Entries now open for Sustainable Tourism Awards

Deadline: 31 May 2025

The Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards recognize excellence in sustainability across the global tourism industry.

Established in 2002 to promote responsible tourism, these awards highlight innovative and impactful initiatives that balance environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

The awards serve as a prestigious platform to showcase best practices, inspire industrywide change, and reinforce the importance of sustainability in tourism development.

Categories

Accessible Tourism
Accommodation, Food & Hospitality Services
Communication
Community, Government & Service Projects
Educational & Social Programs
Innovative Sustainable IT Solutions
Land & Marine Biodiversity
Tour Operators & Travel Agencies

Benefits

Benefits for winners:
- Personalized Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards’ Trophy.
- Invitation for one person working for the winning entity to travel to the Skål International World Congress site and pick up the trophy in person during the Awards Ceremony, including food and accommodation during the period established by Skål International. Travel expenses are not included in any case.
- Visibility in Skål International publications.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to public & private sector, NGOs, educational institutions, and government agencies related to Tourism worldwide.
Accessible Tourism Category:
- Type of organization: Open to tourism-related businesses, non-profits, governmental bodies, and other organizations involved in promoting accessible tourism.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on making tourism more accessible. This can include infrastructure improvements, accessible transportation, inclusive services, and the development of accessible tourism activities and experiences.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should significantly enhance the accessibility of tourism services and facilities, contributing to a more inclusive tourism industry.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including disability advocacy groups, local communities, and tourism operators. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Accommodation, Food & Hospitality Services Category:
- Type of organization: Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality service providers.
- Project scope: Projects must address key sustainability challenges such as reducing carbon footprint, minimizing waste, conserving water, and promoting local and sustainable sourcing of food and materials.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should contribute to the overall sustainability goals of the organization and have a significant impact on the environment and community.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including suppliers, local communities, and environmental organizations. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for longterm environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Communication Category:
- Type of organization: Open to individuals, media organizations, influencers, and content creators who use their platforms to promote sustainability.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on communicating sustainability topics such as environmental conservation, social responsibility, and economic sustainability. This can include campaigns, series, individual posts, or episodes that effectively engage and educate the audience.
- Impact and innovation: Projects must focus on communicating sustainability topics such as environmental conservation, social responsibility, and economic sustainability. This can include campaigns, series, individual posts, or episodes that effectively engage and educate the audience.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including environmental organizations, community groups, and other influencers. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core message and delivery. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts
Community, Government & Service Companies Projects Category:
- Type of organization: Service companies from the public and private sector, NGOs and governmental bodies including utilities and other entities providing essential services to the tourism and travel community.
- Project scope: Projects must address key sustainability challenges within the community, enhancing environmental quality, promoting social inclusion, or fostering economic development.
- Impact and innovation: The project should showcase innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should contribute to the community’s well-being and demonstrate a clear alignment with sustainability goals.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including local governments, community organizations, and residents. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its design and implementation. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Educational & Social Programs Category:
- Type of organization: Open to all educational institutes, including universities, colleges, and higher education institutions.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on educational and social initiatives that promote sustainability. This can include research projects, community outreach programs, and educational campaigns that address environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should contribute to the development of human talent and have a significant impact on the community and environment.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including students, faculty, local communities, and organizations. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Innovative Sustainable IT Solutions Category:
- Type of organization: Open to businesses, non-profits, governmental bodies, and other organizations that have developed innovative IT solutions addressing sustainability challenges. For example, cruise liners, airlines, airports, and other transportation related businesses.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on innovative approaches to solving environmental or social issues. This can include new technologies, products, services, or processes that significantly contribute to sustainability.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate a high level of innovation and measurable positive outcomes. It should provide a novel solution to a pressing sustainability challenge and have a significant impact on the environment or society.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including research institutions, community groups, and industry partners. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Land & Marine Biodiversity Category:
- Type of organization: Open to a wide range of organizations, including non-profits, governmental bodies, research institutions, and private companies involved in biodiversity conservation.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on the protection, restoration, or sustainable management of land and marine biodiversity. This can include habitat restoration, species conservation, sustainable fisheries, and marine protected areas.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and have a significant impact on the environment and local communities.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including local communities, governments, and environmental organizations. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Tour Operators & Travel Agencies Category:
- Type of organization: Open to tour operators and travel agencies of all sizes that have implemented sustainable tourism practices.
- Project scope: Projects must focus on promoting sustainable tourism. This can include initiatives such as eco-friendly travel packages, responsible tourism practices, community-based tourism, and efforts to reduce the environmental impact of travel.
- Impact and innovation: The project should demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable positive outcomes. It should contribute to the overall sustainability goals of the organization and have a significant impact on the environment and local communities.
- Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Successful projects often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including local communities, environmental organizations, and other industry partners. Effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships are crucial for the project’s success.
- Sustainability integration: The project should integrate sustainability principles into its core operations. This includes considerations for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.