It’s not every day the world of tourism emits a resounding whoop of joy that echoes from Bangkok to Buenos Aires. Still, when Skål International announced it had received a record 106 entries from 30 countries for its 2025 Sustainable Tourism Awards, one could almost hear Greta Thunberg doing a celebratory fist pump.
Yes, dear reader, in a world where “eco-friendly” is often just a sticker slapped on a diesel tour bus, this year’s Skål Awards appear to have genuinely stirred something noble. For once, sustainability isn’t being patted on the back with hollow platitudes. It’s being honoured, celebrated—and dare we say—taken seriously.
Global Enthusiasm with a Guilt-Free Carbon Footprint
From community-led conservation efforts in Colombia to solar-powered safari lodges in Namibia, this year’s entries read like a United Nations wish list for the planet. And let’s be frank: when 106 projects from all corners of the globe bother to submit themselves to scrutiny, you know something’s shifting in the right direction.
“This isn’t just lip service,” a Skål insider told me with the sort of quiet satisfaction usually reserved for a chef watching diners mop up the last of the sauce. “These projects are doing the hard work—on the ground, with the locals, and for the long haul.”
One might even say the whole thing has the makings of a renaissance—if you’ll pardon the grandeur.
Eight New Categories, None of Them Boring
Now, I’ve judged my fair share of awards over the years, including one where a contestant claimed their resort was “carbon neutral” because they planted a single lemon tree out back. But Skål’s new and improved categories for 2025? Let’s say they’re not mucking about.
These freshly renovated categories delve into the heart of sustainability—community involvement, innovation, resource efficiency, and cultural preservation—while still leaving room for a touch of flair. No more vague tick-the-box templates. This is sustainability with a spine.
The judging panel, reportedly an international mix of tourism veterans, environmental advocates, and a few academics, is now deep in the review process. It’s said that coffee consumption among them has reached crisis levels. Still, the smiles remain. The calibre of entries is just that good.
A Green Chorus of Support from Heavy-Hitting Partners
Of course, even the finest awards need a bit of star power. Enter UN Tourism, Biosphere Tourism, the Responsible Tourism Institute, and the ever-earnest folks at Sustainable Travel International—all throwing their weight behind the initiative like a well-choreographed rugby scrum.
UN Tourism continues to provide the global megaphone, helping Skål trumpet its winners far beyond the conference circuit. Their support ensures these sustainable gems don’t just bask briefly in the limelight but become benchmarks for others to emulate.
Meanwhile, Biosphere Tourism and the Responsible Tourism Institute are offering winners a free one-year subscription to the Biosphere Sustainable platform—a digital Swiss Army knife for designing and tracking your sustainability plan. Think TripAdvisor, but for ethical soul-searching.
And Sustainable Travel International? Well, they’ve partnered with Skål to ensure that this awards program reaches further than ever, right into the heart of the global tourism community. Together, they’re turning what might once have been a pleasant pat-on-the-back ceremony into a fully-fledged movement.
All Roads Lead to Cusco
The winners will be revealed on 26 September 2025, during the Opening Ceremony of the 84th Skål International World Congress, to be held in the majestic Andean city of Cusco, Peru—a place so beautiful it makes even the most seasoned travel writer reach for their thesaurus.
It’s a fitting location. Once the capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco is now a shining example of how tourism and heritage can tango rather than collide. The city will host not just a celebration of achievement but a congregation of minds determined to steer tourism away from the edge of the environmental cliff.
Not Just About the Winners
In a move that deserves more applause than it will likely receive, Skål has published the full list of entrants on its website, complete with logos. Because, as they rightly point out, sustainability isn’t a race. Every entrant is helping push the industry forward, whether they end up clutching a trophy or not.
“We’re here to give them visibility,” Skål says. “Because visibility leads to impact.”
Bravo. A thousand times, bravo.
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By Yves Thomas
