The World Travel & Tourism Council has issued a challenge to tourism organisations to show how sustainable they are by entering their sustainable business initiatives for the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2017.

WTTC president David Scowsill said: “I am pleased to announce that the twenty-eighth annual Tourism for Tomorrow Awards programme is now open for entries.

“Through the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2017 we shall highlight the commitment of the tourism sector to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all
193 Member States of the United Nations in September 2015.

“Companies and organisations that enter for these awards can show governments and other tourism organisations how growth and successful business models go hand in hand with the safeguarding of local communities, the environment and cultural heritage.”

Fiona Jeffery OBE, former Chairman of World Travel Market and Founder and Chairman of the international water aid charity Just a Drop, will be chairing the Awards for the third time.

She commented: “Tourism is a force for good, it connects people from different cultural backgrounds and environments.

“The WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards celebrate the achievements of ethical tourism businesses around the world that look to give back to local communities by enhancing livelihoods where they operate and protecting the environment and cultural traditions to ensure a sustainable world for the future.”

AIG Travel, the travel insurance and global assistance division of leading international insurance organisation American International Group, will be the Official Headline Sponsor of the Awards programme for the second year.

Lead judge, professor Graham Miller, chair in sustainability in business at the University of Surrey, will oversee a rigorous independent judging and on-site evaluation process carried out by an international panel of experts, representing academia, non-profit organisations, government and the private sector.

The 2017 Finalists will be announced in January 2017 and the winners will be announced during the WTTC Global Summit 2017 in Bangkok in late April 2017.