Our Awards

Responsible Tourism Awards, 2009

Highly commended in the "Best in a Marine Environment" category.

The Responsible Tourism Awards are the most competitive and prestigious awards of their kind in the world and are a collaboration between responsibletravel.com, who founded and organise the Awards, UK media partners The Daily Telegraph and Geographical Magazine, and World Travel Market, who host the Awards ceremony.

Responsible Tourism Awards, 2008

Highly commended in the "Best Volunteering Organisation" category.

The Responsible Tourism Awards are sponsored by responsibletravel.com, Virgin Holidays, The Daily Telegraph, Geographical Magazine and BBC World News, and the World Travel Market. The awards are the most competitive and prestigious awards of their kind in the world.

The awards recognise tourism ventures that make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities while minimising any negative impacts of tourism.

More than 1,900 tour operators from across the globe were nominated for the awards.

Responsible Tourism Awards, 2007

Highly commended in the "Best in a Marine Environment" category.

The Responsible Tourism Awards are sponsored by responsibletravel.com, Virgin Holidays, The Times, the World Travel Market and Geographical magazine. The awards recognise tourism ventures that make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities while minimising any negative impacts of tourism.

More than 1,700 tour operators from across the globe were nominated for the awards.

Responsible Tourism Awards, 2006

Highly commended in the "Best Volunteering Organisation" category.

The First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards are sponsored by responsibletravel.com, The Times and Geographical Magazine.

The awards are the largest of their kind and recognise tourism organisations that respect and benefit local people and places. Blue Ventures was chosen from among 1,200 nominations.

Skål International Eco-tourism Awards, 2006

Winner of the "General Countryside" category from Skal, the world's largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals.

Responsible Tourism Awards, 2004

Highly commended in the "Best in a Marine Environment" category.

The awards recognise companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to 'responsible' tourism – that is, projects which make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities, while minimizing the negative impacts that tourism can have.

Observer Ethical Awards, runner-up 2010

Blue Ventures was commended for creating the Indian Ocean's first replicable blueprint for community-centred marine and coastal conservation planning.

Working alongside some of the world's poorest coastal communities, and drawing on international resources, Blue Ventures has created a model for community members to actively implement, manage and monitor marine conservation strategies.

IUCN Young Conservationist Award, 2010

Blue Ventures’ Research Director Alasdair Harris has been selected as winner of the 2010 Young Conservationist Award, an award by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and the International Ranger Federation which honours outstanding achievements by young people in the world’s protected areas.

Al, a founding Director of Blue Ventures, has spent a decade promoting the cause of marine conservation and research in the western Indian Ocean. His work has focused on developing new models for the sustainable financing of marine conservation in the region. Over recent years conservation initiatives piloted by Blue Ventures have won international acclaim for their contribution to biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation.

Condé Nast Traveler Environmental Award, 2009

For two decades, Condé Nast Traveler has been honouring environmental visionaries around the world who have found innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems. Each year, Condé Nast receives hundreds of nominations and, with the help of a panel of expert judges, selects one winner and three runners-up.

Blue Ventures' work in Madagascar has won international acclaim for its progress in demonstrating the sustainable economic benefits of responsible marine stewardship. Madagascar is widely regarded as the world's most critical conservation priority, yet the island continent faces massive environmental problems linked to climate change, population growth and over-exploitation of natural resources.

Equator Prize (United Nations Development Programme), 2007

Blue Ventures' partnership with the village of Andavadoaka won the UNDP Equator Prize in recognition of outstanding community efforts for poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation.

Blue Ventures worked with Andavadoaka in 2004 to establish the world’s first community-run octopus no-take zone. The strategy, which created seasonal closures, not only ensures the long-term survival of octopus populations, but also results in greater yields for fishermen when the closures are opened each season.

United Nations SEED Award (UNDP, UNEP, IUCN), 2005

Blue Ventures became the first European organisation to win this prestigious award in recognition of innovative, locally-driven partnerships delivering sustainable development and livelihoods. Winners were selected from over 260 entries from 66 countries, representing 1,200 organisations.

Blue Ventures’ partnership project ‘Madagascar’s first community-run, experimental Marine Protected Area’ was chosen as a ‘shining example of how economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand,’ according to the international panel which made the selection.

Al Harris named one of the Future 100 Young Social Entrepreneurs, 2009

The Future 100 Awards recognises young entrepreneurs demonstrating flair and innovation in running a responsible business venture - one which demonstrates a balance between economic, environmental and social goals.

Finalist, Ashoka and National Geographic Geotourism Challenge, 2008

Blue Ventures was selected as one of 14 finalists from 516 nominations, from 89 countries.

The goal of the Geotourism Challenge is to identify and showcase innovators - individuals and organisations that support the approach known as geotourism: tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

You can read more about our entry at http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/5935

Enterprising Young Brits Awards, 2005 and 2006

Blue Ventures was highly commended for two consecutive years by then UK Chancellor, Gordon Brown, in the 'social and environment' category of this national enterprise competition.

Chancellor Gordon Brown said; ‘All of the finalists are winners – they are creating new opportunities and advancing new ideas to create an enterprising society.  Do not underestimate the power you have to encourage others – you are making your mark by showing that enterprise is changing the face of Britain.’