announcing the winners of the Responsible Tourism Awards 2008
We are proud to announce the winners of our Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008

A huge thank you to all of you who nominated in the Awards earlier this year - we received over 1900 nominations for inspiring tourism ventures all over the world that are making a real difference to local communities and the environment.

Read all about this year's winners in the 2008 edition of r:travel

The Responsible Tourism Awards are the most competitive and prestigious awards of their kind in the world and are a collaboration between online travel directory responsibletravel.com, who founded and organise the Awards, UK media partners The Daily Telegraph, Geographical Magazine and BBC World News, and World Travel Market, who host the Awards ceremony (read more about our Partners).

Our panel of expert judges had a difficult job when it was time to choose the winners:

"Competition was tough again this year and the judges debated long and hard the Responsible Tourism achievement of the companies, organisations and individuals who had been nominated. It was good to see the achievements of some of the larger companies being recognised, demonstrating that the Responsible Tourism Movement now includes large businesses as well as the smaller specialist businesses in the UK and in destinations on five continents who did so much to establish the approach."

Dr. Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. Chair of the Judges.
overall winner: New Zealand
The judges declared New Zealand the overall winner for proving that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit.

New Zealand has implemented many of the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations and demonstrated what national government can achieve - working with the private sector, local communities and local government - by harnessing tourism to benefit their people and their environment.

If more national governments followed their example, tourism would make a much more positive contribution around the world.

Contact details: New Zealand. Gillian Monahan, PR Manager for the UK/Europe, +44 (0)7801 444 004, GillianM@tnz.govt.nz

Photograph courtesy of Adventure Films
Best tour operator sponsored by The Adventure Company

Winner: Explore, UK
A leader in implementing responsible tourism principles for many years, Explore has been recognised for training and employing local tour leaders, pushing its suppliers to deliver, investing £300k into energy-efficient projects including cooking stoves in Cambodia and most recently for appointing a full-time responsible tourism manager.

Highly commended: First Choice, UK and Boogie Pilgrim, Madagascar

Contact details:
Explore. Ian Bradley, Travel PR, +44 (0)208 891 4440, i.bradley@travelpr.co.uk OR Richard Mellor, Travel PR, r.mellor@travelpr.co.uk

First Choice. Grace Jones, 01582 648 730, grace.jones@firstchoice.co.uk

Boogie Pilgrim. Sonja Ranarivelo, Owner and Manager, +261 20 22 53237 OR +261 33 1127652, manager@boogiepilgrim-madagascar.com
Best large hotel / accommodation (more than 50 rooms) sponsored by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

Winner: Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island, Australia
For demonstrating that a large resort accommodating 60,000 guests per year and with 100,000 day visitors can be managed to have a low environmental impact; and for educating its guests about conservation, engaging positively with the indigenous people enabling them to share their culture and skilling them for employment.

Highly commended: Hotel Sigiriya, Sri Lanka and Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Malaysia

Contact details:
Kingfisher Bay Resort. Jodi Clark, Media Manager, +61 7 3032 2809 OR +61 419 647 752, jodi_clark@kingfisherbay.com

Hotel Sigiriya. Thishani Jayatunge, Marketing Manager, thishani@serendibleisure.lk, +9411 2332155

Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa. Mr Anthony Wong, anthony@asianoverland.com.my, +603 4252 9100 OR +6019 339 8056
Best small hotel / accommodation (fewer than 50 rooms) sponsored by VisitBrighton

Winner: Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique
For demonstrating what a small, privately-owned, luxury eco-tourist lodge can contribute through a $5 bed night levy, and for their role in the creation of the Umoji Association representing 20,000 local people through their chiefs and elected representatives. One of the first large community associations in Mozambique, it has enabled six communities to secure their land rights certificates from the Government.

Highly commended: Our Native Village, India, Cottage Lodge , UK and Safari Garden Hotel, The Gambia

Contact details:
Nkwichi Lodge. Patrick Simkin, mandawilderness@teledata.mz and cc info@mandawilderness.org

Our Native Village. C B Ramkumar, cbramkumar@nativeresorts.com, +91 9880 999925

Cottage Lodge. Christina Simons, 01590 622296, enquiries@cottagelodge.co.uk

Safari Garden Hotel. Ms Geri Mitchell, 00 220 4494929, geri@gamspirit.com
Best in a mountain environment sponsored by Exodus

Winner: Community Action Treks & Community Action Nepal, UK/Nepal
For the example they have set in using tourism for the economic and cultural benefit of communities, for the provision of health and education services, and for their work with porters which contributed to the development of the International Porter Protection Group.

Highly commended: Shakti Tours Private Limited , India and Upland Escapes , UK

Contact details:
Community Action Treks. Robin Ashcroft, +44 (0)1539 536897 OR mobile: +44 (0)7778 467011, robin.ashcroft1@tiscali.co.uk

Shakti Tours. Gemma Hyde, 0091 11 4173 4788 (India), 07967 649 542 (UK), gemma@shaktihimalaya.com

Upland Escapes. Edward Granville, 01367 851 111, egranville@uplandescapes.com
Best in a marine environment sponsored by Royal Caribbean

Winner: Ecoventura, Ecuador
For contributing scholarships for education, and developing micro-business for local women, converting a fishing boat into a restaurant and boutique providing alternative livelihoods for the wives of fishermen. Ecoventura was also among the first cruise operators to be independently environmentally audited.

Highly commended: blue o two, UK/Egypt and Scottish Seabird Centre, UK

Contact details:
Ecoventura. Doris Welsh, Director of Sales & Marketing, 305-262-6264, doris@galapagosnetwork.com

blue o two. Michelle Sketchley, michelle@blueotwo.com, o1752 480808

Scottish Seabird Centre. Lynda Dalgleish, Marketing Manager. marketing@seabird.org, 07747 477218
Best cruise or ferry operator sponsored by
The Passenger Shipping Association

Winner: Holland America Line, USA
For recognising that the industry has negative environmental impacts and accepting responsibility for doing something about it. They have reduced dockside emissions by 20%, developed and implemented an “Avoiding Whale Strikes” training programme, increased recycling by 50% and introduced new scrubber technology.

Highly commended: Ullswater Steamers, UK

Contact details:
Holland America Line. Erik Elvejord, Director of PR, 206-298-3057, eelvejord@hollandamerica.com

Ullswater Steamers. Rachel Bell, Marketing Manager, Rachel@lakedistrictestates.co.uk, 01539 721626, 07831 630867
Best low carbon transport & technology sponsored by Maison de la France

Winner: Bycyklen - The Foundation City Bikes in Copenhagen, Denmark
With more than 2,000 city bikes for free public use by locals and tourists alike, Bycyklen demonstrates the potential scale and replicability of an initiative which reduces carbon emissions in the city and promotes exercise. The Foundation works with non profit organisation Incita to provide local people with skills and enable them to gain employment.

Highly commended: Bugbugs Media Ltd , UK

Contact details:
Bycyklen. Christian Christensen, +45 3366 2657 OR mobile: +45 2623 0073,chrich@tmf.kk.dk OR for technical information: Kim Madsen, head of workshop, +45 3616 4233, info@bycyklen.dk

Bugbugs Media Ltd. Friedel Schroder, Managing Director, info@bugbugs.com, 0207 353 4028, 0776 42 99 666
Best for conservation of endangered species or protected area
sponsored by South Australian Tourism Commission

Winner: Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps, Kenya
For demonstrating that a high revenue, low impact tourism development approach can benefit the local Maasai, enabling them through developing conservancies and tourism in partnership with safari companies to create employment and community income and to conserve their land for wildlife.

Highly commended: Turtle Conservation Project, Sri Lanka, Peak District Environmental Quality Mark, UK and Caiman Ecological Refuge, Brazil

Contact details:
Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps. Mohanjeet Brar, Commercial Director, 00254-721 856499, mohanjeet@gamewatchers.co.ke

Turtle Conservation Project. Thushan Kapurusinghe, Project Leader, 0094 777 810509, kjthushan@yahoo.co.uk

Peak District Environmental Quality Mark. Barbara Crossley, Communications Officer, 01629 816389, barbara.crossley@peakdistrict.gov.uk

Caiman Ecological Refuge. Juliane Souza, Marketing, 55 11 3706 1800, marketing@caiman.com.br, julianecaiman@hotmail.com, Skype: julianecaiman
Best for conservation of cultural heritage sponsored by
Jamaica Tourist Board

Winner: Shigar Fort - Palace Restoration Project, Pakistan
For the sensitive restoration of this historic building and its development as a hotel which has placed the property once again at the heart of the community as a cultural and economic asset bringing employment, microenterprise opportunities, and social and cultural empowerment for local men and women.

Highly commended: Andaman Discoveries, Thailand

Contact details:
Shigar Fort - Palace Restoration Project. Ms. Tallat Azeem, Director, Public Relations, (051) 2874000 OR mobile: (300) 8501207, dpr@serena.com.pk

Andaman Discoveries. Bodhi Garrett, Founder, bodhi@iucnt.org, +66 0817877344
Best for poverty reduction sponsored by PromPeru

Winner: Gambia is Good Project, The Gambia
For demonstrating that it is possible for local farmers, 1,000 growers, 90% of them women, to produce 20 tonnes of vegetables and fruit in the tourism season to supply the tourism hotels and make a real contribution to the reduction of poverty in The Gambia – this is a local project of international significance.

Highly commended: Jungle Bay Resort & Spa, Dominica and Stormsriver Adventures, South Africa

Contact details:
Gambia is Good Project. MacKenzie Dove, +220 449 4473 OR mobile: 796 6619,mackenzie.dove@concern-universal.org

Jungle Bay Resort & Spa. Laura Ell, Director of PR & Marketing, +202.286.8068 (US office), Laura@junglebaydominica.com, Skype: lauraell

Stormsriver Adventures. Ashley Wentworth, CEO, ash@kingsley.co.za, +27 (0) 42-2811 836
Best volunteering organisation sponsored by Intrepid Travel

Winner: Camps International, UK
Highly Commended in 2007, Camps International has now integrated their ‘pledge to the planet’ into their business plan and responded to the recent post-election violence in Kenya - which resulted in radically reduced tourist numbers - by maintaining local staffing levels and expanding their commitment to Kenya projects as a contribution to recovery.

Highly commended: Blue Ventures Expeditions , Madagascar/UK and Voluntours , South Africa

Contact details:
Camps International. Matt Lacey, UK Director, 01425 485390, matt@campsinternational.com

Blue Ventures Expeditions. Richard Nimmo, Managing Director, 0208 341 9819, richard@blueventures.org

Voluntours. Jeremy Stafford, +27 (0)11 315 4049 (office), +27 (0)83 474 6801 (mob), info@voluntours.co.za
Best destination sponsored by Conservation International

Winner: New Zealand
For developing an integrated approach to tourism development at the national level and managing it: identifying and then attracting those tourists who contribute most to the economy, focussing on yield rather than merely on numbers of arrivals, spreading the benefits of tourism and fully integrating environmental issues into its quality standard Qualmark Green.

Highly commended: Town of Bouctouche, Canada and St Peter's, Broadstairs, Isle of Thanet, Kent, UK

Contact details:
New Zealand. Gillian Monahan, PR Manager for the UK/Europe, 07801 444 004, GillianM@tnz.govt.nz

Town of Bouctouche. Daniel Allain, Directeur général / Town Manager, +506 743-7260, daniel.allain@bouctouche.ca

St Peter's, Broadstairs, Isle of Thanet, Kent. Brian Sleightholm, 07546 514 948, bsleightthlm@toucansurf.com
Best personal contribution sponsored by Tourism Ireland

Joint winner: Jane Ashton - Head of Sustainable Development - TUI Travel PLC
For successfully advocating the case for sustainable tourism in First Choice since the mid-nineties and for taking responsibility for securing change and providing leadership in First Choice and now TUI Travel, and across the large operator sector as demonstrated through the ground breaking People and the Environment report and the World Care Fund.

Joint winner: Diana McIntyre-Pike - Chair/CEO - Countrystyle Community Tourism Network
An innovator and leader for many years in Jamaica, Diana McIntyre-Pike has worked with communities to develop village stays and community experiences, as well as with the larger resorts and operators to market them, developing the Countrystyle Institute for Sustainable Tourism (CIST) to provide training to communities in basic hospitality skills, entrepreneurship and environmental awareness.

Highly commended: Christopher James MBE - Regional Director, Travel Foundation Tobago

Contact details:
Jane Ashton, Head of Sustainable Development, TUI Travel, 01293 645911, jane.ashton@tuitravel.com

Diana McIntyre-Pike, Chairman/CEO Countrystyle Community Tourism Network, +876-488-7207, diana@countrystylejamaica.com

Christopher James, Regional Director, Travel Foundation Tobago, (868) 635 1137 (landline & fax), cbjames@tstt.net.tt OR via Rosemarie Thomas, Regional Programme Coordinator, tftobago@tstt.net.tt

further information
About the Awards and judging process

press
For press releases and the latest information contact Krissy Roe: press@responsibletravel.com

nominate in our Responsible Tourism Awards 2009
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