Ecocamp Patagonia has been recognized for sustainable tourism in the Best in a Mountain Environment category at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards.
Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards strive to promote and acknowledge all types of tourism that “operate in ways that respect and benefit destinations and local people. The Awards recognize individuals, companies and organizations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and are providing a positive contribution to biodiversity conservation.” — responsibletravel.com (founders of the Awards).
The 2009 ceremony was hosted at the World Travel Market (WTM) in Docklands, London on November 11. With almost 600 nominations from all over the world, ECOCAMP PATAGONIA was highly commended in the “Best in a mountain environment” category and received some lofty praise from the Chair of Judges.
“Ecocamp Patagonia sits at the cutting edge of environmental practice with the design and creation of their innovative 4-star geodesic dome tented hotel; a 99 percent portable hotel that can be dismantled and removed without leaving a trace in the richly biodiverse National Park. Their Environmental Management System is comprehensive — incorporating a range of practices from hydroelectric turbines and wind generators, to composting devices and solar panels.”
With so many nominations, the judges admitted, “our decisions are often very difficult and sometimes long debated.” The willingness of so many organizations to take responsibility and to do what they can to help make better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit is very promising. Even in these tough economic times the travel and tourism industry is continuing to move forward.
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