A leading annual tourism awards event aims to “shine a light” on those in the industry flying the flag for sustainability.
The ceremony, held on the final day of the European Week of Regions and Cities, honoured tour operators, hotels and others deemed to be promoting environmental sustainability
The awards, announced at a ceremony in Brussels on 16 October, honoured organisations from across Europe and Türkiye.
Each were judged to be playing a key role in “responsible tourism”, defined as a way of traveling that minimizes negative impacts and maximizes positive ones on the environment, economy and local communities.
The awards are organised by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism global (ICRT), a London-based not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to promote sustainable tourism.
They were founded in 2004 to discover, recognise, and promote good practice in the travel sector.
This, though, was the first time there has been a dedicated award for Europe.
The event is free to enter and this year the organisers were keen, in particular, to attract small businesses working in the travel sector.
The awards were founded by Professor Harold Goodwin, an internationally respected expert on responsible tourism who could not attend the ceremony due to sickness.
Debbie Hindle, who chairs the ICRT, a UK-based worldwide tourism network, said, “The winners provide inspiring models and clear evidence of real impact.”
Hindle said, “Responsible tourism is all about there being better places for people to live in and also for people to visit as tourists.
“There is no one single blueprint for this and possible solutions vary but our mission is to share best practice. The overall aim is to make tourism better for everyone.”
Another speaker was Matt Callaghan, chief operating officer of EasyJet Holidays who leads the airline’s sustainability strategy.
He told the packed audience at Brussels’ press club, “We are proud to support these awards which are a real celebration of those projects which are driving real change in the travel sector.
“They really do shine a light on those who are trying to make travel destinations better for everyone and also for the planet itself. They also shine a light on travel firms and operators who are promoting sustainable tourism.”
He added, “Responsible tourism is not optional but is, rather, essential. Increasingly, our customers do care about this issue and so do we. It is our responsibility to make this possible.”
One example of good practice he cited is in Majorca where he said his company was urging its partners to reduce plastic. In Greece and elsewhere, meantime, it is encouraging its hotel partners to tackle food waste, which he described as “one of the biggest challenges in tourism today.”
He added, “It is not so much about doing less harm but doing more good.But to do to this we need to move from words to action. These awards and these winners remind us that progress is possible and that responsible tourism really can change the word for the better.”
Antonio Buscardini said, “I was surprised by the diversity of the projects that were entered for these awards. These awards are important because responsible tourism is important.”
Prof. Goodwin, chair of the judges, commented, “The awards shine a light on innovative, replicable ideas being created by changemakers around the world and the 2025 winners show practical, measurable and inspiring examples of what is possible when those involved take responsibility for the people and places they operate in.”
The winners, described as “incredible organisations” were grouped into 6 categories, including one on “responsible all-inclusive hotels.”
The silver winner here was Castelli hotel in Greece which has even reduced its room numbers in order to protect nearby nature. It also produces its own home grown olive oil.
The gold winner in this category was Club Marvy in Türkiye which runs its own organic farm and workshops for local women.
Another category was called “Waste Management” and the winner here was Liberty Fabay, also in Türkiye which has reduced waste and plastic and plans to convert organic waste into animal feed. Skiathos Palace in Greece, which has embedded circular practices into its operations, also won an award in this category.
Under the “Local Sourcing and Creating Shared Value category, the silver award winner was Emotional Sicily in Italy, which puts the emphasis on “ethical sourcing”and partners with 150 local chefs, farmer and artists.
Another winner here was Delphina Hotels and Resorts in Italy which uses locally sourced ingredients in its kitchens. The event was told that it sources 76% of its food and beverages from 128 local suppliers.
A fourth grouping was “Peace, Understanding and Inclusion” where MEJDI Tours received gold for its dual-narrative model promoting intercultural dialogue across more than 40 countries. Costa Navarino (Greece) and Via Transilvanica (Romania) both took the silver for their inclusive and community-driven tourism initiatives.
Another category was entitled “Climate Adaptation” where the winner was Barut Hemera in Türkiye, said to be the only Turkish hotel to have totally eliminated the use of plastic water bottles. In doing so it is preventing 1m plastic bottles from entering the environment each year.
In the Nature Positive group, Naturetrek (UK) won gold for reinvesting profits into nature reserves while silver was scooped by Brabant Partners in the Netherlands which is said to be “encouraging more sustainable travel and behaviour.”
Six Senses Ibiza was named One to Watch for its community learning centre, offering workshops, farming activities, gastronomy events, and environmental programmes, promoting shared value.
All gold winners will advance to compete in the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by Sabre, which will be announced on 3 November. The European winners will then compete against their counterparts from Latin America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, showcasing the best examples of responsible tourism from around the world.
The jury featured leading voices from across the sector, including Professor Harold Goodwin, António Buscardini, of the Brussels-based Travel Tomorrow, Debbie Hindle, from ICRT, Scott Lawson, Kerry Carmichael, Kirsi Hyvaerinen, Vicky Smith, and Caroline Warburton.
photo © Aris Setya | Travel Tomorrow
