04 Mar 2015
Travel writers around world are now being invited to submit their blogs for consideration in the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015 at WTM London this November.
The prestigious awards scheme, co-founded and organised by Responsible Travel, is part of World Travel Market's World Responsible Tourism Day – the largest day of responsible tourism action in the world – which takes place on Wednesday 4 November and celebrates the most inspiring and innovative examples of responsible tourism in practice globally.
Travel writers around the world are now being invited to submit their blog for consideration in the 2015 awards at http://www.worldresponsibletourismawards.com/submissions by Monday 6th April 2015.
The 2015 Awards introduces a new category 'Best Responsible Tourism Blog', to be awarded to an accessible and insightful blog which demonstrates the writer's depth of understanding about responsible tourism, and which encourages and inspires travellers to holiday responsibly.
The 'Best Responsible Tourism Blog' category, sponsored by Fair Trade Tourism, is looking for examples of entire blogs (not just specific, individual entries) which showcase how responsible tourism makes better, more enjoyable holiday experiences. This can also include raising awareness of the impacts of tourism or looking at the benefits to local people and destinations.
Eligible entries can include travel websites not necessarily referred to as a 'blog' by the writer(s), but with regular written content updates in blog style, on or relating to responsible tourism.
Commenting on the Awards launch this week, Responsible Travel managing director Justin Francis says:
“We want to play an active role in creating and encouraging a more caring tourism industry and the winners of these awards, big or small, will set examples the rest of the tourism industry can and should follow.
“I'm very excited about being able to discover and share their stories this year”.
Submissions are now being welcomed from tourism businesses, organisations, initiatives and destinations across all 12 of the awards categories. Visit http://www.worldresponsibletourismawards.com/submissions to submit your entry.
You can also follow @RTAwards or #WRTA2015 on Twitter or like the World Responsible Tourism Awards Facebook Page for the latest updates and stories from our international winners.
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Notes to editors
About the World Responsible Tourism Awards
For more information on the World Responsible Tourism Awards visit www.worldresponsibletourismawards.com
Now in their 12th year, the World Responsible Tourism Awards were founded in 2004 to celebrate the most inspiring stories in responsible tourism.
The Awards are organised by Responsible Travel and ICRT (International Centre for Responsible Tourism). The Awards ceremony is hosted by World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, during World Responsible Tourism Day, the world's largest event for responsible tourism which this year takes place on Wednesday 4th November.
This year, the Awards feature 13 categories covering a variety of topics, which reflect the hottest issues currently debated in the world or responsible and sustainable tourism. For the first year tourism businesses and organisations around the world can submit themselves for consideration. The only Award that will remain publically nominated is the People's Choice Award. Submissions are welcome between 2nd March – 6th April 2015. Public voting for the People's Choice will be open May – early June.
Follow Awards news and updates on Twitter: @RTAwards or #WRTA2015 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/responsibletourismawards where you can also find stories from our previous international winners.
About Responsible Travel:
Responsible Travel is the world's leading market place for small and tailor-made tour operators, all screened for their commitment to responsible tourism.
Responsible Travel connects these operators with people looking for real & authentic holidays. Starting with just 2 tour operators in 2001 we've become the leading place to find tours from over 400 small & specialist tour companies in 197 countries. As tourism grows globally the opportunity for authentic experiences diminishes, and the impacts of tourism on places & local people (not always positive) grows. We've found the secret to authentic travel is treating local people & places responsibly.
In addition Responsible Travel:
- campaigns for positive change in the travel and tourism industry.
- is publishing an expanding collection of open, honest travel guides
CEO Justin Francis has been included in Courvoisiers The Future 500, Thames and Hudsons 60 Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future and taken his place on the Advisory Board of The International Centre for Responsible Tourism.
The company is based in Brighton's North Laine district, England.
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
Almost 51,500 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL - London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM, now in its 36th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals. WTM 2014 will generate around £2.5 billion of travel industry contracts.
World Travel Market is part of Reed Travel Exhibition's WTM portfolio, which also includes Arabian Travel Market, World Travel Market Latin America and World Travel Market Africa. www.wtmworld.com
Contact:
Sarah Bareham
01273 829269
