Wildlife conservation tourism leaders Associação Onçafari in Brazil, inclusive cultural tourism innovators Sama Sama International Brazil, regenerative agriculture champions Journey Mexico and Arca Tierra, community‑led tourism developers Lima Tours Peru and the local economic empowerment network Céu de Montanhas in Brazil are the gold winners of the 2026 ICRT–LATA Responsible Tourism Awards, announced at LATA Expo in the United Kingdom.
Harold Goodwin, founder of ICRT global and chair of the judging panel said: “These awards recognise those who are taking responsibility and demonstrating what tourism can achieve when it is designed to benefit places and people, not just visitors. This year’s winners show that practical, scalable solutions already exist across Latin America, from conserving wildlife and restoring ecosystems to strengthening local economies and widening inclusion. They remind us that responsible tourism is not an aspiration; it is being delivered on the ground every day. We hope these winners will inspire others to make tourism better and consider doing something similar.”
Martin Johnson, chair of LATA said: Following the success of the LATA Sustainable Travel Programme, introduced for members in 2022, LATA is delighted to continue working alongside the ICRT Global to host the Latin American element of the Global Responsible Tourism Awards. Whilst the awards are open to all, it’s fantastic to see so many LATA members being rewarded for their achievements and commitment to working towards a more sustainable tourism industry and driving meaningful change in the region.
And the 2026 ICRT LATA winners are:
Nature Positive Responsible Tourism Awards
Gold: Associação Onçafari, Brazil
Onçafari is a Brazilian non‑profit using responsible wildlife tourism to conserve biodiversity and support local livelihoods. Its habituation of jaguars and maned wolves enables close, safe observation without altering behaviour, creating economic value that shifts perceptions of threatened species. Integrating ecotourism, science, habitat protection, and fire management, it shows biodiversity can be a viable economic alternative. The Pantanal now has over 300 jaguars, with sightings up 600%.
Silver: Naturetrek Reserves, Ecuador
Wildlife tour operator Naturetrek with conservation partner Fundación EcoMinga, protect a threatened Andean cloud‑forest corridor by purchasing land for permanent conservation. The reserves are open for no‑impact ecotourism and safeguarded from extractive activities, ensuring long‑term protection of endangered species and community benefit.
One to Watch: Amazon Emotions Brazil
Amazon Emotions links tourism with biodiversity monitoring using RAPELD modules, field sampling, camera trapping, and citizen science. The judges see strong potential and look forward to evidence of biodiversity impact.
Championing Cultural Diversity Responsible Tourism Awards
Gold: Sama Sama International, TransHistorias Brasilia, Brazil
Sama Sama International, working with Casa Rosa, creates meaningful tourism employment for trans women and a platform for sharing their stories. Rooted in co‑design, dignity, and agency, guides shape how their knowledge is shared, creating human, joyful, memorable learning. Judges see it as an innovative model empowering marginalised communities and offering visitors an alternative cultural perspective.
Silver: Condor Travel, Misminay community based tourism initiative, Peru
Condor Travel worked with community members in the Andean village of Misminay to identify what residents felt was essential local culture to preserve for themselves and how tourism could support those practices without altering their meaning. Visitors join families in agriculture, cooking, and textile‑making. The company co‑invested with families in home improvements and clean‑water access.
One to Watch: Responsible Travel South America, Ecuador
The Responsible Travel South America “Killas Experience” revives traditional dugout canoes for low‑impact river journeys, reducing disturbance and fuel use while preserving Indigenous practices. Judges look forward to seeing planned progress on scaling “with integrity.”
Regenerative Tourism Responsible Tourism Awards
Gold: Journey Mexico andArca Tierra Mexico
Journey Mexico and Arca Tierra work to regenerate Xochimilco’s chinampas, 60% of which are abandoned. Journey Mexico brings visitors to support the area, while Arca Tierra preserves traditional agricultural knowledge sustaining these ancient, highly sustainable “floating gardens.” Their partnership shows how collective action can restore productive, resilient ecosystems and protect cultural heritage.
Silver: Biofábrica de Corais Brazil
BioFábrica de Corais has developed and implemented its own coral restoration methodolody and planted over 7,000 corals and engaged 400 volunteers. It links reef restoration with regenerative tourism and education. Visitors help cultivate corals and receive one‑year coral “guardianship.”
One to Watch: Las Torres Patagonia, Chile
Las Torres Patagonia is an all-inclusive hotel in the heart of the Torres del Pain National Park. It is shifting to a regenerative model, restoring fire‑damaged areas, growing organic produce, and reducing waste through composting and recycling. Judges were impressed by its ambition.
Diversity, equity and inclusion Responsible Tourism Awards
Gold: Lima Tours, Peru
Lima Tours co‑developed tourism with the Quechua‑speaking community of Huilloc, providing training, market access, and co‑funded improvements to sanitation, kitchens, and lodging. Results include 336 women trained, 5,342 visitors hosted, 129 homes improved, and extensive educational support for children and young people. Many community members have accessed higher education.
Silver: Turistea Turismo Inclusivo (Teamarr / Assembleia Legislativa de Roraima), Brazil
Turistea is an initiative developed by Teamarr the Autism Support Centre of the Assembleia Legislativa de Roraima created to address the exclusion of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families from access to tourism and leisure. Turistea delivers adapted tourism for people with ASD and trains professionals in inclusive communication. Over 130 professionals trained and more than 200 children directly benefited.
Local Economic Benefit Responsible Tourism Awards
Gold: Céu de Montanhas, Brazil
Céu de Montanhas is a network of local entrepreneurs in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais Brazil, which unites families, producers, and artisans to deliver rural, community‑based tourism rooted in everyday life. Created after the disaster of a 2019 dam collapse, it now supports 38 enterprises and 32 experiences. In 2025 it generated US$1,097,462 in turnover, US$261,109 in income, and 148 jobs, with 75% led by women.
Silver: Honorable Gobierno Provincial de Tungurahua, Ecuador
A long‑standing governance collaboration uniting 22 institutions to coordinate tourism development across the province including municipalities, parishes, universities, industry associations and chambers of commerce and indigenous representation. The judges were impressed by the sheer scale of the multi-stakeholder partnership and the 18 years which it has worked together
Adapting to Climate Change Responsible Tourism Awards
Silver: Vipac Travel andCCAIJO, Peru
Peru has lost more than 50% of its tropical glacier surface in recent decades, reflecting an accelerated melting trend evident in the Humantay glacier. Following risk assessments of these fragile eco systems, destination management company VIPAC Travel decided to stop operating to Humantay and partnered with communities and NGO CCAIJO to create an alternative experiences at Singrenacocha Lake. Partnering with communities and CCAIJO. The judges were impressed by the way in which VIPAC has exercised leadership in adapting to the consequences of climate change.
The judges of the LATA Responsible Tourism Awards 2026 were chaired by Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, managing director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership and founder ICRT global and included Katie Cosstick LATA head of member services, Gustavo Pinto, ICRT South America, Anne-Kathrin Zschiegner, director of the Long Run, Chris Haslam, chief travel writer at The Sunday Times, Edgar Weggelaar, CEO of Queer Destinations, Maria Emilia Correa, co-founder and Senior Strategist at Sistema B, and Quinn Meyer, founder of CREES Manu.
All gold winners from the ICRT LATA Responsible Tourism Awards now go onto compete for a Global Responsible Tourism Award, sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board which will be announced on 2 November in London. ICRT LATA gold winners will compete for a global accoloade with gold winners from ICRT regional awards in Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and across the world.
Image credit: Condor Travel, Misminay Community-Based Tourism Initiative
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