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Your support makes all the difference.Emirates Hotels and Resorts and Accor have been named amongst the world's leading sustainable tourism organizations at the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in Beijing.
The awards, which were presented at the Global Travel and Tourism Summit last week, recognized the achievement of Dubai-based Emirates Hotels and Resorts in creating its Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve - the first protected area in the United Arab Emirates.
In awarding the Conservation Award, judges praised the efforts of Emirates at the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai and the Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia, which is reversing extensive grazing and development damage to restore rare native flora and fauna to the area.
The Global Tourism Business award went to French accommodation giant Accor for its Earth Guest Program and a "company-wide philosophy based on hospitality, respect for diverse cultures, environmental best practices, and the social welfare of local people."
Accor owns global brands including Studio6, Mercure, Ibis, Sofitel, Pullman and Novotel.
Botswana Tourism Board won the "Destination Stewardship" award for its "low-volume - high-yield" approach to tourism in the Okavango Delta, where it put a framework in place to ensure proper management of one of the world's most iconic nature travel destinations.
"We are truly honored to win this award as the world recognizes our efforts in protecting the Okavango and its vast population of wildlife, said Botswana Tourism Board CEO Myra Sekgororoane.
"As well as motivating us to look for new ways to improve tourism and conservation in our country, we hope it can inspire other countries to do similar work to protect their natural heritage."
Indigenous Maori-owned and locally-operated Whale Watch Kaikoura won the Community Benefit Award for its "outstanding achievement" in rebuilding the local economy through community-based tourism in Kaikoura, on the East Coast of South Island in New Zealand.
The company gives over 100,000 visitors annually the chance to observe marine life up close in environmentally friendly vessels.
A panel of judges from the fields of travel and tourism narrowed down the field from 12 finalists to select the four winners of the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, presented by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
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