The Spanish Tourist Office (UK) has confirmed the panel of judges for Spain's inaugural Sustainable Media Awards, with nominations open until Friday, 24th of February.

The awards will be held at The Conduit (6 Langley St, London WC 2H 9JA) in Covent Garden on Wednesday 26 April 2023, following a day conference, and is aimed at the UK and Spanish travel industry representatives, as well as relevant media. Sustainability will be incorporated into every element of this event, from the venue to the catering.

The awards will celebrate the best sustainability features written by UK travel writers showcasing green or sustainable initiatives in Spain.

The judges will look to acknowledge all aspects of sustainability touching on social, cultural, economic and environmental factors. They will value the importance of forming a connection with local people and cultures, visiting lesser visited areas and taking part in low-impact activities such as cycling and walking, as well a travelling by train and other forms of public transport.

The four judges of Spain's Sustainable Awards will be:

CAROL ROSE, SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER AT ABTA

Under ABTA's 'Tourism for Good' framework, Carol's role is to deliver ABTA's strategy for sustainable travel and tourism, across the areas of environment and climate change, destination management, and local impact, human rights, and animal welfare.  Carol comes from the Fashion and Textile industry and has travelled extensively around the globe, working strategically with diverse supply chains to refine design and production techniques.

Additionally, Carol was the Technical Advisor to Defra's Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) at WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), delivering on the objectives for the fashion industry to reduce the carbon, water, and waste footprint of clothing on the environment. Carol has also worked as a Principal Net Zero Consultant guiding businesses to develop and implement their sustainability/net-zero strategies. Carol brings a multisectoral approach to the travel and tourism sector, where she believes the lessons learned on her journey will help to support ABTA Members to bring positive change to the industry.

THOMAS POWER, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF PURA AVENTURA

Having previously guided tour groups throughout Spain, Thomas co-founded the award-winning sustainable tour operator Pura Aventura, which enables clients to experience the highlights of Spain (as well as Portugal and Latin America), away from the crowds. Pura Aventura has been recommended by The Independent, Wanderlust and Condé Nast, amongst others, for innovative sustainability initiatives​, and is known as a voice for certifiably responsible travel by BBC Radio 4, Which?, The Financial Times & CNN. In 2020, Pura Aventura became one of the first UK travel companies to achieve B Corp certification.

RICHARD HAMMOND, SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL WRITER AND FOUNDER OF GREEN TRAVELLER

Richard Hammond is a writer and videographer specialising in the production of sustainable tourism and travel videos. Richard founded his media production company 'Green Traveller' in 2009 promoting low carbon travel and adventures that have a positive impact on the planet. Previously, he spent 12 years as a sustainable tourism journalist, editor-in-chief of TravelMole, eco travel correspondent for The Guardian, and travel editor for National Geographic Green. He was a consultant to the Travel Channel TV series 'How to Holiday Greener', has co-authored and contributed to books on sustainable travel (Guardian Books, Lonely Planet, Rough Guides), and has written articles for a variety of titles, including National Geographic, Telegraph, The Times, and The Sunday Times. Richard recently published The Green Traveller Book that helps travellers to plan an eco-conscious trip, including ways to see through “greenwashing”.

MANUEL BUTLER, DIRECTOR OF THE SPANISH TOURIST OFFICE (UK)

Director of the Spanish Tourist Office (Turespaña), Manuel Butler Halter, has participated in the highest levels of Spanish tourism promotion for over 25 years and is a strong sustainability advocate. Butler previously served as Tourism Counsellor from 1999 to 2004 for the Spanish Tourist Office. His illustrious career includes time as Counsellor for the Spanish Embassy in Berlin, Head of Turespaña in both Miami and Frankfurt, and Director General at the Turespaña headquarters in Madrid. Moreover, Butler was previously President of the European Travel Commission and rejoined Turespaña in London in 2021 having completed three years as Executive Director of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). UNWTO strives to promote tourism development that supports the conservation of biodiversity as well as the social welfare and the economic security of the host countries and communities.

Under his new leadership, Turespaña in London has set out its strategy to re-establish Spain as Britain's favourite tourism destination following the pandemic period and associated travel restrictions. Butler is a passionate advocate of sustainable travel and will ensure that his tourism strategy has a long-term and sustainable approach. The strategic focus will be on key niche segments and tourism pillars to help spread the geographical and seasonal distribution of tourism throughout Spain.  

Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office says:

"I am proud to announce our excellent panel to judge Spain's Sustainable Media Awards alongside myself. Carol Rose, Thomas Powell, and Richard Hammond all have distinguished careers in the sustainable travel space and bring with them years of experience to our inaugural awards show. Sustainable travel is always at the heart of what the Spanish Tourist Office and I are working towards, so I am also delighted to be judging the range of fantastic sustainable media candidates in the United Kingdom."

The categories for the Spain's Sustainable Media Awards 2023 are as follows: 

• Consumer National Newspaper Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (print) 
• Consumer Magazine Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (print) 
• Regional Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (print/online) 
• Online Consumer Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year
• Sustainable Blog, Vlog or Podcast of the Year 
• Top published Spain photographs  

For more information on criteria and submission process, please click here.

Spain's Sustainable Media Awards are a closed event and invitations will be distributed in due course, to register your interest, please click here.

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For more information on Spain as a tourism destination, please visit www.spain.info 

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