LATIN AMERICAN TRAVEL ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE LATA RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS 2025
During today’s Sustainability Summit at LATA Expo, the winners of the LATA Responsible Tourism Awards were also announced. These form the Latin American element of the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, with the winners automatically entered into the global awards to be announced in November.
Following the success of the LATA Sustainable Travel Programme, introduced for members in 2022, LATA is delighted to be working alongside Dr Harold Goodwin and the ICRT global to host the Latin American element of the Global Responsible Tourism Awards. Whilst the awards are open to all, it’s fantastic to see so many LATA members being rewarded for their achievements and commitment to working towards a more sustainable tourism industry and driving meaningful change in the region.
The awards were overseen by Dr Harold Goodwin, co-founder of The Responsible Tourism Partnership and the ICRT global and judged by Anne-Kathrin Zschiegner, Director of The Long Run, Chris Haslam, Chief Travel Writer at The Sunday Times, Edgar Weggelaar, CEO of Queer Destinations, Maria Emilia Correl, Co-Founder & Senior Strategist at Sistema B, and Megan Parkinson, Head of Sustainability at LATA.
Dr Goodwin commented “It is good to see so many high-quality entries again this year. It really does showcase the hard work being done across Latin America to ensure that the benefits of tourism are being felt across the entire supply chain. The quality of entries has really stood out to me this year, which is testament to the hard work being done across Latin America to ensure that tourism is done in a responsible way, enabling the benefits to be felt throughout the supply chain.
Full citations from the judges and further details on the winners of the LATA Responsible Tourism Awards can be seen on the ICRT global website here
The LATA Responsible Tourism Awards 2025 winners are:
PEACE, UNDERSTANDING AND INCLUSION
The Award for Peace, Understanding & Inclusion recognises outstanding initiatives that use tourism as a force for good—promoting cross-cultural exchange, providing economic alternatives in conflict-affected regions, and making travel more inclusive for all.
Gold – Valencia Travel Cusco for its Ruqha Ayllu Project
Silver – Golden Experiences & Travel (GET)
One to watch – Intrepid DMC Latin America
Awarding the gold award to Valencia Travel Cusco, the judges were impressed with the commitment demonstrated by Valencia Travel to enable the community to use tourism as a tool for empowerment and positive change. By promoting community-based experiential tourism, it has sought to create sustainable income opportunities, strengthen cultural identity, and support social development in Ruqha Ayllu, a community marginalised from the benefits of tourism despite being close to the Inca Trail.
The judges gave the silver award to Golden Experiences & Travel for recognising and acknowledging that environmental sustainability is insufficient without social sustainability.
The one to watch award was given to Intrepid DMC as the judges recognise that Intrepid has a great deal of experience in CBT across the region and in training and empowering their teams to make a difference. Work is funded by the Intrepid Foundation, from profits, customer donations, fundraising events, emergency appeals and corporate partnerships.
MANAGING WASTE: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, UPCYCLE
This award recognises businesses, destinations, and initiatives that have implemented effective waste management strategies, demonstrating a commitment to minimising waste, eliminating single-use plastics, and repurposing materials in ways that benefit the environment and local communities.
Gold – EcoCamp Patagonia
Awarding the gold award, the judges were really impressed by the comprehensive and thorough approach of EcoCamp Patagonia to dealing with its waste, which could easily be replicated widely. They have addressed all of their waste streams from composting toilets and solid waste to food waste and old towels. Notable efforts include repurposing old curtains into reusable bags, creating new products such as blankets and hats from employees’ uniforms and giving non-compostable food scraps to a local supplier to feed her pigs.
NATURE POSITIVE
The tourism sector has a responsibility to contribute to the reversal of biodiversity loss and protect nature for future generations by promoting a regenerative approach to tourism. The judges were looking for businesses that act as guardians of biodiversity and take a regenerative approach to their operations.
Gold – Rainforest Expeditions – Wired Amazon Programme
Silver – Estancia Cerro Guido
One to Watch – Kapawi Ecolodge
Wired Amazon is redefining the role of ecotourism in conservation, proving that responsible tourism can generate economic opportunities for indigenous communities while reinforcing cultural identity and environmental stewardship. The judges were impressed by what Rainforest Expeditions has achieved with the programme, proving that research-driven ecotourism can enhance visitor engagement and generate conservation funding.
Estancia Cerro Guido was awarded silver to recognise the positive impact that the Guardian Dogs Initiative has made, successfully reducing puma predation on livestock by 85% and decreasing retaliatory killings. Former puma hunters have been retrained as wildlife guides, transforming their knowledge into a resource for conservation-based tourism. This initiative has fostered a sense of responsibility and collaboration between conservationists and the local community.
Kapawi Ecolodge impressed the judges by the recovery of this ecolodge, resulting from the decision by three local communities: Kapawi, Kusutkau, and Suwa, to renovate and rebuild the lodge
INCREASING LOCAL SOURCING & CREATING SHARED VALUE
This award recognises businesses, destinations, and initiatives that are actively increasing local sourcing, minimising economic leakage, and creating shared value by integrating local businesses and entrepreneurs into their supply chains.
Gold – Kuyana Amazon Lodge
Silver – Latin Trails and ILLA Experience Hotel, NESTS
Kuyana Amazon Lodge was awarded Gold to recognise the extent of the measures they are taking to source as much food locally as possible and contribute to the local economy through employing local indigenous guides and craftspeople. By sourcing fresh, organic, and local ingredients, they provide an immersive culinary experience for guests and contribute to the economic stability of local producers, reducing reliance on imported goods, reducing their carbon footprint, and fostering sustainable agricultural practices within the community.
The judges awarded silver to the NESTS initiative run by Illa Experience Hotel & Latin Trails, which provides young culinary talents from rural and underserved communities in Ecuador with hands-on training, mentorship, and career opportunities in the hospitality industry. They won Gold last year in the Employing and Upskilling Local Communities category. The judges wanted to recognise and highlight that this initiative benefits not only the individuals who receive training but also the communities to which they return.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION & RESILIENCE
This award recognises businesses, destinations, and initiatives that are taking proactive, innovative, and scalable steps to both reduce their carbon footprint and protect tourism infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems from climate-related risks.
Gold – Amazonas Explorer
Silver – La Selva Ecolodge & Retreat
One to Watch – Antarctica21
Amazonas Explorer prioritises low-impact travel styles such as trekking, biking, and rafting over more carbon-intensive alternatives. Trips are locally run, with locally sourced food and materials wherever possible, significantly reducing transport-related emissions and supporting small suppliers. The judges awarded Amazonas Explorer to the gold to recognise that this is much more than a simple outsourced carbon offsetting scheme. Guides and office staff regularly take part in tree-planting activities. Trees are planted by hand, using no machinery or chemicals, and cared for by the same communities who benefit from their long-term environmental value. The judges commented that unlike many offset schemes that rely on international carbon credits or remote tree-planting initiatives, their regenerative project is hyper-local.
The judges awarded La Selva Ecolodge with silver to recognise the replicable measures they are taking to reduce emissions before offsetting residual emissions, introducing a hybrid battery and inverter energy system powered by stored solar/grid energy, Unusually, they invested their cost savings, around $12,285 in annual diesel savings in community health, education, and renewable energy, including a solar initiative at a local school.
Antarctica21 was awarded the one to watch as the judges wished to recognise their e-gasoline initiative, which may assist in validating the use of e-fuels. They are piloting synthetic e-Gasoline in the Zodiac fleet aboard their expedition vessel, Magellan Explorer.