New York, NY – October 5, 2021 – Sustainable and cultural tourism initiatives in the United States and Canada garnered recognitionthis year in the 2021 SATW Phoenix Awards. The Civil Rights Trail in the American South was applauded for its “utmost importance to the country's history”; the Iron Ore Heritage Trail along Lake Superior in Michigan was recognized for its restoration and sustainable revitalization of former mining lands; while Adventure Canada was cited for its profound involvement in supporting local and indigenous communities.

Founded in 1969, the SATW's Phoenix Awards recognize and honor destinations that showcase responsible, sustainable tourism, including conservation; preservation; beautification and anti-pollution efforts as they relate to travel. North America's premier travel media organization maintains a long-standing focus on sustainability and appreciates the benefits of cultural understanding and economic activity that come with travel.

Awardees may be individuals, communities or organizations that have contributed to a quality travel experience through conservation, preservation, beautification or environmental and cultural efforts. Nominations must be made by SATW members; they are then reviewed by the SATW Phoenix Committee and submitted with recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval.

“SATW is proud of our long-standing support for natural and cultural heritage and sustainability,” said Larry Bleiberg, SATW President. “This year's winners focus on the struggles for freedom, on industrial heritage and on indigenous communities. This is a testament to the winners' deep commitment to their history and underlines the vitality of partnerships.” 

The three 2021 winners are:

The Iron Ore Heritage Trail

The Iron Ore Heritage Trail received accolades for the sheer innovation, ingenuity and a painstaking grass roots process of linking former industrial sites into an exceptional, environmentally-pleasing recreational trail. According to the judges, “This [the Iron Ore Trail] exemplifies every aspect of the Phoenix Award: the complete restoration of a place marred by humans and brought back to beauty and enjoyment by conscientious work.”

Extending 47 miles from the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan, to the source of iron ore first mined in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Iron Ore Heritage Trail is now a National Recreation Trail that connects the major communities in the region – three cities and seven townships – while interpreting the rich history of iron mining in the region. It is a multi-use, year-round trail accessible by foot and by bike.

Early iron mining was a messy business, leaving open pits and heaps of waste. For this reason, industrial sites are often difficult targets for restoration because of the inherent hazards of age and materials. The Iron Ore Heritage Trail took landscapes and waterfront deeply affected by human activity and turned it into a scenic recreation destination, while restoring key elements of the industrial past that shaped the region. rock around processing areas. This trails project re-imagined the long-abandoned mines as a tourism asset, paralleling creation of a recreation corridor with interpretation of the history of mining along the route.www.ironoreheritage.com

United States Civil Rights Trail

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks in the American South and beyond where fearless activists played pivotal roles in advancing social justice in the 1950s and 1960s. It was the movement that changed America. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wrote, "One day the South will recognize its real heroes." On MLK Day in 2018, the Civil Rights Trail debuted, and in 2021, the book, United States Civil Rights Trail, written by Lee Sentell with new photographs by SATW member Art Meripol was published.

In the year following the protests over such racially motivated brutality in high-profile cases such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the civil rights issue is the hottest topic in US culture today. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail website and book illustrate and guide the reader to the locations and stories that laid the groundwork for the second stage of the Civil Rights Movement that's now underway. Judges commented that the Civil Rights Trail is “a massive project with many components and of utmost importance to the country's history.”

Adventure Canada

Adventure Canada is a small, family-owned company that has been leading expeditions to some of the world's most remote locations, pioneering remarkable standards for environmentally sensitive tourism since 1987. The company focuses on cultural preservation and creates cultural connections with local populations. Adventure Canada created Regenerative Tourism Plan, pillared on Community Wellness, Cultural Preservation and Renewal. The company works with every community to ensure that the local goals are met without over-tourism. www.adventurecanada.com

 The judges commented that “many communities scattered along the Canadian coastlines and other areas are surviving, thriving and sustaining themselves as they are now, thanks to exemplary efforts of Adventure which goes from jobs and economies to improving food security.”

Adventure Canada exemplifies the Phoenix Award criteria for responsible and sustainable tourism in many ways, particularly for recognizing Inuit Indigenous Culture. With its touring programs and local involvements, Adventure Canada has empowered the Inuit people to become self-sustaining. The Inuit are hired as interpreters of nature, as “guides and bear watchers” and in the ships' retail, administrative and leadership positions. The company's Inuit Training Programs, includes training for guides, archeologists and cruise specialists.

Adventure Canada is also widely recognized for its service to conservation, science and education through strategic partnerships and its Scientists-in-Residence program. The Ocean Endeavour ship hosts practicing researchers to gather data on environmental issues, such as plastics accumulation in the world's waterways. Its Young Explorers Program provides opportunities for youth to launch their science careers.

The SATW Membership

Founded in 1955, SATW and its members have adapted continually to meet an-ever changing media landscape. Today, SATW remains the nation's premier professional travel media organization comprising 1,000 of the travel industry's most experienced journalists, photographers, editors, broadcast/video/film producers, bloggers, website owners, media relations experts and hospitality industry representatives from the United States, Canada and beyond. All members must meet and maintain the industry's highest standards of productivity, ethics and conduct, and support SATW's mission of “Inspiring Travel Through Responsible Journalism.”

A Welcoming, Vibrant and Professional Community

SATW is a vibrant resource in and to the travel industry for bringing travel media and destinations together. Importantly it has become a community where professionals can network, learn through professional development, share peer-to-peer best practices and experiences, and build relationships. At its annual convention, SATW also presents the SATW Bill Muster Photo Awards that recognize excellence in travel photography featuring nature, people and cultures; and the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, the industry's highest honors in travel journalism.

SATW also champions the ongoing struggle for racial equality with formal statements of diversity, equity and inclusion publicly welcoming all races, religions, ethnicities, physical abilities and the LBGTQ community. This initiative is supported by an active Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee, which presents programs on diversity and seeks to ensure membership is inclusive and welcoming to all professionals.

MEDIA REQUESTS: For additional information and interviews with SATW President Larry Bleiberg, or with incoming SATW President Elizabeth Harryman, contact SATW's External Communications Manager, Victoria Larson, victoria@vklarsoncommunications.com. For information about SATW and its membership, contact SATW Executive Director Marla Schrager, mschrager@satw.org. For information about the Phoenix Award, contact Phoenix Chair Toby Saltzman, tobysaltzman@rogers.com. 

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