During the Opening Ceremony of the 75th Skål World Congress held at the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel in Mexico City, Mrs. Karine Coulanges, International President of Skål International, presented the Sustainable Tourism awards to eight winners.
Conducted with the help of Sealed Air’s Diversey Care division, a leading global provider of commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions, the awards honour tourism initiatives that support environmental sustainability.
The winners of the eight categories were:
1. Tour Operators – Travel Agents, inboud/outbound tour operators, DMCs: Rios Tropicales, Sustainable Adventure Tourism, Costa Rica
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
2. Urban Accommodation: Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, Thailand
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
3. Rural Accommodation: Agri Tourism Development Company – Baramati Agri and Rural Tourism Training, Research & Development Center, India (pictured above collecting the award, Pandurang B. Taware, Father of Agri Tourism Concept, India)
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
4. Transportation – Air, land and sea-based: Viking Grace, Finland
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
5. Countryside – Alpine tourism, scenic mountains, forests, national parks, etc.: The Rainforest Ecolodge, Sri Lanka
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
6. Marine – Coastal tourism, underwater, beaches, lakes, rivers, watersports, etc.: Mepsec Hua Hin (Mangrove Ecosystem Preservation & Scientific Education Center, Thailand
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
7. Community and Government Projects – Tourism offices and representation: Naalumanikkattu, India, submitted by Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website | Facebook
8. Major Tourist Attractions – Cultural heritage, zoos, theme parks, etc.: The South African Animal Sanctuary, South Africa
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
And the Skål Special Recognition Award by Diversey Care went to: ATDC’s Baramati Agri and Rural Tourism Training, Research & Development Center, India
Video presentation | Description of the project | Website
Skål, founded in 1934, is the largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals in the world. To encourage the conservation of the environment and help promote the development of responsible and sustainable tourism, Skål International initiated an awards program in 2002, during “The Year of Ecotourism and the Mountains” as declared by the United Nations.
Since their launch in 2002, the awards have received strong ongoing support and attracted a high level of participation, with a total of 506 entrants. This year, a total of 24 projects from 12 countries entered the eight different categories. Click here to view the full list of projects.
To evaluate the projects, Skål International selected the panel of three independent judges from important institutions/organisations and experts in Eco and Sustainable tourism. The judges were Lubna Edwards, Director Global Sustainability and Partnerships, Sealed Air; Dirk Glaesser, Director of Sustainable Development of Tourism, UNWTO; and Daniella Sachs, Implementation Strategist, Thwanya Pty Ltd, a sustainable tourism and economic development consultancy. The primary criteria for the evaluation is based on points such as contribution to the conservation of nature and cultural heritage, community involvement, educational features, business viability and innovation.
