Virtuoso Announces Nominees for 2019 Sustainable Tourism Leadership Awards

Renowned luxury travel network, Virtuoso, recently unveiled its nominees for its Best of the Best Awards. The awards, which take place on August 14, 2019, at Bellagio Resort & Casino, recognizes hotels and professionals in the hospitality industry that are elevating the bar in their respective area.

Virtuoso Best of the Best Awards | Photo courtesy

“Every year Virtuoso engages our entire network to discover the hotels and professionals that are leading the way and inspiring others, whether it’s their partners, peers or guests,” said Albert Herrera, Virtuoso senior vice president, Global Product Partnerships. “These nominees are trendsetters, consistently providing experiences that are distinctly unique and beyond compare. The Best of the Best Awards celebrate those who embody the Virtuoso spirit by demonstrating leadership in furthering service and innovation in an industry where excellence is the norm.”

Dazzle Africa | photo courtesy

The nominees, which are part of the Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts program, includes over 1,300 properties in more than 100 countries and encompasses more five-star hotels than any other luxury travel program. Selected by the network and Virtuoso Life magazine’s editors, contenders represent 10 categories such as Best Achievement in Design, Best Dining Experience, Best Family Experience, Best Wellness Experience and Sustainable Tourism Leadership Awards.

Over the past two decades, sustainable travel has gone from trend to intention.

“People want to travel with a greater sense of purpose. A Dazzle (Africa) safari is a great way to be pampered and make a difference,” says Stacy James, co-founder/executive director of the nonprofit, Dazzle Africa.

“The cost for Dazzle safaris ranges from $5,500 to $8,500 for eight to 12 nights, and the money we raise helps Conservation South Luangwa, the Zambian Carnivore Program, and Bushcamp Company’s nonprofit, Charity Begins At Home.

“Zambia needs clean water,” explains James. “A lot of our guests come for a safari and after seeing the work we do, they sponsor a bore hole for $7,000 that provides a village with clean water for 20 years.

According to Virtuoso, wilderness safaris started in the early 1980s with a mission of conservation through tourism, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was the first hospitality company in North America to establish green operations, as far back as 1990.

Currently in its ninth year, the Sustainable Tourism Leadership Awards recognizes companies that are committed to travel that is environmentally friendly, protects cultural heritage and contributes to the well-being of the region’s inhabitants.