Blackstone Valley, US, has won the destination award in the ‘2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards’ organised by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) which served as a fitting finale to the eighth edition of the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Dubai.

The awards, presented in association with Travelport, the global travel services information provider, recognise and promote best practices in sustainable tourism development worldwide.

The other award winners were - Conservation Award: Ecotourism Australia; Investor in People Award: RARE/La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras and Global Tourism Business Award: Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Thailand, and Global.
 
The judging panel, chaired by Costas Christ, an expert in sustainable tourism, included a team of 11 eminent international judges who short-listed three finalists in each award category.

Following an on-site inspection of each premises, the final winners were selected by a panel of four judges including Costas Christ; Group Travel Editor, The Telegraph Media Group, Graham Boynton; vice-president and publisher, National Geographic Adventure, Francis Farrell and chairman, World Travel Market and ‘Just A Drop’ Fiona Jeffery.

'Twenty years ago, sustainable tourism was just an idea. Today, it is entering the travel and tourism mainstream as more companies embrace new innovations, demonstrating environmentally-friendly operations,  a commitment to safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of our planet, and addressing poverty alleviation through enlightened business practices. The winners of the ‘2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards’ are helping to lead the way at a definitive moment in the history of modern travel,' said Christ.

“With growing climate concerns, delivering sustainable travel has emerged an important responsibility for our industry.  As travellers’ awareness of their impact on the environment increases, we face a formidable challenge in providing environmentally-conscious services, while promoting the importance of tourism in economic development, cultural understanding and peace among nations,” said president and CEO of Travelport and member of WTTC’s executive committee, Jeff Clarke. – TradeArabia News Service