Washinton DC - 11 April, 2006

The World Travel & Tourism Council today announced the winners of the 2006 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards at the 6th Global Travel and Tourism Summit. The awards recognize and promote best practices in tourism development all over the world. The winners are:-

Destination Award – Sierra Gorda, Mexico
Conservation Award – Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya
Investor in People Award – Hotel Punta Islita, Costa Rica
Global Tourism Business Award – Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Canada

The winners were selected by a panel of six judges, chaired by Costas Christ, President of the Adventure Council and a world expert on sustainable tourism. The judging process included on-site evaluation visits of all Award finalists by a team of sustainable tourism experts from around the world. The panel of judges consisted of:-

Costas Christ, Judging Chairman;
The Hon John Briceno, Deputy Prime Minister, Belize;
Hitesh Mehta, Director, Ecotourism and Environmental Planning, EDSA Landscape Architects, Planners & Graphic Designers;
Graham Boynton, Group Travel Editor, the Daily Telegraph;
Roger Dow, CEO, Travel Industry Association of America

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President of WTTC said during the awards ceremony, which took place during the 6th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, “Travel & Tourism has huge economic and social potential. More and more, there are examples from all over the world where this potential is being realized and the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards highlight the very best of these.”

In a speech to delegates attending the Global Travel & Tourism Summit, Costas Christ said, “How tourism grows and develops is of great consequence to our environment and to the people whose lives its growth will impact. The Earth’s natural and cultural heritage must be maintained if future generations are going to benefit from travel and tourism as an opportunity for economic development and social well-being. The 2006 Tourism for Tomorrow Award winners are demonstrating to the world that sustainable tourism practices can be a part of business success.”

Sierra Gorda, Mexico – Destination Award Winner
The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, located in the state of Querétaro, is the most ecodiverse reserve in the country, and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Sierra Gorda Ecotours, developed by the Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda to oversee environmental conservation efforts, provides the opportunity for visitors to enjoy the biosphere while ensuring the conservation of biodiversity and contributing to the livelihoods of the communities who operate the project’s three tourism lodges. Within the conservation framework of the Biosphere Reserve (which is Mexico’s most populated Natural Protected Area), Sierra Gorda Ecotours promotes and supervises training for lodge staff, implements quality standards and undertakes community and tourist educational activities. www.sierragordamexico.org

Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya – Conservation Award Winner
Campi ya Kanzi (“Hidden Treasure” in Swahili) offers tented camp lodgings and Maasai-led walking safaris located in the Chyulu Hills of Kenya on a private group ranch owned by local Maasai herdsmen. In a country where 75 percent of the wildlife population lives outside officially designated Game Reserves and National Parks, Campi ya Kanzi offers a way for conservation to involve local people in protecting the wildlife that roams their land. Conservation fees charged to visitors are reinvested in the community, assisting with employment of teachers, providing health care and building infrastructure projects such as schools and dispensaries. The Maasai have participated in all stages of the development of Campi ya Kanzi, from the building to the management and running of the camp. www.maasai.com

Hotel Punta Islita, Costa Rica – Investor in People Award Winner
Hotel Punta Islita is a boutique hotel located on a remote cove of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province. Entirely owned by Costa Rican investors, it is set in a pristine tract of tropical dry forest and is trimmed by the Pacific Ocean and rugged mountains. Since its 1994 inauguration, Hotel Punta Islita bound its success to the consolidation of strong symbiotic ties with the surrounding villages. Providing tangible benefits,
educational programs, and economic opportunities to the local communities has gradually transformed a slash-and-burn impoverished agricultural area into a thriving collective of local tourism professionals and entrepreneurs. Today, the hotel offers a unique and successful blend of natural beauty and cultural authenticity set in a framework of responsible tourism. www.puntaislita.com

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Canada – Global Tourism Business Award Winner
Since 1884, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has welcomed guests to a remarkable collection of historic hotels, lodges and retreats. Fairmont’s properties reflect authentic surroundings and offer environmental best practices and cultural heritage preservation. The company was founded on an enduring connection to the land and to local communities and since 1990 has pioneered the Fairmont Green Partnership Program. The program focuses on improvements in the areas of waste management, energy and water conservation, as well as community outreach. Fairmont’s commitment to sustainable tourism practices encompasses everything from recycling and organic waste diversion in the hotels’ kitchens to retrofitting energy efficient lighting and educating guests on environmental conservation practices. www.fairmont.com

Awards Finalists included:
Destination Award:
Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries, Greece – www.cookingincrete.com
Kerala, India – www.keralatourism.org

Conservation Award:
Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat, South Africa - www.bushmanskloof.co.za
Dolphin Watch Pamilacan, Philippines – judy_quiachon@yahoo.com

Investor in People Award:
Turtle Island, Fiji – www.turtlefiji.com.au
Yachana Lodge, Ecuador – www.yachana.com

Global Tourism Business Award:
Chaa Creek, Belize – www.chaacreek.com
Intrepid Travel, Australia and Global – www.intrepidtravel.com

ENDS

For more information please contact Louise Oram, Communications & PR Co-ordinator on + 44 (0) 20 7481 8007 or louise@wttc.org

For information on the Finalists’ Selection Committee click here

About the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognize and promote best practice in tourism development all over the world. The Awards are sponsored by WTTC Members including British Airways, InterContinental Hotels Group, Opodo, Reed Travel Exhibitions and Adventures in Travel Expo. Media sponsors of the Awards are: BBC World, eTurbo News, The Telegraph, Newsweek, National Geographic Adventure and Travel Mole.

About the World Travel & Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global business leaders’ forum for Travel & Tourism. Its Members are Chairmen, Chief Executives and Presidents of the world’s most prominent Travel & Tourism organizations. It is the only body representing the private sector in all parts of the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide. For more information please visit www.wttc.org.

For more information on the Global Travel & Tourism Summit please visit www.globaltraveltourism.com .