Bringing forth the very best in the field of Nature Tourism TOFTigers in association with Sanctuary Nature Foundation have joined forces to host the 5th TOFTigers Wildlife Tourism Awards 2018. The theme for the awards this year is ‘Inclusive Conservation: People and Wildlife’ and the theme itself has set the standards high for responsible tourism and nature tourism. With the Indian subcontinent’s wildlife tourism sector has seen a boost over the last few years, it has also experienced collapsing biodiversity, constant scrutiny by the government and poor local employment opportunities. The drive to support nature and yield sustainable benefits for wildlife conservation has led to this initiative of recognising individuals, businessmen, service providers who help restore wildlife through their unique ideas and contributions.
The winners for this prestigious award will be selected by members of the jury, led by Mr. Mike Pandey and by taking into consideration public voting across five awards which will be announced at a Gala ceremony at the British High Commission on 27 September 2018. The motives of the Wildlife Tourism Awards are:
- Act as a beacon to the Global Tourist Industry, highlighting the important work being done by tourism in support of tiger conservation
- Increase public awareness of the value of responsible tourism as an agent of conservation and habitat renewal
- Reward and encourage best practice operations
- Encourage sustainability in tourism enterprises
- Promote community enterprise and community initiatives around Tiger Parks
There are various categories of awards which will be felicitating those who continue to work for the sustainability of the environment and all its inhabitants. The PUG (Practices under Guidelines) embodies a system which primarily focuses on strengthening your operations, economic benefits, social and environmental responsibility. To be PUG certified would mean saving costs, greater funding sources, enhanced marketing opportunities to name a few. You can visithttp://www.toftigers.org/Documents/Resources/Prospective-PUG-Presentation-for-Accom-providers-Jan-2015.pdf for detailed information regarding the PUG certification.
Do you want to vote to support nature? You can visit their official website to register yourself and submit your vote. You can also vote for one or more of the five Awards eligible for voting. Nominees and TOFTigers members to vote for are listed alphabetically with the Award. If your nominee is not listed you can nominate them from if they fall within the Awards guidelines. TOFTigers will contact them about joining if membership is required for the Award entry. Voting closes on 8 July 2018.
TOFTigers will be offering two prizes for the best two votes provided by the joint winners of the last Most Inspirational Eco Lodge of the Year Awards – Singinawa Jungle Lodge in Kanha and Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in Satpura, both PUG eco-rated Outstanding. The prizes are 2-3 night stays at the respective lodges for 2 people (excl. jungle package and drinks).
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to contribute and go green to make nature tourism prosper!