When a subsea earthquake generated a massive tsunami in 2004, thousands lost their lives and tens of thousands lost their livelihoods along the Khao Lak coast of Thailand. But today, sustainable tourism is well on the way to replacing – and enhancing – the lifestyles of some of the local people
Winners of Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards 2012
After a year's absence, WildAsia returned once again to stage the Responsible Tourism Awards, the region's top green honours that hoteliers and tour operators aspire towards. The winners of their 2012 Responsible Tourism Awards were announced at ITB Asia held in Singapore. This year, there were four specific award categories ranging from community engagement, culture preservation, nature conservation to resource efficiency, plus one generic category for the "most inspiring" responsible operator. Finalists had to demonstrate excellence in various areas of sustainability and, of course, responsible tourism practices. They were assessed based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Criteria.