The world’s leading sustainable tourism awards, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, have been updated and revised, with two new categories added in time for the call for entries, now open for 2014.

In their tenth year under WTTC stewardship, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, have been changed to reflect the broadening scope of WTTC’s sustainability agenda.

There are now six award categories, with the addition of two entirely new awards to recognise the areas of human resources and innovation.

The six categories are:

• Business Award
• Community Award
• Destination Award
• Environment Award
• Innovation Award (new award)
• People Award (new award)

There will be no change to the judging process which has made the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards the gold-standard of sustainable tourism awards: an Independent chairman of Judges, a rigorous three-step judging process involving up to 22 independent expert judges from all around the world, and on-site evaluations of all award finalists.

Launching the 2014 awards at the WTTC Asia Summit in Seoul, WTTC president David Scowsill explained: “Ensuring the long-tem sustainable growth of our industry is probably the biggest challenge we face.

“The challenge here is not just doing the right thing for the environment, but for our people and the businesses they work in. We recognise that the successful businesses of tomorrow will be those which balance a commitment to the planet, with people and profits.

“That’s why we have enlarged the scope of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards to include new categories and have also revised the existing categories.

“This will result in a greater number of businesses being recognised as being the very best in sustainable tourism without the Awards losing the rigorous judging process for which they are rightly renowned.”

Award applicants may enter in one of six Award categories and can download an application from the WTTC website until December 02nd 2013.

Applicants should demonstrate how they are actively engaged in a successful programme of sustainable tourism practices and management, including maximising social and economic benefits for local people, reducing negative impacts to the environment, and supporting the protection of cultural and natural heritage in destinations where they operate, as outlined in Tourism for Tomorrow: The WTTC Perspective.

Finalists and winners receive complimentary flights and accommodation and will be recognised during a gala Awards ceremony which takes place alongside WTTC’s Global Summit in Hainan, China, April 24th-25th 2014, attended by tourism industry leaders, government representatives and members of the international media.

Costas Christ, chairman of Judges, stated: “A tremendous amount of work goes into the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards each year.

“These Awards are truly global in nature, with a team of nearly two dozen judges hailing from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.

“As tourism continues to expand its global footprint, it can be a powerful opportunity for safeguarding our planet and delivering important social and economic benefits to local people.

“But tourism can also be a threat when it is not carefully planned and managed.

“The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are shining a light on the sustainable tourism visionaries of today that are helping to lead the positive way forward.”

In 2013 ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ won in the Destination Stewardship category, ‘Ten Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts’ won the Community Benefit Award, ‘&Beyond’ won the Conservation Award and ‘Air New Zealand’ won the Global Tourism Business Award.

The strategic partners of the 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are Travelport and The Travel Corporation’s TreadRight Foundation.