Local Economic Benefit
Tourism’s wealth too often bypasses the communities that make it possible. This award celebrates businesses and initiatives that actively keep money local, championing local suppliers, hiring and training community members, and directing visitors toward locally-run experiences. Strong supply chain policies, reduced economic leakage, and measurable improvements to community livelihoods define the winners in this category, proving that tourism can be a direct source of local prosperity.
Gold: Céu de Montanhas, Brazil
Céu de Montanhas is a network of local entrepreneurs in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais Brazil, which unites families, producers, and artisans to deliver rural, community‑based tourism rooted in everyday life. Created after the disaster of a 2019 dam collapse, it now supports 38 enterprises and 32 experiences. In 2025 it generated US$1,097,462 in turnover, US$261,109 in income, and 148 jobs, with 75% led by women.
Silver: Honorable Gobierno Provincial de Tungurahua, Ecuador
A long‑standing governance collaboration uniting 22 institutions to coordinate tourism development across the province including municipalities, parishes, universities, industry associations and chambers of commerce and indigenous representation. The judges were impressed by the sheer scale of the multi-stakeholder partnership and the 18 years which it has worked together
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This award recognises organisations building genuinely inclusive workplaces employing people with disabilities, hiring from underrepresented ethnic groups, advancing underrepresented genders, and welcoming people of diverse sexual orientations at every level. Winners demonstrate structured, intentional efforts to remove barriers and build teams that reflect the richness of their communities recognising that an equitable industry behind the scenes creates better, more authentic experiences for every guest.
Gold: LimaTours, Peru
Lima Tours co‑developed tourism with the Quechua‑speaking community of Huilloc, providing training, market access, and co‑funded improvements to sanitation, kitchens, and lodging. Results include 336 women trained, 5,342 visitors hosted, 129 homes improved, and extensive educational support for children and young people. Many community members have accessed higher education.
Silver: Turistea Turismo Inclusivo (Teamarr / Assembleia Legislativa de Roraima), Brazil
Turistea is an initiative developed by Teamarr the Autism Support Centre of the Assembleia Legislativa de Roraima created to address the exclusion of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families from access to tourism and leisure. Turistea delivers adapted tourism for people with ASD and trains professionals in inclusive communication. Over 130 professionals trained and more than 200 children directly benefited.
Nature Positive
Latin America’s extraordinary landscapes must be stewarded, not extracted from. This award honours businesses and organisations actively protecting and restoring biodiversity whether through wildlife experiences, conservation-led tourism, or responsibly managed protected areas. Winners are genuine guardians: measurably reducing tourism’s ecological footprint, restoring habitats, connecting visitors meaningfully with nature, and ensuring local communities share in the value it generates.
Gold: Associação Onçafari, Brazil
Onçafari is a Brazilian non‑profit using responsible wildlife tourism to conserve biodiversity and support local livelihoods. Its habituation of jaguars and maned wolves enables close, safe observation without altering behaviour, creating economic value that shifts perceptions of threatened species. Integrating ecotourism, science, habitat protection, and fire management, it shows biodiversity can be a viable economic alternative. The Pantanal now has over 300 jaguars, with sightings up 600%.
Silver: Naturetrek Reserves, Ecuador
Wildlife tour operator Naturetrek with conservation partner Fundación EcoMinga, protect a threatened Andean cloud‑forest corridor by purchasing land for permanent conservation. The reserves are open for no‑impact ecotourism and safeguarded from extractive activities, ensuring long‑term protection of endangered species and community benefit.
One to Watch: Amazon Emotions Brazil
Amazon Emotions links tourism with biodiversity monitoring using RAPELD modules, field sampling, camera trapping, and citizen science. The judges see strong potential and look forward to evidence of biodiversity impact.
Championing Cultural Diversity
This award celebrates businesses and destinations fostering genuine cultural exchange and mutual respect. The recognised businesses go beyond sightseeing creating experiences that connect visitors with local histories, traditions, and communities in ways that are sensitive and empowering for hosts and guests alike. Through storytelling, community-led guiding, or skills-based tourism supporting marginalised groups, these initiatives prove that travel, done right, is one of the most powerful forces for human connection.
Gold: Sama Sama International, TransHistorias Brasilia, Brazil
Sama Sama International, working with Casa Rosa, creates meaningful tourism employment for trans women and a platform for sharing their stories. Rooted in co‑design, dignity, and agency, guides shape how their knowledge is shared, creating human, joyful, memorable learning. Judges see it as an innovative model empowering marginalised communities and offering visitors an alternative cultural perspective.
Silver: Condor Travel, Misminay community based tourism initiative, Peru
Condor Travel worked with community members in the Andean village of Misminay to identify what residents felt was essential local culture to preserve for themselves and how tourism could support those practices without altering their meaning. Visitors join families in agriculture, cooking, and textile‑making. The company co‑invested with families in home improvements and clean‑water access.
One to Watch: Responsible Travel South America, Ecuador
The Responsible Travel South America “Killas Experience” revives traditional dugout canoes for low‑impact river journeys, reducing disturbance and fuel use while preserving Indigenous practices. Judges look forward to seeing planned progress on scaling “with integrity.”
Adapting to Climate Change
The climate crisis is already reshaping tourism from bleaching reefs and retreating glaciers to wildfires and shifting seasons. Focused on adaptation for 2026, this award recognises destinations and businesses facing these realities head-on: securing water supplies, building fire resilience, protecting coastlines, and reimagining offerings for a changed world.
Silver: Vipac Travel and CCAIJO, Peru
Peru has lost more than 50% of its tropical glacier surface in recent decades, reflecting an accelerated melting trend evident in the Humantay glacier. Following risk assessments of these fragile eco systems, destination management company VIPAC Travel decided to stop operating to Humantay and partnered with communities and NGO CCAIJO to create an alternative experiences at Singrenacocha Lake. Partnering with communities and CCAIJO. The judges were impressed by the way in which VIPAC has exercised leadership in adapting to the consequences of climate change.
Regenerative Tourism
Regenerative tourism goes beyond minimising harm — it actively heals. This award recognises destinations and businesses creating genuine, transformational renewal: restoring ecosystems, revitalising communities, and reimagining what tourism can contribute to people and place. These businesses demonstrated real, substantiated impact — closing areas to allow nature to recover, reintroducing native species, supporting regenerative farming, or repurposing neglected spaces.
Gold: Journey Mexico and Arca Tierra Mexico
Journey Mexico and Arca Tierra work to regenerate Xochimilco’s chinampas, 60% of which are abandoned. Journey Mexico brings visitors to support the area, while Arca Tierra preserves traditional agricultural knowledge sustaining these ancient, highly sustainable “floating gardens.” Their partnership shows how collective action can restore productive, resilient ecosystems and protect cultural heritage.
Silver: Biofábrica de Corais Brazil
BioFábrica de Corais has developed and implemented its own coral restoration methodology and planted over 7,000 corals and engaged 400 volunteers. It links reef restoration with regenerative tourism and education. Visitors help cultivate corals and receive one‑year coral “guardianship.”
One to Watch: Las Torres Patagonia, Chile
Las Torres Patagonia is an all-inclusive hotel in the heart of the Torres del Pain National Park. It is shifting to a regenerative model, restoring fire‑damaged areas, growing organic produce, and reducing waste through composting and recycling. Judges were impressed by its ambition.
