Downloads:
CTO TravelMole Sustainable Tourism Award Guide 2012
Description of Sustainable Tourism Areas (CEST Category 1)
Application Form for Sustainable Tourism Award Nominees (2012)
SPANISH:
Organización de Turismo del Caribe Travelmole –– Premios del Caribe a la Excelencia
Organización de Turismo del Caribe – TravelMole Premios del Turismo Sostenible
Formulario de solicitud para nominaciones a los premios del Turismo Sostenible (2012)
FRENCH:
Organisation du tourisme de la Caraïbe – TravelMole Prix du tourisme durable
Formulaire de mise en candidature-Prix du tourisme durable 2012
OBJECTIVE
These CTO-TravelMole annual Awards are aimed at identifying and showcasing Sustainable Tourism Best Practices in the Caribbean. The awards recognize individuals, groups, organizations or companies in any of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Member Countries which have developed unique and attractive tourism products or are engaged in implementing sustainable tourism-related initiatives which embrace sustainable tourism concepts and core values, and which help to enhance the country’s tourism product offerings.
In the Caribbean, Sustainable Tourism Development is understood as “the optimal use of natural, cultural, social and financial resources for national development on an equitable and self sustaining basis to provide a unique visitor experience and an improved quality of life through partnerships among government, the private sector and communities” (CTO Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, 2008).
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 17, 2012
Send Application Forms to: Gail Henry (ghenry@caribtourism.com) or Rosalie Mayers (rosalie@caribtourism.com) by February 17, 2012. Please send photos in separate emails.
AWARD CATEGORIES
- Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award
- Sustainable Accommodation Award
- Community Benefit Award
- Heritage Protection Award
- Special Event Award
- Biodiversity Conservation Award
1. CARIBBEAN EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD
The product should contribute to a better quality of life in the destination and provide a unique visitor experience as is stated in the CTO Sustainable Tourism definition for the Caribbean. The following are the areas which are taken into account when defining the strength of a sustainable tourism product. Projects submitted must cover five (from amongst A-I) of these areas:
- Environmental Management: fresh and wastewater, energy, solid waste
- Land Use Planning and Management or beach zoning
- Tourism Management: visitors and staff
- Local Community Involvement: training, management, benefits
- Heritage Protection: cultural, built and natural heritage (including flora and fauna)
- Education: staff training, communication, service excellence and public awareness
- Safety and security: visitors and staff
- Financial Sustainability
- Partnership: support to environmental or social initiatives
- Innovation and Originality
2. SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION AWARD
This award is open to small or medium-sized (less than 400 rooms) tourist accommodation facilities (hotels, ecolodges, guesthouses, B&B’s, camp sites, homestay facilities, villas or other). Nominees must demonstrate how they have successfully achieved results such as:
* Positive impact on the local supply chain
* Sustainable consumption practices
* Positive impact on the local people
* Minimizing environmental impact through environmentally sensitive architecture, operations and management (e.g. proper solid waste management, recycling, waste water treatment, energy and water conservation)
* Education of staff and guests about sustainable tourism practices
* Support for cultural, historical and natural preservation of local communities
* Collaboration with other private and public stakeholders to achieve best practices
* Relevant certification, awards and marketing initiatives
* Use of sustainable transport
3. COMMUNITY BENEFIT AWARD
This award is for a tourism enterprise, community or an entire country that manages tourism well for the long-term benefit of tourists, heritage conservation and local people. Nominees in this category must show how their tourism initiatives have benefitted local communities through results such as:
* Direct social and economic benefits to local people e.g. employment and business creation/expansion, capacity building and the transfer of industry skills through training and educational opportunities, career advancement, fair wages etc.
* Community development
* A positive contribution to the heritage of the destination/community and promotion of sense of place and authenticity
* Opportunities for local community input and empowerment in tourism development planning
* Multi-stakeholder engagement
* Educating locals and visitors on the sustainable tourism efforts of the destination
4. HERITAGE PROTECTION AWARD
A tourism organization or initiative making a significant contribution to protect and promote heritage (cultural, built, natural, intangible) can be nominated for this award. Nominees need to demonstrate how their efforts have directly contributed to heritage protection through initiatives such as:
* Efforts to pass on cultural and intangible heritage traditions and skills to younger generations
* Documentation and/or copyrighting of local heritage related materials
* Innovative promotion of local heritage to locals and visitors
* Sustainable financing of local heritage conservation
* Engagement of local communities, public, NGO and/or private sector entities in preserving and promoting local heritage
5. SUSTAINABLE EVENT
Eligible for this Award is a group/organization that manages an event that promotes sustainable and responsible tourism and reinforces community culture (e.g. exhibition, cultural/heritage event (including food and music festivals that promote local culture), community festival, visual/literary/performing arts show, tourism awards event). Nominees must be able to show initiatives such as:
* Event greening activities&
* Efforts/impact of the event in communicating sustainable and responsible tourism messages to event patrons
* How the destination/local community were involved in planning and/or staging the event
* How the culture of the community/destination was highlighted at the event
* Positive media communications that resulted from the event
* Sustainable transport
6. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AWARD
This Award is open to any group, organization, tourism business or attraction working towards the protection of wild/marine life and/or expanding /restoring their local habitat or supporting biodiversity conservation e.g. a national park, marine park, biosphere or wildlife sanctuary. Nominees in this category must be able to demonstrate the following types of initiatives:
* That their tourism initiative has made a tangible contribution to the conservation/protection of nature in the destination
* Institution and successful implementation of specific policies and activities towards nature conservation
* How their nature conservation efforts have directly benefited the socio-economic well-being of local people
* Efforts to educate local stakeholders and visitors about local conservation initiatives
JUDGING
The Awards will be judged by an Award Selection Committee comprised of a panel of experts selected by CTO, representing both the public and private tourism sector and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) at the national, regional and international levels. This Committee will shortlist and select one winner in each award category based on the applications received and merit. Special mentions may also be made at the judges’ discretion.
For the Category 1 Award, the Committee will give 0 to 5 points to each of the five selected areas, depending on the level of coverage of the submitted product. Additionally 0 to 5 points will be given based on originality or innovation of the ideas and concepts presented. Each submission can receive a maximum of 30 points. (See attached additional guidelines For Category 1.)
For the other Category Awards, the Committee will allocate a maximum of 30 points based on how well the nomination contributes to tourism sustainability. The criteria listed for these Category Awards are meant to guide both the application completion and judging process and are not meant to be restrictive.
JUDGES: Jacqueline Kuehnel biography; Gail Henry biography;
ENTRY RULES
1. For the overall Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Awards (Category 1), nominations must be submitted by National Tourism Organizations of CTO Member Countries. Each country is allowed to submit only one entry for this Award Category. Countries are free to follow any selection procedure at the national level.
2. For all other Awards, nominations can be submitted directly by individuals, groups, organizations or companies for Categories 2-6.
3. The product/initiative itself should have been in operation for at least two (2) years.
4. Each entry must consist of the following elements:
* A completed nomination form;
* A general description of no more than 100 words on the product/initiative and a maximum of 1,500 words for Category 1 applications or 1,000 words for Category 2-5 applications on how it contributes to tourism sustainability using the criteria provided for the respective category as a guide.
* Two to four photographs (4 MB max. each). (Other support material such as brochures or videos may also be included).
5. All submitted material must be available for publication and will not be returned.
6. All materials become the exclusive property of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, which reserves the right to publish or reproduce them, with appropriate credit to the owner and/or manager of the product.
7. Any nominated project that does not receive an Award can be nominated in the following years, presenting updated information.
BENEFITS & RECOGNITION
* Information on the award winning project(s) will be publicized via all CTO’s communication means and press releases will also be sent to CTO’s international Public Relations firms and TravelMole for further dissemination worldwide.
* All nominees, including Finalists and Special Mention Awardees for each category will be invited (at their own expense) to the CTO Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development where a Special Awards function to present the Awards to the winners will be held. Certificates will be given to Special Mention awardees.
* Information on the winning initiatives will be included in CTO’s Sustainable Tourism Best Practices database.
Downloads:
CTO TravelMole Sustainable Tourism Award Guide 2012
Description of Sustainable Tourism Areas (CEST Category 1)
Application Form for Sustainable Tourism Award Nominees (2012)