Travel. Darrell Wade, Co-Founder/CEO. +61 (0) 3 9473 2656 (Australia) Darrell@intrepidtravel.com Wilderness Scotland. Paul Easto, Director. 0131 625 6635 paul@wildernessscotland.com Best Large Hotel (more than 50 rooms), sponsored by Rezidor SAS Hospitality Winner: The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai For providing a responsible tourism model for other business hotels to follow. A ‘zero garbage’ hotel with multiple innovations to be more energy efficient, they also stood out for their strong outreach programme within the local community. Highly commended: Hotel de la Paix in Cambodia and Bedruthan Steps Hotel in Cornwall Contact details: The Orchid Hotel. Mr Param Kannampilly, Technical Director. +91-22-26164040 (India) td@khil.com Hotel de la Paix. Mr Bill Black, Managing Director. +667-988-0218 (Thailand) bill@bedmgmt.com Bedruthan Steps Hotel. Kate Weaving, Marketing. (01637) 861206 kweaving@bedruthan.com Best Small Hotel (less than 50 rooms) sponsored by Small Luxury Hotels of the World Winner: Il N’gwesi Community Lodge, Kenya Run and managed by the Ilaikipiak Maasai Il N’gwesi community. A successful cohabitation system of both wildlife and humans that live, ‘share’ and own the area. 40% of profits go to the 600 plus families that have a share in owning the lodge. The success of Il N’gwesi has served as a model for other communities in Northern Kenya. Highly commended: Posada Amazonas Lodge, Peru and Sukau Rainforest Lodge, Malaysia Contact details: Il N'gwesi Community Lodge. Joseph Njalis Ole Shuel, General Manager. + 254 (0) 721 498 229 (Kenya) shuel@ilngwesi.com Posada Amazonas Lodge. Kurt Holle, Managing Director. (511) 421-8347 (Peru) kholle@rainforest.com.pe Sukau Rainforest Lodge. Mr. Baton Bijamin, General Manager. +60-88-438300 (Malaysia) baton@borneoecotours.com Best Transport Initiative sponsored by Eurostar Winner: The Bittern Line Community Rail Partnership The Bittern Line connecting Norwich with the north Norfolk coastal towns of Cromer and Sheringham has not only increased rail use by over 170% in 9 years (national annual average 6%), but also encourages visitors to small businesses through the TeaRail, AleTrail and CycleRail schemes. The number of car journeys through the major town of Wroxham is decreasing as a result of high profile marketing of the route. Highly commended: SolarLab Research and Design and First Choice Airways Contact details: The Bittern Line Community Rail Partnership. Ian Dinmore, Community Railways Officer. (01603) 224 248 ian.dinmore@norfolk.gov.uk SolarLab Research and Design. Christoph Behling, Founder and Design Director. (020) 8962 9425 christoph@solarlab.org First Choice Airways. Chris Browne, Managing Director. (0161) 489 0789 Rachel.Wood@firstchoice.co.uk Best in a Mountain Environment sponsored by Bulgarian Dreams Winner: Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Resorts Ltd, Canada Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Resorts created an Environmental Management System in 1993 and it has been the guiding document to achieve the highest level of mountain stewardship in the resort group and industry. Through Operation Green UP they have spent over $1.5million on watershed restoration, and their Whistler Blackcomb Habitat Improvement Team has aided in 64 restoration projects since inception promoting conservation of biodiversity and bringing the community together. Highly commended: Ski Club of Great Britain's Respect the Mountain Campaign and World Expeditions, UK Contact details: Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Resorts Ltd. Jill Johnston, Vice President Sales. + 604-639-4311 (Vancouver) jillj@intrawest.com Ski Club of Great Britain's Respect the Mountain Campaign. Betony Garner, PR and Press Manager. (020) 8410 2018 betony.garner@skiclub.co.uk World Expeditions. Gabrielle Dean, Marketing Manager. (020) 8870 2600 gabrielle@worldexpeditions.co.uk Best in a Marine Environment sponsored by Bulgarian Dreams Winner: Wakatobi Dive Resort, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia Wakatobi's raison d’etre is to help the environment in an over-fished region where the reefs are being destroyed. Employing 150 people from the local community, they have created the Collaborative Community Based Reef Management Program whereby in exchange for direct payments to local villages, reef sanctuaries have been established. Today 12km of reef enjoys complete protection by the local community. Highly commended: Basata Ecolodge, Egypt and Dyer Island Cruises, Western Cape, South Africa Contact details: Wakatobi Dive Resort. Lorenz Peter Maeder, President Director/COO. (01452) 740 781 Lorenz@wakatobi.com Basata Ecolodge. Sherif El Ghamrawy, Managing Director / Owner. +20 69 35 00 480 (Egypt) basata@basata.com Dyer Island Cruises. Wilfred Chivell. +2782 9060101 (South Africa) chivell2@isales.co.za Best for Poverty Reduction sponsored by Expert Africa focuses on poverty reduction initiatives that help local communities in developing countries and provided a huge range of nominations from all over the globe. Winner: The Ol Malo Lodge and Trust, Kenya The Ol Malo Lodge and Trust is helping to eradicate trachoma in the Ol Malo area in Samburuland, where it affects over 80% of adults over the age of 30. Not only have they funded operations they are also training Kenyan ophthalmologists to undertake the operation themselves. Highly commended: Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique; the Shinta Mani Hotel and Institute of Hospitality, Cambodia and The Blue Yonder, Kerala. Contact details: Ol Malo Lodge & Trust. Julia Francombe, Founder & Director. +254 20 7123107 (Kenya) julia@olmalodesigns.com Guludo Beach Lodge. Amy Carter & Neal Allcock. (01323) 766 655 amy@bespokeexperience.com Shinta Mani Hotel and Institute of Hospitality. Arif Billah, General Manager. +855 63 966 000 (Cambodia) gm@shintamani.com The Blue Yonder. Gopinath Parayil, Chief Executive. +91 80 32 90 66 20 (India) gopi@theblueyonder.com Best Protected Area sponsored by Airport Parking & Hotels Winner: Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador Napo Wildlife Center is located within the national park and is a joint venture with the local community. Over 90% of employees are local and the Napo Wildlife Center actively protects 82 square miles of pristine rainforest, working closely with Yasuni National Park. The Center has fostered the organisation of all of the communities that inhabit Yasuni National Park into a political unit that seeks to protect the park well into the future. Highly commended: Damaraland Camp - Wilderness Safaris, Namibia Contact details: Napo Wildlife Center. Mr. Norby Lopez, Executive Director of the EcoEcuador Foundation. (593-9) 9011 505 (Ecuador) norby@ecoecuador.org Damaraland Camp - Wilderness Safaris. Rob Moffett. + 264 61 274 506 (Namibia) robm@wilderness.com.na Best for Conservation of an Endangered Species sponsored by Peregrine Adventures Winner: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa. One of the Reserve’s key achievements was to reintroduce cheetah and wild dogs to the reserve in 2006. Both species were virtually extinct in this area. Tswalu also stood out for their commitment to Fair Trade Tourism, providing a combination of conservation work and community involvement all too rarely encountered. Highly commended: Wildlife Worldwide, UK Contact details: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Lyrene Zimmerman. +27 537819211 (South Africa) Lyrene.Zimmerman@eoson.co.za Wildlife Worldwide. Chris Breen, Director. (01962) 737642 mel.kinder@wildlifeworldwide.com Best for Innovation / Technology sponsored by Blacks Online Given to a business that practises innovation or entrepreneurship in responsible tourism, or that uses technology in an environmentally friendly way. Winner: Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN), South Africa Based in Cape Town, BEN offers township tours with a difference. Rather than touring in an air-conditioned bus, tourists travel by bike increasing their interaction with the local Xhosa community. Most importantly, the bikes used for the tours are abandoned ones, reclaimed and reconditioned by the host community providing them with an alternative source of income. Highly commended: Fridays Place, Kerala and The Trelowarren Estate, Cornwall. Contact details: Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN). Andrew Wheeldon, Managing Director. 021-6714655 (South Africa) andrew@benbikes.org.za Fridays Place. Mark Reynolds, Proprietor. 00 91 471 21 33 292 (India) letschill@fridaysplace.biz The Trelowarren Estate. Rosie Inge (01749) 670070 rosie@churton-inge.co.uk Best Volunteering Organisation sponsored by i-to-i Winner: Biosphere Expeditions, UK Biosphere Expeditions take teams of volunteers into areas that often see no or few other tourists and guarantee to spend at least two thirds of all expedition income directly in-country on the project. One of their main achievements has been preventing the cull of 50 wolves in the Carpathian mountains through the data collected by their teams of volunteers. Highly commended: Blue Ventures, UK Contact details: Biosphere Expeditions. Katherine Wilden, Operations Director 07941 289925 k.wilden@biosphere-expeditions.org Blue Ventures. Richard Nimmo, Managing Director. (020) 8341 9819 richard@blueventures.org Best Destination sponsored by The Lonely Planet This is a new category for 2006 that celebrates a resort, village or an entire country that manages tourism well for the long-term benefit of tourists, conservation and local people. Winner: Aspen, Colorado A destination with a long list of ‘green firsts’. Thanks to the efforts of the Aspen Skiing Company, it is leading the field in environmentally friendly skiing as well as destination stewardship, pushing for affordable housing, investing in local farmland and subsidizing local buses. A widely replicable format that the judges felt should influence European destinations. Highly commended: The Green Box, North West Ireland and Travel Foundation Tobago Contact details: Aspen. Bob Bayless, Aspen Skiing Company. 970.925.8480 (USA) bbayless@aspensnowmass.com The Green Box. Mary Mulvey, Chief Executive Officer. +353 71 9856898 (Ireland) Mary@greenbox.ie Travel Foundation Tobago. Chris James, Director. (868) 635 0032 (Tobago) tftobago@tstt.net.tt Person who has made the greatest contribution to responsible tourism sponsored by responsibletravel.com Winner: Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61 Mark’s passion for trains through the creation of the website seat61.com has led thousands of others to discover the potential of this low-carbon emitting method of transport at a time when we are all trying to cut down on flying. Highly commended: Ian Craig of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Jake Grieves-Cook of Gamewatchers Safaris both of whom have made a significant contribution to responsible tourism in Kenya. Contact details: Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61. 07811 956239 mark@seat61.com Ian Craig of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. +254 64 31405 (Kenya) ian@lewa.org Jake Grieves-Cook of Porini Ecotourism. +254-(0)20-7123129 (Kenya) jake@gamewatchers.co.ke
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