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Celebrating Sustainability Champions: First Sustainable Tourism Awards Launched in Mauritius

This year marked a first in Mauritius’ tourism sector with the introduction of the Sustainable Tourism Mauritius Awards. The annual awards were born out of our Sustainable Island Mauritius (SIM) project and will celebrate sustainability champions in the tourism industry to continue the transformation of circular and regenerative tourism on Mauritius beyond the project.

The first awards ceremony took place in May 2022 as part of the SIM project series of final workshops and events. Just after announcing the awards and criteria, the organising committee received over 115 applications, out of which 20 were selected as finalists in categories such as boat and pleasure craft operators, handicraft and local products, hotels, as well as tour operators and guides.

At the launch of the 2022 awards, the chairman of the Mauritian Tourism Authority, Avinash Gopee, noted:

‘‘By recognising outstanding and passionate individuals and organisations that strive for excellence through their engagement in sustainability and green initiatives, we want to inspire other industry members to raise the level of their game so that together we can make Mauritius a great and green destination for our visitors and a great home for our people.’’

The winners were selected based on their effort and inspiring concepts and visions toward a greener tourism sector in Mauritius. The list of the awarded includes among many others: second hand shop, which not only upcycles textiles and furniture but also provides new job opportunities; a small scale eco-tourism lodge and farm working on promoting regenerative agriculture; a zero-pollution solar boat tour operator; a tour operator committed and striving toward a sustainable island; a pop-up store concept that sells local products and supports their artisans to become successful and a beekeeper who installs hives on the Hotel grounds to provide real local honey and was also part of our co-creation process.

The Top Sustainability Performer went to Attitude Group, respectively its Lagoon Attitude hotel that serves as a flagship for the positive impact movement including an integral educational centre. The judging panel accorded the organisation the award for its dedication and relentless effort in integrating a sustainability strategy in its daily operations.

Since its launch in 2018, the Sustainable Island Mauritius (SIM) project has promoted sustainable tourism in order to contribute to the island nation becoming a green destination. The awards are meant to serve as a legacy that can be carried on beyond the project’s life cycle to promote, celebrate and inspire great work toward making sustainable tourism a leading trend in Mauritius and beyond.

For further questions, please contact Kartika Anggraeni.

 

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