Sustainability

Question 1

Soraya Abdel-Hadi

Answer 1

Sustainable Storyteller

Short
Soraya has made a name for herself as an advocate for approachable, sustainable travel through her blog, soraya.earth.

Long
Soraya’s blog pursues environmentally-friendly ways to travel and promotes low-impact interactions with the natural world.
- From building a bamboo bike and creating net-positive art on her trips to joining an all-female sailing trip exploring plastics and toxics in our ocean
- Soraya’s work is conscientious and thought-provoking and we hope it will inspire others to tread more carefully when they next travel.

Question 2

Le Vie di Dante - Italy

Answer 2

Short
Stretching from Dante Alighieri’s birthplace in Florence to his tomb in Ravenna, this network of trails is the ultimate experience of slow travel in the poet’s footsteps.

Long

• The Roads of Dante stretch from his birthplace in Florence to his tomb in Ravenna.
• Steering clear of major roads, the routes follow medieval “in cresta” paths through some wonderful stretches of Italian countryside and actively encourage tourists to spend locally and independently.
• All the major towns and cities on the routes are also reachable by public transport, which further reduces the carbon footprint of those undertaking each hike.

Question 3

Rwanda

Answer 3

Short
The country’s participation in the International Gorilla Conservation Programme has brought back its wild mountain gorilla population from the brink of extinction and formed a new blueprint for wildlife preservation.

Long
With 10% of the earth’s wilderness lost due to human pressure in the last 20 years, our experts saw Rwanda’s multiple conservation efforts as a beacon of hope as they are already showing strong, tangible results.
- The International Gorilla Conservation Programme has helped the wild gorilla population increase by 25% since 2010.
- the conservation program in Akagera National Park has helped reduce poaching to an all-time low, allowing five endangered black rhinos to be successfully reintroduced.
- The country’s use of tourism revenue to manage the land and reduce human-wildlife conflict through job creation and education has created a blueprint for others to follow too.

Question 4

Antigua and Barbuda

Answer 4

Short
Standing on the front line of the impact of climate change, Antigua and Barbuda have made sustainability a priority, from banning single-use plastics to establishing a “Green Corridor” of environmentally friendly businesses.

Long

• As a small island nation in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda is likely to be adversely affected by climate change—despite it emitting less than 0.01% of carbon emissions worldwide.
• But the country is willing to forge a cleaner, more sustainable future: it has already surpassed its 2030 target of having 15% of renewable energy powering the nation
• it passed litter legislation which led to a 15.1% decrease in the amount of plastic discarded in local landfills;
• it’s created several new nature reserves;
• built a Green Corridor for tourists where the businesses put sustainability first.
• It has also successfully rewilded the small island of Redonda, making it home to sea birds and a potential tourist sight itself.

Question 5

Rocky Mountaineer

Answer 5

Short
The Rocky Mountaineer train has taken steps to reduce its carbon emissions, increase on-board recycling and partner with organizations to protect the local wildlife.

Long

• Beyond being one of the most spectacular train rides, the Rocky Mountaineer takes sustainably seriously
• The train has removed disposable items from its culinary service, diverted 90% of waste from the landfill by 2023 and installed engine technology that reduces emissions by up to 18 tons a year
• the financial donations and support they gives to nonprofits and charities in the areas where they operate to help protect nature and wildlife the trains pass through

Question 6

Greece

Answer 6

Short
With its organic produce markets, prolific wild herbs and island seafood hauls, Greece is an unintentional leader of the world’s most sustainable food locales.

Long
With more designations that protect and promote quality, sustainable food products than anywhere else in Europe, Greece whet the appetite of our judging panel.
- Greece also meets all the principles of a sustainable food value chain as outlined by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation
- the country has increased organic food production by 51% over the last decade while driving down food production emissions by 21% since 1990.

Question 7

Virginia Mountain Bike Trail

Answer 7

Sustainable Cycling Trail

Short
Explore Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains via the power of your own two legs on almost 500 miles of trail through the finest backcountry the US South has on show.

Long

• Although challenging, this self-sustaining cycling route through the Blue Ridge Mountains gives its users a way of sustainably and carefully interacting with the environment.
• Cycling is a low-impact sport and using this route helps to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Southern Appalachians from the threat of encroaching development.
• Cyclists not only maintain the track but each must carry their own equipment as well as food and water.

Question 8

Grootberg Lodge

Answer 8

Short
The luxurious low-impact Grootberg Lodge in remote Namibia is helping to preserve lion and black rhino populations through community empowerment.

Long

• What made Grootberg Lodge standout to our judges was the end-to-end engagement with the local community and the environment to show that even hotels, when sustainably managed, can be a force for good.
• Built using locally-sourced materials and labour and powered with renewable energy, the lodge uses tourism revenue to manage the land, reduce human-wildlife conflict and provide job opportunities for local people.
• Its impact has helped to reduce poaching cases to zero, allowing the preservation of black rhino and lions in this region.

Question 9

Palau

Answer 9

Short
A decade of progressive policies, protective measures and pledges from visitors have put the pristine archipelago of Palau at the vanguard of environmental sustainability.

Long
Likely to be impacted greatly by climate change and with tourists responsible for a significant portion of its carbon footprint, Palau is doing all it can to create a more sustainable future.
- Aiming to become the world’s first carbon-neutral tourism destination through the creation of local food chains and an offsetting platform for visitors, the island nation is also investing in blue carbon initiatives, such as mangrove restoration, to reduce CO2 emissions.
- It’s already banned toxic sunscreen, created a dedicated shark sanctuary in 80% of its maritime territory and started to manage wildlife on Rock Islands Southern Lagoon.
- Now it’s unveiled a five-year clean energy plan worth US$33.2 million to help make it self-sufficient in terms of electricity.

Question 10

Gothenburg

Answer 10

Short
With aspirations of being fossil-independent by 2030, the green shoots of sustainability are already starting to show in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city.

Long

• Gothenburg has held the top ranking in the Global Destinations Sustainability Index since 2016 and its progressive, measurable solutions for sustainability wowed our expert panel.
• With a regional climate target of being fossil-independent by 2030, Gothenburg was the first city in the world to issue Green Bonds to accelerate investments in climate-oriented solutions.
• Ninety five percent of its public transport now runs on renewable energy, 92% of its hotels are eco-certified, it has a low emission zone in the centre and the airport is certified to the highest level of the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme.