This year at the World Travel Market, responsible tourism made its way from a niche-market corner into the mainstream. The BBC World sponsored the World Responsible Tourism Programme (WRTP), which included a series of seminars on some of the major topics within tourism and sustainability. The Programme culminated with World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday November 10, when the much-anticipated 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards were handed out.

Just one week remains before winners are named Wild Asia’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards, a competition that honours the efforts of small- and medium-sized hotels and tour operators in Asia for their elevated practice of responsible tourism. The Wild Asia team recently paid a visit to Heritance Kandalama Hotel in Sri Lanka, a chef d’oeuvre of Sri Lanka’s renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa, that combines true luxury with a responsible approach to its rich local environment.

Less than one month remains before winners are drawn for Wild Asia’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards, a competition that celebrates the noble efforts of small- and medium-sized hotels and tour operators in Asia for their focus upon responsible tourism practices. The fourth of six finalists to be visited by the Wild Asia team is the Sarinbuana Ecolodge, a small accommodation located in a rainforest village in the northwest of Bali, Indonesia.

With the finalists of Wild Asia’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Award now announced, the honourable endeavours of six small- and medium-sized hotels and tour operators that champion responsible practices in the travel industry are being celebrated. The third of the finalists to receive a visit from the Wild Asia team was the PEPY Tours, a local tour operator and nongovernmental organisation working to improve access to education for underprivileged kids in Cambodia.

With the finalists of Wild Asia’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Award now announced, the honourable endeavours of six small- and medium-sized hotels and tour operators that champion responsible practices in the travel industry are being celebrated. The second of the finalists to have received a visit from the Wild Asia team was the Soneva Gili resort, the first all-over-water lodge of the Republic of Maldives.

With the finalists of Wild Asia’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Award now announced, the honourable endeavours of six small- and medium-sized hotels and tour operators that champion responsible practices in the travel industry are being celebrated. The first of the finalists to have received a visit from the Wild Asia team was the Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa in Malaysia.