BANGKOK — World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – leading authority on global travel and tourism industry – announced the winners of the 2017 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards on Thursday at a global industry summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

Designed to honour and celebrate inspirational, world-changing tourism initiatives, the awards are presented in five categories, which reflects WTTC goal to “balancing the interests of people, planet and profits” and to keep in line with United Nation’s International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

Winners of the awards this year were selected by a panel of independent experts, academics, business leaders, NGOs and government representatives for the forward thinking and eco-friendly approach, which contributes to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the UN’s 2030 agenda.

WTTC’s Community Award goes to Ol Peteia Conservancy, Kenya; Destination Award goes to Chobe Makgadikgadi and Okvango delta Ramsar site of Botswana Tourism Organisation; Environment Award goes to Misool eco-resort of Indonesia; Innovation Award goes to Mapping Ocean Wealth, a project by US-based The Nature Conservancy; People Award goes to the J Willard and Alice S Marriot Foundation’s China Hospitality Education Initiative (CHEI).

“I am delighted by the high standard of all our finalists. Those taking away the Awards this year represent the very best in sustainable tourism, and we hope that their example will both educate their peers and lead the sector forward,” President and CEO of WTTC David Scowsill said. 

He also said that this year’s winners are fine examples of how the industry can be sustainable while bringing improvements to both the environmental and cultural surroundings in which it operates.

Fiona Jeffry OBE, WTTC Chairwoman and founder, said that the winners continue to push the sustainability agenda and help develop a better, more responsible and accountable sector, better tourism experiences and a protected planet.

The summit will conclude Thursday with sessions on the afternoon focusing in latest trends in the global tourism industry. — VNS