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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has this week announced the 15 Finalists in its 2018 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

Selected  from entries from around the world and representing five continents, the Awards are in the following categories: Community, Destination, Environment, Innovation and People.

Now in their 14th year, the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards showcase business practices of the highest standards that balance the needs of ‘people, planet and profits’ within the global tourism industry, with each of the 2019 finalists illustrating great commitment to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more sustainable tourism industry.

Following a rigorous three-phase judging process, which includes an onsite evaluation, Winners of the 2018 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards will be announced during the Awards Ceremony at the 18th WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 18th and 19th April.

Introducing the 2018 finalists, WTTC President and Chief Executive Gloria Guevara explains “sustainable growth is one of the sector’s most pressing challenges and a strategic priority for WTTC.

“The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards showcase the very best examples of how our sector is addressing this challenge, and contributing in a positive way to the sustainable development goals and a better world for all.

“I congratulate all the finalists who are playing such a significant role in ensuring the future sustainability of travel and tourism, and encourage the whole sector to learn from their best practice”.

As the travel and tourism sector continues to grow, and WTTC currently estimates global Travel & Tourism to have grown by nearly 4% in 2017, we have to ensure we safeguard the environment, local communities and cultural heritage, and our Awards programme calls on tourism businesses to showcase just that.”

Awards Lead Judge, Graham Miller, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, added “this year’s finalists represent all parts of the world but show that across the world tourism can be a powerful way to achieve sustainability goals.

“We see examples of tourism organisations that have created huge land and marine protected areas, are educating children about the importance of heritage, are empowering women and bringing micro-power to areas with no electricity.

“Some of these organisations are large and owned by shareholders, others are small and funded by a community or just an individual, but they all demonstrate that tourism can make today and tomorrow more sustainable.”

The Finalists of the 2018 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which is Headline sponsored by AIG Travel for the third year, are:

Community Award Finalists
Organisations committed to sustainable tourism leadership in local community development, empowerment and cultural heritage.
• &Beyond, South Africa 
• Global Himalayan Expedition, India 
• Sustainable Development Institute Mamirauá, Brazil 

Destination Award Finalists
For commitment to supporting and delivering sustainable tourism best practices in their destinations.
• Corporación Parque Arví, Colombia 
• Riverwind Foundation, USA 
• Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Canada 

Environment Award Finalists
Organisations and companies achieved environmental best practice through biodiversity conservation, protection of natural habitats, addressing climate change, and green operations.
• Airport Authority Hong Kong
• Chumbe Island Coral Park – CHICOP, Tanzania 
• Meliá Hotels International, Spain 

Innovation Award Finalists
Providing innovative solutions to overcoming the challenges faced by the tourism industry in implementing sustainability in practice.
•  Transportation Options, Canada 
• Virgin Atlantic, United Kingdom 
• Yayasan Karang Lestari Teluk Pemuteran, Pemuteran Bay Coral Protection Foundation), Indonesia

People Award Finalists
Organisations dedicated to the development of capacity building, training and education to build a skilled tourism workforce for the future.
• Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges, Costa Rica 
• Heritage Watch, Australia 
• TREE Alliance, Cambodia

The winner of each category will be determined by the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2018 winners’ selection committee which is chaired by Fiona Jeffery OBE, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Chair, and composed of: Sandra Howard Taylor, Vice minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia; Jack Spengler, Director of the Centre for Health and the Global Environment of the Harvard Chan School; and Darrell Wade, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Intrepid Group.

Images: Fort Largs, South Australia - subject of a Heritage Watch campaign for its preservation (top) and a diving feature developed by Yayasan Karang Lestari Teluk Pemuteran (below).

21st October 2017 - WTTC CALLS ON TOURISM TO EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

2nd August 2017 - WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE

8th May 2017 - 2017 TOURISM FOR TOMORROW AWARDS WINNERS NAMED BY WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL 

21st March 2017 - TOURISM SUPPORTS ONE IN 10 JOBS, OUTPACING GLOBAL ECONOMY FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR  

10th September 2016 - UNITED NATIONS DECLARES 2017 AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT

1st September 2016 - WTTC CHALLENGES TOURISM BUSINESSES TO SHOW HOW SUSTAINABLE THEY ARE 

9th August 2016 - STUDY REAFFIRMS ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HONG KONG’S EXHIBITION INDUSTRY

16th January 2016 - ASIAN TRAVELLERS SEEK NEW EXPERIENCES 

30th November 2014 - UN REPORT SHOWS GROWING VALUE OF GLOBAL ADVENTURE TOURISM

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