These Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards are aimed at identifying and showcasing Sustainable Tourism Good 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 responsible and unique tourism products or are engaged in implementing sustainable tourism-related initiatives which embrace sustainable tourism concepts and core values. These initiatives should also help to enhance the country’s tourism product offerings and advance sustainable and responsible tourism in the Caribbean.
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).
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 four of the following initiatives:
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 four of the following aspects:
This Award is open to any group, organization, tourism business or attraction that offers an agro-tourism product, which incorporates elements of food/agriculture production, culinary output and visitor experience. Applicants should demonstrate how they have successfully achieved linkages between the agricultural sector and tenets of the tourism industry in at least four of the following areas:
This Award recognizes an initiative by an individual, a group/association and/or micro and small enterprise (1 – 50 employees) which addresses social problems by applying innovative tourism development ideas. Applicants should profile any product, system, or solution, which has been created to help positively change people’s lives, and must specifically describe at least four (4) of the following parameters of their social enterprise:
The product/initiative should contribute to a better quality of life in the destination and provide a unique visitor experience. It must cover five key areas of tourism sustainability selected from among the following (A-I) areas:
A. Environmental Management: water (fresh and wastewater), energy conservation/renewable energy, solid waste
B. Terrestrial or Marine Area Planning and Management
C. Destination Stewardship: sustainable tourism management in destinations
D. Local Community Involvement: training, management, benefits
E. Heritage Protection: cultural, built and natural heritage (including flora and fauna)
F. Education: staff training, communication, service excellence and public awareness
G. Safety and security: visitors and staff
H. Financial Sustainability
I. Partnership: multi-stakeholder support to economic, environmental or social initiatives
J. Innovation and Originality
This Award is open to a CTO member destination (country, region or town) that is making solid strides towards sustainable tourism management at the destination-level through on-going and integrated initiatives and programs designed to improve sustainable tourism planning and promote widespread adoption of good practices, ensure multi-stakeholder engagement, address social and community issues, foster economic linkages, preserve cultural heritage and protect the environment. Applicants may include government agencies, NGOs, or trade associations on behalf of the destination. Nominees in this category must demonstrate sustainable tourism policies and strategies that cover four of the areas below:
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 four of the following results:
This award is for a tourism enterprise, community or an entire country that manages tourism well for the long-term benefit of the destination and local people as well as visitors. Nominees in this category must show how their tourism initiatives have benefitted local communities through four of the following areas:
CTO appreciates the organizations below for their sponsorship of the 2019 CSTA Awards.
OECS Commission | Mustique Company Ltd | IICA Barbados | George Washington University | National Properties Ltd (St Vincent & the Grenadines)