Bangkok (Thailand) – April 28, 2017 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognize inspiring, world-changing tourism initiatives from around the globe. The awards are presented in five categories, reflecting the WTTC's goal of "balancing the interests of people, the environment, and the economy."

In line with the United Nations' International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and the WTTC's firm commitment to a greener and more sustainable sector, the 2017 award winners are distinguished by their forward-looking and environmentally conscious practices. All award winners also contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda.

This year's Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony took place on April 27th as part of the 17th WTTC Global Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

The winners of the 2017 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are: - Community Award - Ol Peteja Conservancy, Kenya - Destination Award - Chobe Ramsar Site, Makgadikgadi and Okvango Delta, Botswana Tourism Organization, Botswana - Environment Award - Misool, Indonesia - Innovation Award - Mapping Ocean Wealth, The Nature Conservancy, USA - People Award - China Hospitality Education Initiative (CHEI) of the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, China

The awards are presented by an independent panel of experts. Scientists, business leaders, representatives from non-governmental organizations, and government agencies work together to narrow down the finalists to five winners. Jurying for "Tourism for Tomorrow" is no easy task – the rigorous, three-stage selection process includes a thorough review of all applications, followed by on-site visits to the finalists and their initiatives.

David Scowsill, President and CEO of the WTTC, said: “I am delighted with the high caliber of all the finalists. This year’s winners represent the best in sustainable tourism, and we hope their example will raise awareness among their colleagues and advance the industry.”

The travel and tourism sector is growing rapidly, and we must ensure that short-term profits do not take precedence over the long-term health of the local environment and communities. This year's award winners demonstrate not only that tourism can be sustainable, but also that it can bring about tangible improvements to the ecological and cultural environment. We will witness how the travel and tourism sector is committed to a more sustainable world.

Fiona Jeffrey, OBE, Chair of the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, said: “This year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Award winners continue to champion sustainability and put their words into action by developing a better, more responsible and transparent tourism sector, better tourism experiences and a protected planet. All of this cannot be achieved through short-term initiatives.”

These companies have all proven that sustainable development is an integral part of their DNA and that they live these values ​​with outstanding economic, environmental, and social results. They are great role models from whom we can all learn and which we can apply in companies worldwide.

Jeff Rutledge, CEO of AIG Travel, the main sponsor of the awards, said: “The winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Award 2017 are an inspiration to us all. By actively empowering the communities where they live through their conservation and education initiatives, our winners and finalists are proving that sustainability truly makes sense for the travel and tourism industry.”

Full list of winners and finalists: Community Prize – Winner – Ol Peteja Conservancy, Kenya – Finalist – Cinnamon Wild Yala, Sri Lanka – Finalist – G Adventures, Canada

Destination Award – Winner – Chobe, Makgadikdgadi and Okvango Delta Ramsar Site, Botswana Tourism Organisation, Botswana – Finalist – City of Bydgoszcz, Poland – Finalist – Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, Finland

Environmental Award – Winner – Misool, Indonesia – Finalist – Biosphere Expeditions, Great Britain – Finalist – Caiman Ecological Refuge, Brazil

Innovation Award – Winner – Mapping Ocean Wealth Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, USA – Finalist – Native Hotels and Accessible Tourism, Spain – Finalist – Soel Yachts, Netherlands

People Award – Winner – The J Willard and Alice S Marriot Foundation's China Hospitality Education Initiative (CHEI), China – Finalist – Desert & Delta Safaris, Botswana – Finalist – Streets International, Vietnam

About the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards: Further information about the awards and the application process can be found at

Tourism for Tomorrow Award Partners - Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Main Sponsor: AIG Travel Inc. - Category Sponsors: Amadeus, Ecolab, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Value Retail - Awards Supporters: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), BEST EN, Considerate Hoteliers, Ecotourism Japan, Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), Green Hotelier/International Tourism Partnership, PATA, Rainforest Alliance, The EUROPARC Federation, The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), The Long Run, Tony Charters and Associates, Travelife, Voyageons autrement

For further information about the awards, please contact: Kmar Makni, Tourism for Tomorrow Manager, +44 (0) 20 7481 8007, [email protected]

Annebeth Wijtenburg, Communications Manager, [email protected], +44 (0) 207 481 6483, The Harlequin Building, 65 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HR, United Kingdom. Tel.: +44 (0) 207 481 8007, Fax: +44 (0) 207 488 1008