Villas inside and out

The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) recently revealed the winners of the 2011 Sustainable Tourism Awards during an event held in London.

The awards are aimed to recognise which of AITO's member companies achieve the association's five key objectives: protecting the environment, respecting local cultures, benefiting local communities, conserving natural resources and minimising pollution.

"This year's entries show once again the depth of understanding that AITO members and their affiliates have for projects which support communities and the environment in tourism destinations around the world," said Dick Sisman, founder of a consultancy in the field of responsible tourism and one of the judges for the awards.

The "AITO Affiliates Green Award 2011" goes to the AITO business partner or tourist office that best demonstrate sustainable practice in a tourism or non-tourism area. The winner was the Tenerife Tourism Corporation.

According to AITO, this Spanish government office has achieved sustainability across the island involving various hotels, businesses and visitor attractions. It has also funded various initiatives including the recovery and protection of the seabed and the use of wind power to run public transport.

Among its green credentials, Tenerife counts with the world's first-ever village of carbon-free homes and one of the world's largest solar photovoltaic plants. The island aims to generate more than half of its energy through natural energy resources.

In the category of "Most Innovative Sustainable Tourism Initiative 2011" the winner was Tribes Travel, an independent specialist travel company created in 1998.

The company examines properties across the world and then publishes in its website a grading showing their relative eco strengths and weaknesses. This process helps to raise environmental awareness among property owners, who are able to make positive changes as a result.

Finally, the "Roger Diski Community Project 2011", was won by Adventure Alternative, a company that provides professional adventure holidays around the world.

AITO's decision was motivated by the company's long commitment with two rural village communities in the Nepal Himalaya, where locals have been involved with projects including the design and build of a hydro-electric plant, the building of new classrooms and improving facilities at local schools.

Apart from improving the quality of inhabitants' lives, the project has helped to reduce migration of younger generations to the more urban lowlands, therefore rejuvenating the community.

Be the first to comment on this.