MEANINGFUL TOURISM AWARD 2023 winners announced during Qatar Travel Mart in Doha
Dear reader,
The winners of the Meaningful Tourism Award 2023 were announced during the QTM Qatar Travel Mart in Doha. Seven companies and organisations were recognized as Best Practice Examples of Meaningful Tourism.
The Meaningful Tourism Award is divided into six categories, corresponding to the six main stakeholders of the Meaningful Tourism paradigm: visitors, host communities, employees of service providing companies, service providing companies, national, regional and local governments and the environment for future generations.
Two of the six winners come from Europe, two from Asia and one each from North America and Africa. Additionally, a seventh Special Award was bestowed on the host Qatar Tourism.
The Meaningful Tourism Award was organised for the second time, with the first presentation done during the ITB Asia in September 2022 in Singapore with the support of visitBerlin. This year, Nextfairs, the organisers of the QTM fair and conference, supported the award.
The variety of the winners and their work reflects the Meaningful Tourism approach that sustainable tourism is only possible if all stakeholder group received benefits and satisfaction.
Tourism Kelowna, the Canadian award winner, developed a new tourism strategy based on three pillars: Transition (stakeholder engagement, attracting values-aligned visitors), Resilience (environmental protection) and Enhanced Experiences (purpose-based niche activities, rich ecosystems).
The Center for Environmental Governance in Ghana on the other hand uses cocoa production as a way for visitors to experience and to enhance the life of the local farmers in an authentic way. Likewise, the Tharu community in Dalla, Nepal offers homestay visits in Bardiya, one of the poorest regions of the country, based on a holistic programme. The Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation in India addresses the ideas of self-reliance and resilience with the help of a micro-entrepreneurship model.
The European award winners are the UK-based Global Sustainable Futures Network, which provides a variety of information and knowledge for a truly global sustainable future, and the company Futurismo Azores Adventures, which shows in an impressive way that also private stakeholders can work with a holistic approach developing benefits and satisfaction for all stakeholders in the Azores Islands.
More information about the six Meaningful Tourism Award Winners 2023 will be published in the coming editions of the Meaningful Tourism Weekly.
The many applicants and of course especially the winners have proven that Meaningful Tourism is a tool for destinations and all service providers to achieve a positive development of post-pandemic tourism by concentrating on the benefits of all stakeholders involved.
For those who missed out to be given an award in 2023, don’t worry: In 2024, the Meaningful Tourism Award will be organised again!
As always, all best wishes from Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt and the whole MT WEEKLY team!
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