Sustainable tourism leaders win National Geographic’s Geotourism Challenge 2009

Three winners have officially been awarded in the Geotourism Challenge 2009 – highlighting leaders in sustainable tourism throughout the global online community. The Geotourism Challenge is sponsored by both the National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers.

Selected from 10 finalists out of 611 original entries from 81 countries, the top honors this year went to “carbon neutral” Costa Rican airine, Nature Air, a Cambodian voluntourism program, Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself, and the free Wikiloc Community Maps web site in Spain.

A panel of judges selected 10 finalists in July, while the public chose the top three winners through online voting during a four-week period this summer, which ended by mid-August. Judges included were Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement; Keith Bellows, a vice president of the National Geographic Society and editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine; Erika Harms, executive director of Sustainable Development, United Nations Foundation; Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet; Ben Keene, founder of Tribewanted; and Dr. Yang Yuming, vice president of Southwest Forestry University, China.

This year’s winners have been recognized for their extraordinary efforts in geotourism: tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.

“We’re excited to support three new innovators stretching the possibilities of geotourism,” said Charlie Brown, Changemakers’ executive director. “These winners are pushing us closer to realizing and sustaining a kind of travel that will enrich cultures and environments across the globe.”

Each winner of the Geotourism Challenge 2009 received a $5,000 prize.

Carbon neutral flying in Costa Rica

Nature Air touts its “100% carbon-neutral” title by offsetting ALL of its greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to encoruage reforestation projects throughout the Costa Rican Osa Peninsula. The company’s offsetting effort have already made up for almost 20,000 tons of CO2, having protected over 500 acres of tropical rainforest. Nature Air has also developed the country’s very first alternative fueling station.

Volunteer travel in Cambodia

Cambodian educational volunteer travel program, Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself (PEPY), provides adventure bike tours as well as on-site volunteer projects. Volunteers are able to contribute donations to favor the educational systems within the impoverished communities of rural Cambodia, aiding over 1,700 families in 12 villages and six schools.

Finding your way in Spain

Spain-based Wikiloc Community Maps includes user-submitted maps (obviously), photos and video that aim to offer honest impressions about destinations, focusing mainly on outdoor activities and adventure tourism. The site also promotes thematic activities like gastronomic routes and over 65,000 sightseeing urban trails and walks in archaeological areas. The site is available in 14 languages.

“The winners are outstanding examples of geotourism practices that extend to good destination stewardship,” said Jonathan B. Tourtellot, director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations. “They are committed to conserving and enhancing the quality of their locales while benefiting local people and providing visitors with authentic experiences. Geotourism is no flash in the pan: Travelers around the globe are seeking it out in both rural and urban settings. We’re delighted to showcase the winners and runners-up who are leading the way.”

For more details about the innovative work of all 10 finalists, go to www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge.