Sustainability-focused awards are part of a set of tools known as ecolabels or environmental labeling. In addition to awards, there are also seals, certifications, among other types. These "mechanisms influence producers to have a more environmentally responsible supply and to promote more reliable communication with the target market", as Costa (2020) indicates.
Since the 1990s, recognition of the efforts of tourism organizations has been amplified. For the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2017), awards focused on sustainability in tourism serve to inspire groups (companies, governments, consumers, communities, etc.) in different places and scales. Thus, an award linked to sustainability seeks to influence producers to be more committed and to recognize those who already play a relevant role in the advancement of socio-environmental issues in tourism.
In Brazil, the Braztoa Sustainability Award occupies the highest prominence in the sector. In 2022, the initiative celebrates 10 years of its existence and has the LETS as a partner, as several members collaborate as judges, organizers and with research on the awards.
"The Award is a spectacular initiative that brings together public, private, third sector actors, international organizations, and strengthens the bridges between them for the development of a more conscious tourism in Brazil" - João Tasso, coordinator of LETS and jury member of the award since 2018.
The Braztoa Sustainability Award aims to encourage the tourism chain to act in an environmentally responsible, socially fair and economically viable manner; Encourage the trade to offer sustainable products and services and enable good initiatives to be multiplied; Foster the corporate culture of sustainability management in the tourism sector; Recognize best practices and give visibility to companies and their sustainable actions; and Contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Brazil.
In 9 editions, the award has already obtained 903 entries and 92 award-winning cases. All winning initiatives are available on the Map of Sustainable Initiatives, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism. In this 10th edition, the award obtained 89 entries, with 50 cases indicated for the second stage of the selection process, after the careful evaluation and scoring of the semifinalist initiatives, 27 finalists were selected for the Award, and 4 selected for Honorable Mention. The winners were announced at an Awards Ceremony at BioParque Pantanal, which took place simultaneously with the BRAZTOA Convention, between December 1st and 4th, 2022, in Campo Grande.
The Braztoa Sustainability Award was the 1st Sustainable Tourism Award recognized by the World Tourism Organization – UNWTO, in 2014. The entity is responsible for its organization and has an essential differential, which gives the award credibility and relevance at a national and international level, which is its jury, which not only analyzes and selects the winning initiatives, but since the creation of the Award, assists BRAZTOA in strategic decision-making aimed at its constant improvement.
The Jury of the Braztoa Sustainability Award is made up of professionals, entrepreneurs, specialists and multidisciplinary doctors, who work in the UN Environment, Biodiversity Convention, the Ministry of Tourism, ABNT, Fecomércio, educational institutions, consultancies, among others.
The Brazilian Association of Travel Operators - BRAZTOA, created in 1989, works to connect professionals, companies and institutions with the objective of fostering the development of leisure tourism in harmony with natural, sociocultural and economic resources, inspiring travelers to explore the world. It currently represents 56 tour operators and 27 partner associates, which correspond to Business Partners, companies related to the tourism sector, and Institutional Partners, which encompasses destinations and entities in the sector.
"The Braztoa Sustainability Award was born as a result of many reflections on our role, the need to change and the desire to inspire our sector to act more responsibly and equally, to recognize the efforts of the sector, it was the last chapter of this story. It is an immense joy to get here." Roberto Nedelcio, President of Braztoa
After a careful evaluation carried out by the jury, which was coordinated and interfaced by SPRINT Dados, the 10 winning initiatives and three other honorable mentions were announced to the public, chosen from 31 finalists from 14 Brazilian states and the Federal District. Rayane Ruas, founder of SPRINT Dados, points out that:
The selection process of the registered initiatives goes through an analysis of criteria and a broad debate by the Jury, without any involvement of Braztoa. These aspects guarantee the Award relevance and credibility. It is an honor for us to contribute to the management, ensuring rigor in all procedures of application, analysis and selection of the Award.
Meet the winners of the Braztoa Award for Sustainability in Tourism 2022 - 10th edition
In Braztoa Operators Category There were two winners:
Training Program in Sustainable Tourism, from CVC Corp, action focused on tourism development through creative, inclusive and sustainable experiences.
Yaripo Project - Yanomami Ecotourism, proposed by the Environmental Tourism , led by indigenous people, focused on income generation, entrepreneurship, autonomy and preservation of the Amazon;
The Institutional Partners Category It had three winners:
Paraná Parks Program , a government initiative to promote sustainable tourism in conservation units, integrating its surrounding community, fostering small businesses, assisting in income distribution, generating socioeconomic development and protecting traditional cultures and communities, through safe and conscious tourism;
Quilombo Cultural Itinerary of São Luís (MA), an initiative of the Municipality of São Luís, through the Municipal Department of Tourism, aimed at collaborating to strengthen the sense of belonging and the socioeconomic development of the community, visitors and the tourist trade;
Community-Based Tourism Valuing Caiçara Culture , a project that puts Sustainable Tourism into practice, making the caiçara community as a protagonist, with training, strengthening of initiatives, dissemination of itineraries, for the generation of a source of income.
Among the Business Partners There were five winners:
Cafezal em Flor Tourism and Specialty Coffees , which started its activities almost 20 years ago with the proposal of disseminating sustainable practices among visitors, employees and the local population. Combining hospitality, gastronomy, agricultural knowledge, specialty coffee production and education with sustainable practices, they have become a national reference in coffee tourism;
Estancia Mimosa Ecotourism , in Bonito (MS), is an attraction that offers waterfall tours, horseback riding and bird watching. The operation was founded with guidelines for sustainability. In 2022, they began the expansion of the agroforestry system, encouraging family farming and forest restoration. Visitors walk this new path and get to know the environmental projects of the place;
Florin Experience , a program of affective experiences that includes workshops, courses and technical visits aimed at highlighting the importance of bees and pollination for the production of healthy food. Among its objectives is to disseminate responsible consumption and production patterns, compatible with the fundamentals of the circular economy;
Regenerative tourism program Coral Biofactory , a startup focused on generating goods, products, processes and services that contribute to reef reconstitution, from a multidisciplinary perspective. The program represents the effort to scale up reef recovery, transfer of income and knowledge to the communities, always associated with raising people's awareness;
Quinta da Estância – A dream put into practice of education for sustainability , which was born 30 years ago and brings actions to value local labor, regional suppliers, Carbon-Free project, recovery of animals seized from trafficking, participation in the UN Global Compact, planting of more than 60 thousand trees in the region, reception of more than 60 thousand needy students free of charge.
Finally, among the Honorable Mentions There were three winners:
Media Category: Conscious Experiences in National Destinations, from Live More, Travel More , which shares national destination guides for Brazilians and foreigners with information that generates environmental and social awareness, offers practical tips for tourists to minimize their impacts and also promotes business with good sustainability initiatives
The Academy Category had two winners: The Study Lowering the harm of tourist activities: a Systematic Literature Review on Nudges, It deals with Nudges, an application of Behavioral Economics that aims to produce better decision-making at the same time, in which they provide freedom of choice. The Study proposes a conceptual model to implement legitimate nudges in the tourism sector, which considers the particularities of hedonic environments, focused on pleasure and fun.
Mandioteca - cartography of cassava flours in Brazil has the purpose of valuing the diversity of cassava flours existing in Brazil and, with this, promoting the sustainable gastronomic and tourist use of this ingredient and the appreciation of producing territories and communities. The project is carried out by the IFB Riacho Fundo campus, through the RIFB Public Notice 16/2021 and has the external partnership of the Maniva Institute and support from the IFF Cabo Frio campus.
This year, the award brings a land trip to Spain, in 2023, offered by the country's Tourism Office, for the group of 10 winners in the categories; a certificate that also has the seal of the Ministry of Tourism and UNEP - United Nations Environment Program; Digital Seal "Winner of the Braztoa Sustainability Award 2022/23"; indication as responsible business partners for Braztoa members; integrate the learning network, which will bring together the winners of previous editions, judges, associates and guests; initiatives included in the website Sustainable Initiatives.turismo, gov.br and in the "Responsible Tourism Map"; and dissemination on the communication platforms of Braztoa, the Ministry of Tourism and communication partners.
Research on the Braztoa Award
Among the research already carried out by UnB on the award, two articles were published: in 2019, a study sought to understand the impacts of the award on the winners, authored by Santos, Costa and Alfinito ( click here ). And the second, published in 2020, which aimed to understand aspects that, in the view of the winners, could be improved so that the award would be increasingly effective ( click here for the full article). For Helena Costa, coordinator of LETS, researcher on the subject and juror of the award since 2014:
"The Braztoa Award is a great celebration of those who seek a real path to sustainability in tourism. Participating as a juror is a great honor and learning. And being able to offer academic studies on the award is an immense joy. After all, it is a very serious, committed award that is always evolving."
To learn more: access the Responsible Tourism Map here
