Belize is the Official Destination host for the new World Travel Sustainability Awards

The new awards have been added to the World Travel Awards portfolio and will take place 27 September 2024 in Belize

Belize Tourism Board is proud to announce it is the official host destination for the inaugural 2024 World Travel Sustainability Awards (WTSA), the new World Travel Awards programme to help drive Net Positive Hospitality in Travel and Tourism. Belize will provide the perfect backdrop to the awards as a destination that holds responsible tourism at the core of its value systems, developing projects that encourage travellers to engage with the country’s rainforests, reefs, and unique culture in a truly sustainable and responsible manner.

The World Travel Sustainability Awards will be launched in Dubai at COP28 and feature more than 40 new categories. Belize and the WTA are developing a powerful network of trusted, authoritative partners, that will guide the awards programme on best practices, standards, criteria, and the actual award category list. 

In addition to having its own dedicated ceremony, held in Belize, the Awards will also work in conjunction with all the other programmes in the World Travel Awards family, with each ceremony (Cruise, Ski, Spa, Travel Technology) having three Sustainability categories of their own. The winners of these categories will automatically be entered in the WTSA Awards.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Belize comments: “We are absolutely delighted to be hosting the inaugural World Travel Sustainability Awards. These new awards from the World Travel Awards will shine a light on the biggest players in sustainability from across the globe, showcasing the best practices and standards from the travel industry creating a space for those in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry that is creating a positive impact on our planet and people. 

Responsible tourism is central to everything we do in Belize. From leading the way for the conservation of Jaguars in Central America with the Maya Forest Corridor, to the development of community-based tourism clusters that promote the preservation of our Indigenous Communities and our work rolling out our Sustainable Tourism Certification Program for Protected Areas and tourism-based businesses in the next couple of years, Belize is committed to sustainable tourism development”.

The WTA is the travel industry’s most prestigious awards programme, rewarding leaders in the tourism, airline, hotel, and hospitality sectors around the world. Each year, votes are cast by over 2.3 million tourism executives from 141 countries. As the host destination of the WTSA, Belize will work very closely in collaboration as a leader in sustainable hospitality with a focus on supporting its local people, protecting the environment, and growing tourism in the region for positivity. 

Justin Cooke, Executive Vice-President, World Travel Awards, says: “The World Travel Awards is honoured that Belize will be the host for the inaugural World Travel Sustainability Awards, with the mission of driving Net Positive Hospitality in Travel and Tourism. The new awards will acknowledge and reward those travel organisations that are raising the bar for sustainable best practices. Belize is the perfect host destination and is world-renowned for its commitment to environmental conservation.”

One year today, on World Tourism Day 2024, Belize will welcome travel industry professionals from across the globe. A destination like no other, Belize offers visitors every opportunity to make their trip a truly spectacular and responsibly focused travel experience. Discover the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest reef in the world, home to hundreds of species of coral and fish. Explore the Garifuna, which is part of Belize’s Community Based Tourism clusters, promoting the preservation of Indigenous Communities, and introducing guests to traditional gastronomy, agricultural practices, music, dance, and way of life. Delve deep into the jungle, where Belize is working with Re: wild and local partners to lead the way for the conservation of Jaguars in Central America with the Maya Forest Corridor. 

For further information about Belize, please visit www.travelbelize.org. For further information about the World Travel Sustainability Awards, please visit www.worldtravelawards.com.