Caribbean honors the best of the best in sustainable travel

Guyana and Jamaica dominated the winner’s list at this year’s CTO TravelMole Sustainable Tourism awards.

The winners were announced at a special ceremony yesterday at the 14th annual CTO Sustainable Tourism Conference in Trinidad and Tobago.

The awards are aimed at identifying and showcasing sustainable tourism good practices in the Caribbean.

"Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s awards," said TravelMole’s Graham McKenzie.

"The record number and high standard of entries demonstrates that the Caribbean tourism industry is fully embracing sustainable travel. Special congratulations go to Puerto Rico, the winner of the Destination Stewardship Award, introduced this year to honour a destintation that is making solid strides towards sustainable tourism management."

This year’s winners are:

CARIBBEAN EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD

Winner: The Karanambu Lodge Inc. (Guyana)

Other Finalists:
– AQUARIUM de la Guadeloupe (Guadeloupe)
– Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort (Aruba)

Special Mentions:
– AQUARIUM de la Guadeloupe (Guadeloupe)
– Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort (Aruba)
– Sandals Resorts International

DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP AWARD

Winner: Puerto Rico Tourism Company (Puerto Rico)

Other Finalist:
– Conservation International Guyana (Guyana)

Special Mention:
– Conservation International Guyana (Guyana)

SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION AWARD

Winner: Tryall Club and Villas (Jamaica)

Other Finalist:
– Almost Paradise Cottages and Restaurant (Grenada)

Special Mentions:
– Almost Paradise Cottages and Restaurant (Grenada)
– Community and Tourism Services Ltd. (Guyana)
– Accra Beach Hotel and Spa (Barbados)
COMMUNITY BENEFIT AWARD

Winner: Bowden Pen Farmers’ Association (Jamaica)

Other Finalists:
– Aranaputa Community Based Tourism (Guyana)
– Cape Eleuthera Island School (The Bahamas)

Special Mentions:
– Aranaputa Community Based Tourism (Guyana)
– Cape Eleuthera Island School (The Bahamas)

HERITAGE PROTECTION AWARD

Winner: National Trust of Guyana (Guyana)

Other Finalists:
– The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (The Bahamas)
– Educulture Bahamas Ltd. (The Bahamas)

Special Mentions:
– The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (The Bahamas)
– Educulture Bahamas Ltd. (The Bahamas)

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AWARD

Winner: Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (Guyana)

Other Finalists:
– Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (Jamaica)
– Atlantis, Paradise Island (The Bahamas)

Special Mentions:
– Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (Jamaica)
– Atlantis, Paradise Island (The Bahamas)
– Association Evasion Tropicale (Guadeloupe)

By Bev Fearis, TravelMole UK