Reykjanes one of Global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations
Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland has been unveiled as one of the Top 100 Global Sustainable Destinations. The awards - presented for the third time on the annual World Tourism Day 27 September 2017 - celebrate the efforts of tourism destinations’ responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives.
The awards are presented by the international non-profit organisation Green Destinations promoting sustainable tourism and involving of a global partnership of expert organisations, companies and academic institutions.
The Top 100 initiative aims to recognise tourism destinations that have worked hard to make a difference, take sustainability seriously, and celebrate best practice in destination management. More than 2000 destinations are included in the organisation's database and recognised by various standards and criteria e.g. tourism policy, nature protection, animal ethics, landscape, environmental issues, reduction of fossil fuel dependency, cultural heritage, social welfare, business environment and hospitality.
"Great honour"
Kjartan Már Kjartansson, Director of the Board of Visit Reykjanes and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, says that receiving the award is a great honour for the whole area. "We can now see the rewards of the hard work done by municipalities, supporting organisations and companies, in policy development and improvement of infrastructure in the Reykjanes area. All projects undertaken by the municipalities, Visit Reykjanes and Reykjanes Geopark are towards supporting regional development. The Top 100 Global Sustainable Destinations award is an acknowledgement that we are moving in the right direction and an encouragement to continue our work in the future."
Tourist destination based on common mutual goals
Thuridur H. Aradottir Braun, Director of Visit Reykjanes, believes that the award will lead to increasing tourism and interest in visiting the area. "Being accepted on the Global Top 100 list as a sustainable destination is a privilege and means a great deal for the people in Reykjanes. The award shows how important it is that we work together towards a mutual goal in tourism and in harmony with our local community. We will continue this work and look forward to presenting the future results."
Listed with world renowned destinations
Reykjanes Peninsula is the only Icelandic destination on the Global Top 100 list this year, joining fellow destinations this year such as Los Angeles, Niagara Falls, Azores Islands, Cape Town, Svalbard and Ljubljana in Slovenia.