Nominate in our Responsible Tourism Awards 2008!

Justin Francis invites your nominations for our Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008, which celebrate the future of travelling in a sensitive, sustainable way - that benefits local people and destinations.
Make a nomination and you could even win a holiday!

On the last day of my holiday to Zambia, I asked the headman (chief) in the village that I was visiting if there was anything I could do for him before I left. He studied me closely with his one eye and said:
“It might seem strange to you, but I need a new pair of glasses.”

As it happened I’d packed an extra pair instead of my shades, by mistake, and the prescription was perfect for him. He sat bolt upright, startled by his first proper view of his village for 20 years, while his grandchildren stared in amazement. I’ve never had a more profound thank you in my life.

This experience provided much of the inspiration behind responsibletravel.com. Much of the meaning of travel, whether I’m 20 or 2,000 miles from home, is about having enriching experiences that connect me with local people, cultures and environments in a mutually respectful way.

This is the kind of tourism that provides distinctly local travel experiences and helps to create better places to live in and to visit rather than contributing to the homogeneity of destinations, with little or no benefit to local people.

Local travel
Ultimately, rare moments in travel such as my experience in Zambia reveal a truth: the truth within a place as well as the truth within us as travellers. The recent profound changes in the food industry – a result of consumers wanting to know where their food comes from, who grew it, under what conditions and with what social and environmental consequences – are affecting the way in which we think about travel.

It’s all part of a desire to realign ourselves with all things “local”. The Responsible Tourism Awards 2008 were launched last week in order to reward those individuals and organisations leading the way in sensitive, sustainable and locally beneficial forms of tourism. And we will be relying on your recommendations in finding them.

Carbon concerns
As responsible tourists, we no longer feel comfortable boasting about our overseas summer holidays and our long-haul flights. At the same time, however, we are aware of the fact that, if done properly, tourism can benefit local people, provide employment and help sustain the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

We worry about our carbon footprint because how we choose to travel is crucially important. At responsibletravel.com we believe that we must fly less each year, for example by taking holidays closer to home and travelling by train.

In last year’s Responsible Tourism Awards Eurostar won the Best Low Carbon Transport and Technology award and this week the company reported a 21 per cent increase in passenger numbers for the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year – an increase which, at least in part, can be attributed to our growing desire to switch to less environmentally damaging forms of transport.

While train travel is better than flying, its scope is limited. When we do fly, what happens when we reach our destination is also vital. Yes, we should fly with airlines that seek to reduce and offset their emissions, but we must also opt for “responsible” tour operators and accommodations that minimise their environmental impacts in the destinations and benefit the local communities.

The World Tourism Organisation has reported that 80 per cent of the world’s poor (surviving on less than $1 per day) live in just 12 countries. In all but one of these, tourism is a significant and growing industry. For the truly poor, those whose only assets are their culture and environment, tourism offers a very rare opportunity for them to better their lives.

Why nominate?
The aim of the Responsible Tourism Awards is to celebrate ventures that are putting a social and environmental conscience at the core of their business, with publicly available and transparent policies (as opposed to the “green washers”, companies which paint themselves green but do little or nothing for the environment or local people).

In 2004, the first year of the Awards, many in the tourism industry felt that their only duty was to provide enjoyable holidays and to make a profit. Some of the big players told me that tourists did not care about anything other than price and that it was not their responsibility to tackle destinations’ problems. That attitude has changed quickly – more than we could have imagined just four years ago.

How our Responsible Tourism Awards make a difference

Increasingly, “mainstream” companies are implementing responsible policies and in recent years their efforts have been duly recognised by us. The central philosophy behind the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people. In this way they contribute to the sustainable future of tourism. The Awards make a huge difference to the winners.

Last year, the New Forest National Park was the overall winner as well as Best Destination, for its work over 20 years to balance the needs of residents and tourists, and to conserve the habitats and local ways of life. The New Forest’s tourism destination manager, Anthony Climpson, also won the award for Best Personal Contribution. Almost as soon as Anthony left the stage at the ceremony at World Travel Market, he was approached by Jamaica’s tourism minister and asked to visit the island to share his knowledge and experience.

Nicky Dyer, owner of the Borana Lodge in Kenya which won the Best for Poverty Reduction award, told me that her inspiration for setting up the Lodge’s mobile clinic came from a 38-year-old woman who had lost her twins during pregnancy. The clinic now services 10 communities on a bi-monthly basis and is greatly appreciated in the area.

Read interviews with some of our 2007 Responsible Tourism Award winners.

We need your help!
There are 13 categories this year including, for the first time, Best Responsible Cruise Operator. The cruise and ferry industry has received a great deal of attention recently concerning its impact on local environments and our aim is to encourage and reward positive and innovative changes.

Last year, we received more than 1,700 nominations from the public for tourist ventures across the globe. You are our eyes and ears – and conscience.

Do you have a favourite hotel or tour operator, in the UK or abroad, that you think is leading the way in this kind of tourism?
Perhaps you have visited a destination which particularly struck you in its commitment to responsible tourism?
Do you know someone who works in the tourism industry whose passion for thoughtful travel shines through?

We would love to hear from you before our deadline of Monday 16 June.

Win a holiday for 2 to India!

And don't forget, your motives for nominating don't have to be entirely altruistic! Tell us about an excellent example of a responsible tourism holiday and you could be heading off on one yourself thanks to our annual Responsible Tourism Awards Win a Holiday competition.

Real World Adventures by Virgin Holidays & Intrepid Travel is offering a fantastic prize trip of a 15 day tour of India. The prize includes 14 nights accommodation (11 nights hotel/guesthouses, 1 overnight train, 2 nights deluxe air-conditioned tent) and return economy flights with Virgin Atlantic to Delhi.

Find out more about this amazing prize holiday.

What next?
There is a five-stage judging process, starting with your nomination; followed by long-listing; short-listing from detailed questionnaires and references; a judging day in September; and finally consultation with a network of experts with knowledge of specific destinations. The winners are announced in November.

Please help us to make our Responsible Tourism Awards for 2008 even more representative. Celebrating progressive and responsible tourism companies can help improve the lives of people in destinations around the world, as I have already witnessed. You might even find inspiration for your next holiday.

To find out more and to put forward your nomination go to www.responsibletourismawards.com

Any comments? Let us know here

This article was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on 19.04.08