The New Forest tops Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards

The awards, organised by Responsible Travel, recognise companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to responsible tourism.

The judges were unanimous in their praise for The New Forest, a destination which has worked over the last 15 years with visitors, the industry and the community to look after the environment.

Launched in 2004, the Awards ask tourists to nominate those tourism ventures that they feel provide outstanding holidays that also benefit local people and the destination. This year, over 1,700 nominations were received.

Justin Francis, Responsible Travel’s co-founder and MD, said: ‘It never ceases to amaze me how much thought and innovation has gone into the holidays that we short list. Not only do such ventures offer sensational experiences for travellers, but they aspire to such impressive standards on responsible tourism that just keep getting better every year.’

The other award winners were as follows:

Best Tour Operator
Gecko's Adventures, Australia
Chosen for maximising the positive economic and social impacts of their tours, through the use of locally owned accommodation and their employment of local tour leaders.

Best Large Hotel / Accommodation
Apex Hotels Ltd, UK
For their efforts in urban regeneration, converting office blocks on brown field sites into hotels and ensuring that they are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Best Small Hotel / Accommodation
Finca Esperanza Verde Ecolodge, Nicaragua
For using tourism to generate local, economic development in a rural area of Nicaragua by improving infrastructure as well as creating employment and enterprise opportunities and demonstrating what a positive difference tourism can make in a local community.

Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology
Eurostar, UK
For developing the comprehensive 'Tread lightly' programme to reduce Eurostar's negative environmental impacts across the whole business.

Best in a Mountain Environment
Explorandes, Peru
For developing homestay accommodation with real volume and livelihood activities, kayaking, textiles and culture, through a partnership with a group of thirty families at Llachon on the shore of Lake Titicaca.

Best in a Marine Environment
blue o two, UK
For developing a new business approach to diving in the Red Sea, demonstrating that responsible diving is possible for a mainstream business. 

Best for Poverty Reduction

Borana, Kenya
For making a sustainable contribution to the alleviation of poverty through generating employment, improving school facilities, funding a mobile clinic which reaches thousands of people.

Best in a Park or Protected Area
La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras
For working with four different indigenous communities to create a series of experiences and products which are complementary to each other, avoiding the danger of competition between villages and creating 150 jobs in and around the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Central America.

Best for Conservation of an Endangered Species

Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa
For conserving 1750 acres of the Cape's threatened fynbos by using 5 hectares for tourism development and for working to engage local communities.

Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage
Andaman Discoveries, Thailand
For putting people first - recognising that the best custodians of cultural heritage are the people.

Best Volunteering Organisation
Azafady, UK / Madagascar
For demonstrating real achievements meeting the locally defined needs of communities in Madagascar and for producing detailed reports on impacts and being transparent about where the volunteers' money goes.