Sustainable Tourism Planning and
Development Laboratory offers cash prize
for Sustainable Tourism efforts
The Sustainable Tourism Planning and
Development Laboratory presents the
ARISTA for notable achievement in
Sustainable Tourism.
The ARISTA will be presented once
again to one organization in each of
three geographic areas: Rhode Island,
New England and USA. This prize will be
awarded in September of 2010 to an
agency, non-governmental organization or
business for its project or program
demonstrating the implementation of
sustainable tourism practices.
The purpose of this prize is "to
encourage the use of sustainable
principles in tourism development,"
according to Dr. Robert Billington,
Executive Director of the Sustainable
Tourism Laboratory. “It is an
opportunity to remind us that
sustainable tourism is, first and
foremost, about benefiting our residents
and resources."
Sustainable tourism planning aims to
integrate multiple sectors, involving
citizens’ groups, private corporations,
government and individuals, thus
providing the widest possible benefits
to the community. According to
Billington, "The ARISTA will be
presented to organizations that regard
as vital the protection and appropriate
economic uses of the natural and human
environment."
"This recognition comes with a
$250.00 cash prize for each of the three
geographic areas. It will reward those
individuals, groups or agencies that
work to integrate environmental, social,
historical, cultural and economic
planning in their tourism development
work," said Billington.
The Sustainable Tourism Planning and
Development Laboratory, established in
2005, is certified in Tourism Governance
under the United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO.org) as a program of
the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
(BVTC). The BVTC was established in 1985
and has recently been recognized in
Destination Development worldwide by the
World Travel and Tourism Council
(WTTC.org).
The mission of the Sustainable
Tourism Laboratory
(Sustainabletourismlab.com) is to help
any community intent on doing so, to
develop tourism in a sustainable way.
Using the principles of Civic Tourism,
Geotourism and Sustainable Tourism, the
Sustainable Tourism Laboratory works to
share its knowledge and expertise with
other tourism communities.
“We have some great agencies doing
great work across America,” says
Billington. “It's time we shed some
light on their work. We hope the ARISTA
will continue to grow in importance and
size though the years.” The ARISTA began
as an acknowledgement for Sustainable
Tourism in Rhode Island. It has been
extended to annually acknowledge one
project from the New England region and
one project from elsewhere in the US.
To nominate or apply for the ARISTA
visit here
Or write to:
Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
175 Main Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Or call the Sustainable Lab at
800-454-2882