The World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards (WSTHA) and The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (The Alliance) have unveiled a landmark partnership to recognise the torch bearers of sustainable tourism. The Alliance will help steer the WSTHA programme, including serving on its new Advisory Board. The announcement, made at Fitur 2024, comes ahead of the inaugural WSTHA Ceremony in Belize on 27 September 2024.

The WSTHA Advisory Board comprises leading authorities, academics and dignitaries in driving net positive hospitality. The experts will steer and govern the WSTHA programme to reflect the travel and hospitality ecosystem, including guiding on best practice, standards and the award category list.

Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, The Alliance will serve as Vice-Chair on the WSTHA Advisory Board. He will be joined by Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Belize; Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability, World Travel & Tourism Council; Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic; Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, General Secretary, Responsible Tourism Institute; Fran Brasseux, Executive Director, International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education; and Susan Hooper, Co-Founding Director of Chapter Zero.

WSTHA will feature up to 30 award categories covering the full spectrum of the travel and tourism economy, from community initiatives and eco hotels to food sourcing and clean water. The winners will be revealed at the WSTHA Gala Ceremony 2024 in Belize, attended by leading figureheads of sustainable tourism.

Justin Cooke, Executive Vice-President, WSTHA, says: “WSTHA is delighted to welcome such high calibre experts to our Advisory Board. Our new team will play a fundamental role in steering our programme, with the goal of raising the bar for sustainable best practice and leading the net positive future of our industry. We look forward to welcoming them in Belize for the inaugural WSTHA Gala Ceremony on 27 September 2024. As Official Host Destination of WSTHA 2024, Belize holds responsible tourism at its core, and develops projects that encourage travellers to engage with its rainforests, reefs and unique culture in a sustainable manner.”

The Alliance, in collaboration with strategic partners, addresses key global challenges affecting the planet, people, and places. As part of this partnership, The Alliance will establish and execute a process to collect and screen best practices exemplifying net positive hospitality. These best practices will be used to capture case studies that will foster advancement within the hospitality sector.

Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, noted: “As we kick off 2024, we are excited to announce this partnership with World Travel Awards to foster the establishment of the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards, which strengthens our position and network in leading the industry to net positive hospitality. The new programme will undoubtedly highlight the hospitality industry’s expertise and collective efforts towards achieving net positive. It's an honour to join the Advisory Board, and I eagerly anticipate collaborating with these sustainability experts and leaders as we make a significant impact on capturing the best-in-class examples of sustainability progress within our industry."

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Belize, comments: “Sustainable and responsible tourism has always been at the core of our value system in Belize. We are excited that Belize will be hosting the inaugural World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards in September 2024, allowing us to highlight our best practices and developing projects while encouraging attendees to engage with our rainforests, Barrier Reef, cultures, and local communities. We are honoured to be joined by a group of sustainability trailblazers as members on the awards Advisory Board. Their support to Belize and the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards will ensure that the event is a resounding success.”