"Little steps can be made to lead us together into a happier and more sustainable world"
Roi Ariel is currently a Sustainability & Social Responsibility Associate at PATA based in Bangkok. He has recently been the Partnership Manager for the Responsible Tourism Awards at Wild Asia and an Environmental Affairs intern at UN-ESCAP. He has worked as an Independent Ecotourism Advisor in China, Taiwan, Madagascar and in his native Israel, where he was an Advisor to Friends of the Earth Middle East and a Radio host and producer at the Israel Broadcasting Authority. He holds a Master's degree in Applied Economics and Social Development from National Chengchi University of Taipei (Taiwan) and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Comparative Religion from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
ECOCLUB.com: Please explain to us the general philosophy and specific aims of the Wild Asia Awards. How are winners chosen and what do they gain?
Roi Ariel: The tourism industry in Asia is growing very quickly. We believe that sustainable destinations can be made a reality by promoting, sharing and inspiring change from within the travel industry. Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards is one of the first tourism award in Asia specifically focused on sustainable tourism best practices. Since 2006, the annual awards identify accommodation and tourism operators and projects who are making a positive difference in the destination where they operate. By rewarding the bright sparks, more operators from the region will be encouraged to step forward and to share and inspire change from within the travel industry, beginning with operators closest to us. We have aligned our Responsible Tourism Checklist according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Sustainable Tourism Criteria. We keep supporting the winners to showcase their practices. For example, Yurie Nagashima of Kinyei, winner of Most Inspiring Responsible Tourism Initiative category for 2015, gave a talk about “Building Partnerships with Local Communities: The Key To Community-Based Tourism” at IBT Asia 2015 Responsible Tourism Clinics arranged by Wild Asia.
Our Judging Advisory Panel is made up of senior level sustainable tourism experts. All members have at least 10 years of experience in tourism in general and in responsible tourism in Asia in particular. They review the answers and evidences provided in the application forms, and the required documentation. Each Judge selects their top 2-3 operators for each category. The two operators with the most votes are selected as Finalists. Likewise, the operator in each category at the second round of judging with the most votes is selected as a Winner. Allowing the Judges to vote as an independent Panel gives us assurance and fair judging. In case of a conflict of interests, the judge does not vote in the specific category. And a few tips to those who plan to apply for such kind of awards: make sure to apply for the right category. This can be critical for being selected as a finalist or a winner. Also, giving more information helps the judges understand better what the business does. Using concrete numbers and examples help to show the positive impact.