The Latin American Travel Association (Lata) is inviting entries to the inaugural Lata Responsible Tourism Awards.
The awards ceremony will take place on June 24 during the gala dinner at Lata Expo, held at the De Vere Beaumont Estate near Windsor.
The aim is to recognise innovation and excellence in responsible, ethical and sustainable tourism practices across Latin America, with the hope that they can be followed across the region.
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The Responsible Tourism Partnership co-founder Harold Goodwin, who will chair the judging panel, said: “There is much great practice in Latin America, which most are unaware of. I look forward to seeing this year’s entries, and, remember, the judges can only recognise and award from amongst those that apply.”
The six categories are ‘making travel inclusive’, ‘championing cultural diversity’, ‘nature positive’, ‘combating climate change’, ‘increasing local sourcing – creating shared value’, and ‘employing and upskilling local communities’.
Megan Parkinson, head of sustainability at Lata, said: “We are delighted to be launching the Lata Responsible Tourism Awards this year. Through showcasing the travel experts who are championing ethical initiatives, we are not only recognising their fantastic work, but also providing key examples from which both Lata members and non-members can look to for reference when establishing responsible tourism practices.”
Lata members and non-members are allowed to enter, with the closing date being May 10 at 6pm.
Led by Goodwin, the judging panel will be Anne-Kathrin Zschiegner, director of The Long Run; Chris Haslam, chief travel writer at The Sunday Times; Edgar Weggelaar, chief executive of Queer Destinations; and Megan Parkinson, head of sustainability at Lata.
The ‘gold’ winners will be put forward for the Sabre Responsible Global Tourism Awards.
From June 24-26 , Lata will be hosting the 11th edition of Lata Expo, Europe’s largest B2B event dedicated to Latin American travel. It will have a residential format, fully hosted at the De Vere Beaumont Estate.