World Responsible Tourism Awards 5. Best for Responsible Tourism Campaigning: People & Places


Category sponsor: Caribbean Tourism Organization Winner’s background People & Places is a responsible volunteering organisation, founded to campaign by example. It is based in the UK but works with 15 local partners and 34 projects around the world.


What they do Its “Better Volunteering” campaign aims to “raise standards in a sector beset with bad practices”. It is using social media to educate volunteers to differentiate between good and bad programmes. Through Twitter (@bettervolunteering) it is asking crucial questions of volunteer bodies, including whether they have child


protection policies, and urging those that do not to develop them. Orphanage volunteering is also a focus and it is asking companies whether or not they are running CRB checks for volunteers. People & Places has convinced major tourism groups (Saga, Abta, Tribes, etc) to promote better standards. It is changing behaviour in the industry while empowering tourists to make informed decisions about their placement.


Judges’ comments “Campaigning is essentially about saying something is ‘wrong’ and to do something about it. This is exactly what People & Places has been doing in ‘Better Volunteering’. Its campaign has provided a mine of information to raise awareness and educate


6. Best Destination for Responsible Tourism: Bonito (Brazil)


Category sponsor: Jersey Tourism Winner’s background The city of Bonito (in South Mato Grosso, Brazil) was born in the middle of the last century. Despite its name (meaning “beautiful”), its tourism potential was realised only in 1990, when Bonito city was shown on national television. It has since won national awards. Last year, the city welcomed about 190,000 tourists.


What they do All tourism activities in the Bonito region are within private land owned by cattle farmers. These farmers decided how many tourists they could accommodate each day, then created a central reservation system that guarantees all activities take place at the advertised time and only in


manageable group sizes. This helps preserve each attraction’s natural asset. Tourists are issued with a voucher, which means visitor numbers are controlled. Bonito has also trained 23 local guides in ecological awareness and 30 young people to become environmental leaders. It runs an annual fair that raises awareness of environmental issues among the communities and works with landowners to restore native vegetation. In all, 56% of the region’s revenue is now generated through tourism.


Judges’ comments “You will probably have never heard of Bonito but this region is remarkable for crystal clear waters, caves, mountains and forests with diverse wildlife and has gained national park status. The


7. People’s Choice: Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve (Chile)


Category sponsor: Destination British Columbia Winner’s background Huilo Huilo offers numerous accommodation options in Patagonia, including lodges, hotels or wooden cabins with striking eco-architecture that “melt” into the landscape. Since 2000, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has conserved more than 100,000 hectares of Patagonian temperate rainforest.


What they do Huilo Huilo this year was chosen to represent best practice in forest-based environments as part of a wider selection of former winners of the


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World Responsible Tourism Awards. Huilo Huilo received a total of 2,187 votes (an impressive 45% of all votes). Through its foundation, the Biological Reserve targets not only environmental protection but also heritage conservation, especially through various educational projects that promote indigenous knowledge and art. To generate positive social impacts, it not only runs workshops focused on family health and care, which ultimately aim to improve the quality of life of local communities, but also works at empowering members in the communities (for


example women or craftsmen) to earn more money from tourism.


Judges’ comments “In 2012, Huilo Huilo won the award ‘Best for conservation of wildlife and habitats’. This year, it received 2,187 votes from the public and was crowned as the People’s Choice among a selection of four other very worthy winners. Since 2000, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has conserved more than 100,000 hectares of Patagonian temperate rainforest. The owners have changed the way in which they, and the local community, secure a living from this large piece of Patagonian forest, moving from logging to conservation and sustainable tourism.”


judges were most impressed by the fact that visitor numbers are managed to minimise negative environmental impacts and ensure tourists have a great experience. This approach to preventing overcapacity was adopted right from the start when Bonito decided to develop tourism, which is rare. It helps preserve each attraction’s natural asset and favours quality over quantity – a true sign of responsible tourism practice.”


Highly commended n Nature Park & Glacier Region Kaunertal, Tyrolean Alps in Austria n Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Maasai Mara in Kenya n Valleys Regional Park, Wales


volunteers so it can differentiate between good and bad programmes. For example, ‘orphanage tourism’ is a major focus, as many children are emotionally scarred by the repeated abandonment of volunteers once their placement is over. There are also issues with companies not running CRB checks, which puts children at risk. In fact, volunteers are often misguided and told ‘white lies’ about what they can achieve, despite having paid a hefty sum to ensure they make a difference. It is rare to find volunteering organisations that can clearly explain how and where the volunteer’s money will be spent.”


Highly commended n Snowcarbon, The Alps


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