Responsible Tourism Showcase Award

Details about applying for the 2011 Responsible Tourism Showcase will be coming soon.

As part of the Educational Travel Community’s dedication to advancing responsible tourism, ETC hosts an annual Responsible Tourism Showcase Award to recognize the efforts of those colleagues and organizations that are working diligently in the field to develop and implement sustainable tourism initiatives. The Responsible Tourism Showcase is featured in conjunction with the annual Educational Travel Conference. ETC defines Responsible Tourism as "Educational travel with a priority focus on the positive economic impacts travel can have on local communities and places visited, while minimizing the ecological, social and cultural impacts through pursuit of sustainable tourism agendas, traveler philanthropy and service/volunteer vacations, and support of eco-sensitive providers." (Pictured above: Vegetables and herbs are sustainably harvested at Gibb's Farm—the ETC 2010 Responsible Tourism Showcase Honoree) 

Congratulations to the 2010 Responsible Tourism Showcase winners, and thank you to all participants!

• First Place - Gibb's Farm in Tanzania
• Second Place - The Abraham Path Initiative
• Third Place - Alaska Wildland Adventures' Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge

Click here to read more about the 2010 honorees.

ETC has recognized responsible tourism projects within our extended educational travel community worldwide since 1999; and, since 2005 ETC has given $1,000 annually to specific projects selected for their commitment to making responsible tourism an integral part of their operations. The Opening Plenary of the annual ETC Conference introduces the Honorees and briefly showcases their best practices.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR 2011:

Nominations (including self-nominations) from ETC members are accepted year-round until December 10, 2010. Candidates must demonstrate the merit of their responsible practices, which may include activities such as traveler philanthropy, service and volunteerism, educational outreach and stewardship of the environment.
   
All applications are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Making positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage of areas visited and involving the local people in conservation decisions.

2. Generating greater economic benefits for the community while minimizing negative economic, environmental, and social impact.

3. Providing enjoyable experiences for tourists that engender respect between them and the local community.

4. Offering a strong community-based tourism component.

ETC’s Executive Advisory Council serves as the selection committee for the Responsible Tourism Showcase Honoree recipients. While runners-up will not receive an award, they may be invited to present their best practices at an ETC Conference session. Please be advised that ETC retains the right to publish, in print and online, all materials submitted as part of the Responsible Tourism Honoree application. All nominees will be notified after December 31, 2010. Cash recognition gifts are disbursed to the project and/or communities instituting responsible tourism initiatives.

Application Pre-Requisites:
•The individual, company, or organization making a nomination must be a member of ETC (whether conference-level or virtual-level).

•The nominee must have been operational for at least one year and be market-ready to accept and provide services for educational travel groups and/or FIT clients.

•The nominee must offer a strong connection to education benefiting the host community).

•The nominee must be a stakeholder in the community where the project operates.

•The nominee must adhere to and demonstrate admirable environmental, cultural, educational and/or volunteerism principles.

Benefits to Responsible Tourism Showcase Honorees:
•$1,000 monetary recognition

• Recognition at the ETC Conference Opening Plenary session. If the winner chooses not to attend the ETC Conference, its best practices still will be featured and an ETC Conference attendee may be able to accept the award on behalf of the winner.

•Exposure to major university, library, zoo, and museum travel planners.

•Year-round website recognition with the winner’s contact information and a link to the winner’s website, if available.

How to Apply:
•The nominator and/or nominee must complete the ETC Responsible Tourism Profile and Application by December 10, 2010. Please e-mail your application to webeditor@travelearning.com.

•Applications and supporting materials must be submitted in English.

•Be sure to include the name of the organization/company being nominated, along with all key contact information: contact person, address, phone/fax number, e-mail address, and website address, if available.

•Include media/articles published, if any, on the project.

•If you have questions, please contact webeditor@travelearning.com. If you are not an ETC member and wish to become one, please click here. You need not be an ETC member to receive the Responsible Tourism Honoree recognition, however, your organization/project/or program must be nominated by an ETC member.

Click here to access the ETC Responsible Tourism Showcase Application Guidelines. Applications must be submitted electronically.
   
History of the Responsible Tourism Showcase:
One exciting outcome of ETC 2004 was a commitment by delegates to donate funds to an exemplary program demonstrating the practice of responsible tourism in the field, as selected by the ETC 2005 Responsible Tourism Showcase Committee. Duncan Beardsley inspired the idea to create a Responsible Tourism Fund, to provide financial rewards for those honorees selected as ETC 2006 Responsible Tourism Showcase. Duncan's generous offer inspired others in the roundtable to follow suite.

•Funds contributed in 2010:
Educational Travel Conference 2010 Funds to be Raised Through the Silent Charity Auction

Matching funds contributed to the ETC 2010 fund:
Duncan Beardsley, Generosity in Action: $500

•Funds contributed in 2009:
Educational Travel Conference 2009 Funds Raised Through Silent Charity Auction: $899

Matching funds contributed to the ETC 2009 fund:
Duncan Beardsley, Generosity in Action: $500

•Funds contributed in 2008:
Educational Travel Conference 2009 Funds Raised Through Silent Charity Auction: $3,612

•Funds contributed in 2007:
Educational Travel Conference 2007 Funds Raised Through Silent Charity Auction: $2,450

•Funds contributed in 2006:
Educational Travel Conference 2006 Funds Raised Through Silent Charity Auction: $1,865 

Matching funds contributed to the ETC 2006 fund:
Duncan Beardsley, Generosity in Action - $500

Bert Devries and Ruth Hemphill, personal funds - $250 each, totaling $500

Heifer International - $500

Asia Transpacific Journeys - $500

Lindblad Expeditions - $500

Anyone who wishes to donate matching funds to this Responsible Tourism Fund should please send an e-mail to webeditor@travelearning.com. Thank you.