In 2020, there were more than 610 million domestic tourist visits across India and although this figure is less than the previous year’s statistics, it is still an overwhelming number. With the rise of ‘revenge tourism’ and the increased need to travel, our need to decarbonize our travel footprint, effectively and efficiently, is accelerating.
How can travel be made sustainable? Are there good practices that one can follow while traveling?
Fortunately, there are people who are working on this endeavor.
So for World Tourism Day on September 27, the best indian will honor individuals and companies in India for their exemplary work in reducing the carbon footprint during travel and their contribution to sustainable travel with the Sustainable Tourism Awards.
These are heroes who sustain our environmental, social, and economic resources during travel and should be commemorated.
How do we do this?
· The nomination process has started on September 8, 2022.
· It will end on September 15, 2022.
· Once the nomination process is complete, candidates will be shortlisted based on pre-defined criteria.
· The list of shortlisted candidates will be sent to the members of the jury for evaluation.
· The members of the jury will select 10 nominees to proceed to the final round.
· Once we have our top 10 candidates, there will be audience voting from September 21, 2022 to September 25, 2022.
· The winner will be announced in a live virtual event on September 27, 2022.
How will the jury decide on the winner?
While the jury will look at a wide range of things before making their choice, it would generally include the following:
Carbon footprint reduction
· Positive impact generated
Sustaining change through the establishment of systems, processes and people
Number of people benefited
Job tenure / action / duration
Innovation used in the implementation of ideas
Frugality and profitability of solutions
· Scalability / possibility to implement in other places.
These are the categories for the sustainable tourism awards:
Technology innovation in sustainable travel
Educational programs and media for sustainability
· Sustainable management of the main tourist attractions
Responsible for marine and coastal projects
Best sustainable accommodation – urban and rural
The best responsible travel companies
· Digital influencers in sustainable tourism
· Company driven by sustainable tourism
What will the winner receive?
· A certificate
· An appointment
· Special coverage on The Better India for the initiative
· Opportunity to develop a course in The Better Academy
Things to keep in mind:
· Only individuals/companies from India can apply for this award.
· One can nominate or be nominated for multiple award categories, be sure to mention each award category for which you would like to nominate or be nominated respectively.
To access the nomination form, click on here.
You can also email your inquiries to events@thebetterindia.com
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Number of domestic tourist visits in India 2000-2020 by Sandhay Keelery
(Edited by Yoshita Rao)