Petra Nemcova, Supermodel and Founder & Chair, Happy Hearts Fund (HHF), received the World Tourism Humanitarian Award at the annual World Tourism Awards ceremony at World Travel Market, Excel Centre, London.
World Tourism Awards were also presented to Earthwatch Institute, Singita and Google. The award presentation was hosted by Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor and world renowned travel expert.
Inaugurated in 1997, the World Tourism Awards were established to recognize “the extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organizations, destinations, and attractions for outstanding accomplishments in the travel industry.”
The World Tourism Humanitarian Award was presented “in recognition of Petra Nemcova's inspiring philanthropic initiative and vision in creating Happy Hearts Fund in 2006. By the end of 2014, HHF will have rebuilt 100 safe-resilient schools in areas impacted by natural disasters to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, bringing hope and empowerment to more than 46,000 children and 490,000 community members in nine countries around the world”.
The second award honoured Singita - Place of Miracles, “in recognition of its vision and dedication to environmentally conscious hospitality, through the development of sustainable conservation programs and successful community projects resulting in the empowerment of local communities living and working around the twelve Singita lodges in Africa.” Accepting the Award on behalf of Singita was Elle Reinink, European Sales & Marketing, Singita.
The third award honoured Google, “in recognition for developing the cutting edge global social network platform and technology, Google Glass that enabled committed photographers around the world to share their travel experiences in real time, directly into the homes of people whose mobility is limited”. Accepting the Award on behalf of Google was Lasse Wassermann, Senior Program Manager, Google.
