People Award winners Cayuga Collection
The Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges in Costa Rica – a former Green Hotelier Award winner – has been named the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow winner of the People Award.
Cayuga shows its commitment to people in a number of ways. All the staff are locals, and all are employed all year round including during low season. A company doctor programme has been set up for staff and children, incentivising private doctors to relocate to the beautiful rural areas where their lodges operate – and thus also improving the quality of healthcare in the region in general. As a sign of how confident Cayuga’s owners are in their model, and how eager they are to share their vision of sustainability, they have been running behind the scenes tours showcasing their eco initiatives to their guests since 2004.
WTTC announced the 2018 leaders in sustainable tourism at the 2018 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony. The Awards, which were presented at a ceremony during the 18th WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, celebrate inspirational, world-changing tourism initiatives from all over the globe.
The 2018 Awards winners are highly commended and recognised for business practices of the highest standards that balance the needs of ‘people, planet and profits’ within the travel and tourism sector. This year’s winners are industry leaders who promote inclusive growth, and work toward a greener future as a result of their proactive contributions to sustainable development and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2018 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners are:
- Community Award – Global Himalayan Expedition, India
- Destination Award – Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, British Colombia, Canada
- Environment Award – Airport Authority Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Innovation Award – Virgin Atlantic, UK
- People Award – Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges, Costa Rica
Gloria Guevara Manzo, President & CEO, WTTC, said, “This year the Tourism for Tomorrow Award finalists prove just how diverse and all-encompassing our sector’s commitment to sustainable growth is. The award categories are designed to demonstrate that every player in the Travel & Tourism industry has a role to play in driving the sector to a more responsible future – whether providing training to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, protecting vital wetland areas via ecotourism or operating the world’s greenest airport. I congratulate them all on their achievements and leadership.
This year’s award winners demonstrate not only that tourism can be sustainable, but that it provides tangible benefits to destinations, local communities and travellers. We hope that our award winners will motivate the Travel & Tourism sector to be part of a more sustainable world.”
Fiona Jeffery, OBE, Chair, WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, said, “The role of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards is to showcase some of the most outstanding examples of sustainable tourism practise in the world and inspire and motivate our industry to be the change we want to see and experience. The Tourism for Tomorrow 2018 finalists and winners each demonstrate vision, leadership, and a long-term commitment to ensuring our industry focuses on creating better places for people to live in and better places for people visit. This year however we have seen more cross sector collaboration and an acknowledgement that steps can and should be taken to assess tourism impacts more effectively which is an encouraging development.”
Jeff Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel, the headline sponsors of the Awards, said, “From operating the world’s greenest airport to establishing Africa’s first marine park, this year’s Tourism for Tomorrow finalists are a diverse group of change makers from all over the globe. The 2018 winners demonstrate that regardless of size or purpose, all businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector can make sustainability a priority and become part of our collective journey towards a greener future.”
For more information on the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards and all the winners, please visit www.wttc.org/tourism-for-tomorrow-awards
