12 sustainable tourism pioneers changing the world of travel

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)'s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are aimed at recognizing best practice in sustainable tourism worldwide, and the 2013 awards are due out tomorrow, at WTTC's annual global summit.

Earlier in the year, WTTC announced the finalists for 2013, and we thought it would be pertinent to highlight all the 12 otherwise-low-profile finalists here.

Given the growing concern about the protection of natural and cultural heritage worldwide, the awards demonstrate how tourism can be a positive opportunity for benefitting local people, supporting cultural diversity and advancing biodiversity conservation, all within a viable and profitable business model.

The 12 pioneers, listed below and detailed descriptions in gallery above:

• Siraj Center, Palestine
• Ten Knots Development Corporation/El Nido Resorts, Philippines
• Loola Adventure Resort, Indonesia
• &Beyond, South Africa
• The Bushcamp Company, Zambia
• Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Australia
• Peaks of the Balkans - Municipality of Peja, Kosovo
• Tourism Council of Bhutan, Bhutan
• Sentosa Development Corporation, Singapore
• Abercrombie & Kent, USA
• Air New Zealand, New Zealand
• ITC Hotels, India

Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team.