The country of Rwanda has been awarded WTTC’s first Global Leadership Award. The award was presented to Dr. Edouard Ngirente, Right Honourable Prime Minister of Rwanda at the Gala Dinner of the 2018 WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The WTTC Global Leadership Award will be an annual award which recognises countries which have not only prioritised Travel & Tourism but have put sustainability at the heart of the sector’s development.

Announcing the award at the Gala Dinner in Buenos Aires, Gloria Guevara WTTC President & CEO said, “Much of the world has heard about Rwanda, but mostly about its troubled history. In 1994, it was the setting for one of the worst genocides in our lifetime. But since then the country has gone from bordering on a failed state and a real-world cemetery to one of the most remarkably transformed countries in Africa, if not the world.

Rebuilt on a strong foundation of reconciliation, and powered by the determination to succeed, Rwanda is now a leader in education and in environmental responsibility. Its economy is robust, helped by a focus on sustainable travel and tourism.

Rwanda now welcomes a million tourists a year. Travel & Tourism represents 13% of the country’s GDP and 11% of employment. And sustainability is at the heart of tourism growth. Initiatives to protect the country’s unique Gorilla population, while generating significant income from the visitors they attract, as well as the establishment of national parks to protect the environment ensure tourism growth benefits not just the natural environment but the communities who live and work there.

It is an honour to present our first Global Leadership Award to such an inspiring and transformative country.”

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched a new initiative for the Travel & Tourism sector to join the global fight against illegal wildlife trade. The ‘Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel & Tourism and Illegal Wildlife Trade’ sets out specific actions that the sector can take to address this challenge.

Speaking at WTTC’s Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said “WTTC is proud to be undertaking this new initiative which aims to ensure that our sector is fully engaged in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. This challenge has been identified by our Members as a priority for our sector. Wildlife tourism is a significant generator of income for communities around the world, particularly in least developed countries (LDCs) and the illegal wildlife trade puts at risk not only the biodiversity of our world, but also the livelihoods of these communities. The Buenos Aires Declaration provides a framework for the Travel & Tourism sector to co-ordinate and consolidate actions to address it.”

The Declaration consists of four pillars:

1. Expression and demonstration of agreement to tackle the illegal wildlife trade
2. Promotion of responsible wildlife-based tourism
3. Awareness raising among customers, staff and trade networks
4. Engaging with local communities and investing locally

Specific activities within the pillars include selling only wildlife products that are legal and sustainably sourced, and that meet CITES requirements; promoting only responsible wildlife-based tourism; training staff to detect, identify and report suspected illegal trade in wildlife; and educating consumers as to how they can tackle the problem, including by not buying illegal or unsustainably sourced wildlife products.

Fundamental to the declaration is the role Travel & Tourism can play in providing sustainable livelihoods for those who live and work alongside endangered flora and fauna, and at risk of being illegally traded. This includes promoting the benefits of wild-life tourism and ensuring that wildlife-based tourism positively impacts its local communities, while identifying and encouraging opportunities for investment in local infrastructure, human capital and community development.

John Scanlon, Special Envoy for African Parks and former Secretary General of the International Convention in Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) said: “It is fantastic to see the Travel & Tourism sector join the global fight against illegal wildlife trade. In many places where poaching takes place for illegal trade, Travel & Tourism is one of the few economic opportunities available. Maximising the opportunities for local communities and ensuring that they benefit from wildlife-based tourism, is one of the best ways to stem the flow of illegal trade at its source. On the demand side, with its huge global reach and growing consumer base, Travel & Tourism has a big responsibility to help raise awareness among its customers about wildlife trade and the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade.”

Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group said: “Emirates has been actively committed to the fight against illegal wildlife trade for some years now and we are delighted to support this initiative serving the broader Travel & Tourism sector, which clearly has such a critical role to play particularly within the communities who are most affected by this activity.”

Gerald Lawless, immediate past chair of WTTC, concluded: “As a long-term member and former Chair of WTTC I am delighted that this initiative is underway. I would like to thank the more than 40 Members who have signed the Declaration so far. WTTC research shows that Travel & Tourism accounts for over 9% of GDP in countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, generating jobs for 1 in 11 people. As global Travel & Tourism companies, we can play a substantial and active role to tackle illegal wildlife trade. However, we cannot do this alone and I call on other organisations, both public and private sector, and NGOs already engaged in this fight, to join us by signing the Declaration as we work together to grow wildlife-tourism sustainably and use our reach to stem both the supply and demand for illegal wildlife products around the world.”

Signatories to the Declaration at its launch include: WTTC, Abercrombie & Kent, AIG, American Express, Amex GBT, Best Day Travel Group, BTG, Ctrip, Dallas Fort Worth Airport, DUFRY, Emaar Hospitality, Emirates, Europamundo, Eurotur, Exo Travel, Google, Grupo Security, Hilton, Hogg Robinson, Hyatt, IC Bellagio, Intrepid, JLL, Journey Mexico, JTB, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Mystic Invest, National Geographic, Rajah Travel Corporation, RCCL, Silversea Cruises, Swain Destinations, Tauck Inc, Thomas Cook, Travel Corporation, TripAdvisor, TUI, Value Retail, Virtuoso, V&A Waterfront, City Sightseeing, Airbnb, Grupo Puntacana, Amadeus

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched a new initiative for the Travel & Tourism sector to join the global fight against illegal wildlife trade. The ‘Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel & Tourism and Illegal Wildlife Trade’ sets out specific actions that the sector can take to address this challenge.

Speaking at WTTC’s Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said “WTTC is proud to be undertaking this new initiative which aims to ensure that our sector is fully engaged in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. This challenge has been identified by our Members as a priority for our sector. Wildlife tourism is a significant generator of income for communities around the world, particularly in least developed countries (LDCs) and the illegal wildlife trade puts at risk not only the biodiversity of our world, but also the livelihoods of these communities. The Buenos Aires Declaration provides a framework for the Travel & Tourism sector to co-ordinate and consolidate actions to address it.”

The Declaration consists of four pillars:

Expression and demonstration of agreement to tackle the illegal wildlife trade
Promotion of responsible wildlife-based tourism
Awareness raising among customers, staff and trade networks
Engaging with local communities and investing locally
Specific activities within the pillars include selling only wildlife products that are legal and sustainably sourced, and that meet CITES requirements; promoting only responsible wildlife-based tourism; training staff to detect, identify and report suspected illegal trade in wildlife; and educating consumers as to how they can tackle the problem, including by not buying illegal or unsustainably sourced wildlife products.

Fundamental to the declaration is the role Travel & Tourism can play in providing sustainable livelihoods for those who live and work alongside endangered flora and fauna, and at risk of being illegally traded. This includes promoting the benefits of wild-life tourism and ensuring that wildlife-based tourism positively impacts its local communities, while identifying and encouraging opportunities for investment in local infrastructure, human capital and community development.

John Scanlon, Special Envoy for African Parks and former Secretary General of the International Convention in Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) said: “It is fantastic to see the Travel & Tourism sector join the global fight against illegal wildlife trade. In many places where poaching takes place for illegal trade, Travel & Tourism is one of the few economic opportunities available. Maximising the opportunities for local communities and ensuring that they benefit from wildlife-based tourism, is one of the best ways to stem the flow of illegal trade at its source. On the demand side, with its huge global reach and growing consumer base, Travel & Tourism has a big responsibility to help raise awareness among its customers about wildlife trade and the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade.”

Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group said: “Emirates has been actively committed to the fight against illegal wildlife trade for some years now and we are delighted to support this initiative serving the broader Travel & Tourism sector, which clearly has such a critical role to play particularly within the communities who are most affected by this activity.”

Gerald Lawless, immediate past chair of WTTC, concluded: “As a long-term member and former Chair of WTTC I am delighted that this initiative is underway. I would like to thank the more than 40 Members who have signed the Declaration so far. WTTC research shows that Travel & Tourism accounts for over 9% of GDP in countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, generating jobs for 1 in 11 people. As global Travel & Tourism companies, we can play a substantial and active role to tackle illegal wildlife trade. However, we cannot do this alone and I call on other organisations, both public and private sector, and NGOs already engaged in this fight, to join us by signing the Declaration as we work together to grow wildlife-tourism sustainably and use our reach to stem both the supply and demand for illegal wildlife products around the world.”

Signatories to the Declaration at its launch include: WTTC, Abercrombie & Kent, AIG, American Express, Amex GBT, Best Day Travel Group, BTG, Ctrip, Dallas Fort Worth Airport, DUFRY, Emaar Hospitality, Emirates, Europamundo, Eurotur, Exo Travel, Google, Grupo Security, Hilton, Hogg Robinson, Hyatt, IC Bellagio, Intrepid, JLL, Journey Mexico, JTB, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Mystic Invest, National Geographic, Rajah Travel Corporation, RCCL, Silversea Cruises, Swain Destinations, Tauck Inc, Thomas Cook, Travel Corporation, TripAdvisor, TUI, Value Retail, Virtuoso, V&A Waterfront, City Sightseeing, Airbnb, Grupo Puntacana, Amadeus

WTTC is delighted to announce the 2018 leaders in sustainable tourism at the 2018 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards ceremony. The Awards, which were presented at a special 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 our 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

The Awards are judged by a panel of independent experts, led by Graham Miller, Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Surrey. Academics, business leaders, NGO and governmental representatives all join forces to whittle down the finalists to just five Winners. Becoming a Tourism for Tomorrow judge is not a task to be taken lightly – the stringent, three-stage judging process includes a thorough review of all applications, followed by on-site evaluations of the Finalists and their initiative.

The winner of each category is determined by the 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; John Spengler, Director of the Centre for Health and the Global Environment of the Harvard School of Public Health; and Darrell Wade, Co-Founder and CEO of Intrepid Group.

Gloria Guevara Manzo, President & CEO, WTTC, commented:“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, stated: “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

Full List of Winners and Finalists:

Community Award

WINNER – Global Himalayan Expedition, India

FINALIST – &Beyond, South Africa

FINALIST – Sustainable Development Institute Mamirauá, Brazil

Destination Award

WINNER – Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, British Colombia

FINALIST – Riverwind Foundation, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

FINALIST – Corporación Parque Arví, Colombia

Environment Award

WINNER – Airport Authority Hong Kong, Hong Kong

FINALIST – Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania

FINALIST –Melia Hotels International, Spain

Innovation Award

WINNER – Virgin Atlantic, UK

FINALIST – Parkbus – Transportation Options, Canada

FINALIST – Yayasan Karang Lestari Teluk Pemuteran (Pemuteran Bay Coral Protection Foundation), Indonesia

People Award

WINNER – Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges, Costa Rica

FINALIST – Heritage Watch, Australia

FINALIST – TREE Alliance, Cambodia

About the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards:

More details on the Awards and the application process can be found at http://wttc.org/tourism-for-tomorrow-awards/

Tourism for Tomorrow Award Partners:

Headline Sponsor of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards: AIG Travel Inc.

Category Sponsors:

Community Award Sponsor: Value Retail

Destination Award Sponsor: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Environment Award Sponsor: Ecolab

Innovation Award Sponsor: Amadeus

People Award Sponsor: Mastercard

Awards Supporters:

Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)

African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA)

Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN)

BestEn Travel

Considerate Hoteliers

Ecotourism Japan

The EUROPARC Federation

Fair Trade Tourism (FTT)

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

GreenHotelier/International Tourism

Partnership (ITP)

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

Rainforest Alliance

The Long Run

Tony Charters & Associates

Travelife

Travel+SocialGood

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