The restoration of mangrove forests in the Dominican Republic, the rewilding of Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, community-led cultural tourism in Japan and tourism helping to regenerate a desert economy in Namibia are among the initiatives shortlisted for the 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board.
The 34 finalists represent 24 countries and have already won a gold award in one of six ICRT regional Responsible Tourism Awards in Africa, Latin America, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia and a world regional award for other geographies. They will now compete for the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board, which will be announced in London on 2 November.
The finalists demonstrate how tourism is being used to strengthen local economies, support inclusion, protect nature, preserve cultural identity, adapt to climate change and regenerate communities and landscapes.
Adapting to Climate Change Responsible Tourism Awards
TUI Forest Mallorca, Spain is an initiative that restores forests, dune ecosystems and habitats affected by wildfires while involving residents, students and volunteers in conservation and environmental education. The judges praised its combination of reforestation, biodiversity protection, visitor education and community engagement.
Vegan Hospitality & Tourism Worldwide, USA is establishing formal benchmarks to increase plant-based menus and certifying properties that meet them. The judges recognised the contribution of plant-based hospitality to food resilience and climate adaptation, alongside its work to make hospitality more inclusive.
Championing Cultural Diversity Responsible Tourism Award
CAS Trips, Czech Republic uses school travel to connect students with grassroots organisations and local communities. Its Community-Led Service programme puts host community needs at the centre of student projects. The judges praised its powerful approach to harnessing volunteering and potential for replication.
Ramen Cooking Tokyo, Japan enables visitors to cook alongside local hosts rather than professional chefs, creating peer-to-peer cultural exchange. More than 2,000 guests from 48 countries have participated since 2024. The judges praised its authentic approach to cultural connection.
Kurihara Tourism Network, Japan works with residents, farmers, artisans and tourism businesses to create more than 100 experiences rooted in everyday life. The network is helping local people share their culture in their own words and pass it to future generations.
Sama Sama International, TransHistorias Brasilia, Brazil Working with Casa Rosa, Sama Sama creates employment opportunities for trans women in tourism and gives them a platform to share their stories. The judges recognised its innovative, co-designed approach and its potential to empower marginalised communities.
Thai Hai Village, Vietnam has created a living community where Tay culture is preserved through everyday life rather than staged performances. Around 150 people live and work together, welcoming visitors to participate in traditional activities.
Tharu Janjati Museum & Living Heritage Landscape, India Uttar Pradesh’s first Tribal Museum was developed with the Tharu community to celebrate living heritage through food, crafts, storytelling and village life. The judges appluded its community-led approach and potential to provide a model for rural cultural tourism.
Traditional African Homestays Southern Africa offers heritage homestays that enable visitors to become part of village life. More than 70 per cent of fee income stays within communities. The judges recognised its significant growth and contribution to preserving heritage and empowering communities.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Responsible Tourism Awards
Amba Yaalu Kandalama is Sri Lanka’s first hotel employing only women, from management to maintenance. Gender equality is embedded throughout the business, including its supply chain. It is recognised for its contribution to women’s leadership and economic empowerment.
Lima Tours, Peru has worked with the Quechua-speaking community of Huilloc to create more stable tourism incomes. The initiative has trained hundreds of women, improved homes and infrastructure and supported education. The community helped define and develop the tourism experiences.
Talent Incubator for Culture and Tourism Programme, Vietnam is a programme =which gives young people, particularly those from under-represented communities, access to tourism training, mentoring and leadership opportunities. It has engaged 2,760 students, with women and ethnic minority communities strongly represented. The judges recognised its scale and innovative approach.
Unseen Tours, UK trains and employs people who have experienced homelessness as walking tour guides, placing lived experience at the centre of London’s storytelling. Guides receive 60 per cent of ticket income and have generated nearly £400,000 through tours since 2010.
Local Economic Benefit Responsible Tourism Award
2323 Designs, India works across eight Indian states supporting artisans, weavers and women entrepreneurs. Its work has reached more than 4,000 artisans and trained more than 1,500 people. The judges recognised its approach of investing in local skills and livelihoods before creating tourism experiences.
Addiopizzo Travel, Italy directs tourism spending towards a vetted network of local businesses in Sicily that refuse to pay protection money. Since 2009, around 70 per cent of its turnover has been redistributed to local enterprises. The judges recognised its innovative approach to using tourism for economic and social change.
Beyond the Valley, Pakistan has developed comprehensive sustainability standards covering local employment, fair wages, local sourcing, environmental protection, cultural integrity and community investment. The judges praised the breadth of its Responsible Tourism approach and its efforts to share it with partners.
Céu de Montanhas, Brazil is a network of local entrepreneurs creating rural and community-based tourism in Brumadinho. It now supports 38 local enterprises and has created 148 jobs. This contributes to local economic diversification and community development.
Kyoto by the Sea, Japan works with more than 50 small businesses to develop authentic craft, food and cultural experiences while managing visitor numbers. It supports small communities and endangered cultures while avoiding overtourism.
Local Alike, Thailand works with communities to develop tourism experiences based on local knowledge, food, crafts, culture and nature. It also provides training and helps communities manage tourism and share benefits fairly. The judges recognised its use of tourism as a tool for local development.
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company, South Africa has increased local procurement from 29 per cent in 2017 to 89 per cent today, supporting more than 150 local businesses. The judges praised its work to retain tourism spending in the local economy.
V&A Waterfront Academy, South Africa connects unemployed young people with entry-level jobs across tourism, hospitality and retail. Since its launch, 315 young people have graduated and 90 per cent have gained full-time employment for the first time.
Nature Positive Responsible Tourism Awards
Club Marvy, Turkey integrates tourism with ecosystem restoration across 180,000 square metres of natural landscape. Its work includes native planting, invasive species management, marine conservation and protection of endangered species. The judges recognised the breadth of its nature-positive approach.
Associação Onçafari, Brazil uses responsible wildlife tourism to support biodiversity and local livelihoods, particularly through jaguar and maned wolf conservation. The project has helped create economic value around wildlife protection, with more than 300 jaguars now recorded in the Pantanal.
Ele Collection, Zimbabwe removes plastic from sensitive ecological areas and transforms it into construction materials, while paying community waste collectors and educating visitors about plastic pollution. The judges recognised its combination of environmental restoration, livelihoods and circular economy principles.
Exodus Adventure Travels, Worldwide combines efforts to reduce its environmental impacts with rewilding, ocean habitat protection and citizen science. It has learnt from the challenges it faces, changing the 2021 Nature Net Positive plan it had developed into a 2024 evidence-based nature positive approach.
Royal Commission for AlUla, Saudi Arabia More than half of AlUla’s 25,000 square kilometres has been designated as nature reserves. More than 500,000 trees have been planted and over 1,500 animals released in 2025. The judges praised the Commission’s nature-first approach to large-scale tourism development.
Sam Veasna Conservation Stays, Cambodia links tourism revenue directly to wildlife protection and community development. Local residents are trained as guides, cooks and service providers, while conservation fees support community-managed development funds. The judges recongised its integration of local employment and scientific conservation.
TUI Sea the Change Bali, Indonesia uses reef restoration structures to regenerate damaged coral ecosystems while involving visitors in marine conservation. Guests can learn about reef ecology, adopt coral reef structures and participate in restoration experiences.
Regenerative Tourism Responsible Tourism Awards
RuralRevive, Namibia an initiative by the Wolwedans Foundation under the umbrella of “The Arid Eden Project – Wolwedans Vision 2050, is building a locally-owned tourism and conservation economy in Maltahöhe through food production, skills development and local enterprise. More than 200 farmers have been trained. The judges recognised its ambition to shift tourism from an extractive model to a regenerative one.
Saruni Basecamp, Kenya works with Maasai and Samburu landowners, using tourism revenue to conserve connected landscapes and strengthen livelihoods. Its projects have generated more than $1.5 million for communities and conserved 414,232 hectares integrating conservation and local economic development.
Journey Mexico and Arca Tierra, Mexico have partnered to help protect Xochimilco’s ancient chinampa agricultural system, combining traditional farming knowledge with tourism. This collective approach is regenerating a threatened cultural and agricultural landscape.
TUI Forest Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic is restoring more than 200 hectares of mangrove forest while creating local tourism opportunities. More than 3.2 million mangroves and trees have already been planted. The judges recognised it as a highly replicable example of tourism supporting ecological renewal and community empowerment.
TUI Field to Fork Greece, Greece connects tourism with regenerative agriculture, training 627 people and creating stronger local food supply chains. More than 3,500 people have participated in related rural tourism experiences and around €250,000 of regenerative agriculture products have been sold to tourism businesses.
Wild Glamping Gal Oya, Sri Lanka has transformed a former chena cultivation site into an organic farming and low-impact tourism destination. Wildlife, agricultural and cultural experiences create benefits for local guides, farmers, artisans and the Rathugala Vedda community. The judges recognised its contribution to regenerating both the natural environment and local livelihoods.
The 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards are sponsored by the Belize Tourism and will be announced in London on Monday 2 November at the annual ICRT Global Summit and Responsible Tourism Awards. The event will also be livestreamed and is free to attend.
Detailed judges citations of all the finalists can be read here
The judging panel of the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board is chaired by ICRT global founder Harold Goodwin and included Jane Ashton sustainability specialist and ICRT board member, Martin Brackenbury former UNWTO advisor and ICRT global board member, Julie Cheetham CEO Tavalyst and ICRT special advisor, Katie Cosstick, head of member services, Latin America Travel Association, Adama Bah Chair ITTOG of the Gambia and ICRT West Africa, Meera Dattani, executive editor Adventure.com, Tiomoid Foley climate action manager business development, VisitScotland, Glynn O’Leary, Transfrontier Parks Destinations and ICRT Southern Africa, Debbie Hindle, chair ICRT global, Nadine Pinto, head of sustainability, TTC Touring , Kevin Phun Center for Responsible Tourism Singapore and ICRT Southeast Asia, Lorna Parkes executive editor National Geographic Traveller UK and Manisha Pande, ICRT India Foundation.
Image credit: Traditional African Homestays, Southern Africa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License