The winners of the 12th edition of World Responsible Tourism Awards were announced at the recently concluded World Travel Market in London on World Responsible Tourism Day, the world’s largest event for responsible tourism.

Turtle Bay Beach Club, located on Kenya’s idyllic Watamu Beach, scooped up the Silver award in the Best for Beach Tourism category behind Indonesia’s Loola Adventure Resort and Maldives’ Soneva Fushi.

The hotel, which has an excellent record of commitment to the environment and community issues, developed an Eco-Policy that documents their proven best practices and also sets future goals to ensure their operations remain responsible throughout. In addition to the hotel’s Conservation & Community Office, which was established more than twenty years ago, Turtle Bay has been running a sea turtle conservation program since 2005.

Judges evaluated submissions by evidence-based positive impacts, replicability, innovation, influence and sustainability; and the panel recognized Turtle Bay’s leading role in establishing the Watamu Marine Association, the Beach Cleaning and Community Waste Management and Recycling Project and their role in assisting other hotels in setting up their own Environmental Management Teams.

The Awards, organised by Responsible Travel in association with the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, champions tourism businesses that works in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations, local communities and biodiversity.