The WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards are part of the ICRT global Responsible Tourism Awards programme, established in 2004 to identify, recognise and promote good practice in Responsible Tourism. The awards are designed to identify organisations that are not simply making claims about sustainability or responsibility, but can demonstrate what they are doing, the impacts they are achieving and what others can learn from their approach. The awards are free to enter but deliberately rigorous and difficult to win.
1. An evidence-led process
The fundamental principle of the awards is evidence.
ICRT global's judging criteria explicitly state that judges are looking for evidence of real change. Applicants are expected to demonstrate positive impacts or reductions in negative impacts and to quantify these wherever possible. The judges also assess the extent to which an initiative can be replicated, the innovation involved, its influence on others, its sustainability and longevity, and the organisation's overall commitment to Responsible Tourism.
This approach is reflected directly in the WTM Africa application process. Applicants are asked to explain:
- what they have done;
- why they did it and what need they were addressing;
- what they have achieved and the impact of their initiative;
- how they achieved it and how it was funded;
- what tools and approaches they used;
- how they measure success; and
- what makes their approach different from others.
Applicants are specifically encouraged to quantify their impact and, where estimates are used, explain how those figures have been calculated.
The application guidance also makes clear that judges are looking for facts rather than marketing language. The strongest applications are those written by the people delivering the work and which provide a clear account of responsibility, action, funding and impact.
If an application does not provide evidence of their claims, they are not shortlisted.
2. Supporting evidence and references
The process goes beyond the written application itself.
Applicants are asked to provide links to supplementary evidence, including relevant webpages, policies, reports and other supporting material. The application form specifically provides an opportunity for applicants to direct judges to additional information that supports their submission.
Applicants are also required to provide references including the referee's organisation, job title, telephone number and email address. This provides an additional source through which the work described in an entry can be supported.
The result is an awards process in which applicants are expected to substantiate their claims rather than simply describe an ambition or make unsupported sustainability assertions.
This is particularly important in the context of Responsible Tourism, where terms such as "sustainable" and "regenerative" can otherwise be used very broadly. ICRT's judging methodology explicitly emphasises transparency and evidence of actual impact.
3. Independent and experienced judges
The WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards has an independent judging panel, bringing together substantial experience from across Responsible Tourism, tourism businesses, conservation, destinations and the wider tourism industry.
The WTM Africa judging panel is chaired by Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, founder of ICRT global and managing director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership.
The 2026 judges were:
- Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin – founder, ICRT global and managing director, Responsible Tourism Partnership – Chair
- Glynn O'Leary – Transfrontier Parks Destinations and ICRT Southern Africa
- Ruth Crichton – Regional Head, Southern Africa, The Long Run and ICRT Southern Africa
- Adama Bah – Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG) and ICRT West Africa
- Martin Brackenbury – formerly IFTO and UN Advisor
- Kerry Carmichael – founder, Echo
- Tiomóid Foley – Net Zero Tourism Manager, Business Development and Intermediary Marketing, VisitScotland
The panel therefore combines African regional expertise with international tourism, conservation, sustainability and industry experience.
This is important because Responsible Tourism challenges and opportunities differ considerably across destinations. The WTM Africa awards are judged by people with direct knowledge of the African tourism context, while retaining an international perspective on good practice and innovation.
4. Vetted and reviewed by Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin
Once the awards have been judged all appointed winners are then also subject to further scrutiny of evidence and references by Emeritys Professor Harold Goodwin. At this stage applicants may have their award reconsidered.judging African tourism against African realities
5. Detailed citations are published for each award winner
Importantly ICRT global publishes detailed judges' citations for the WTM Africa awards. These explain why winners received Gold, Silver or One to Watch recognition and provide a public record of the judges' assessment.
The 2026 citations, for example, explain the judges' reasoning across the different categories and identify both the strengths of winning initiatives and, in some cases, areas where the judges wanted to see further evidence or development. These published citations contain specific numbers, outcomes and evidence of change.
For example, in 2026, Saruni Basecamp in Kenya was recognised for a community conservancy model that had generated more than US$1.5 million for 6,605 landowners and conserved more than 414,000 hectares. The V&A Waterfront Academy in South Africa was recognised for placing 315 young people into employment, with 90% securing full-time employment for the first time. Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company was recognised for increasing local procurement from 29% in 2017 to 89%, supporting more than 150 small businesses.
These citations provide transparency around the decisions and show the evidence and achievements that the judges considered significant. They also illustrate the distinction between an award based on an attractive narrative and one based on demonstrated achievement and measurable impact. The awards do not simply announce winners; they seek to explain what the judges recognised and why.
A regional award with a global pathway
The WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards are not an isolated awards programme. They form part of the wider ICRT global Responsible Tourism Awards. The annual award categories and criteria are agreed together with the independent ICRT global network in Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
The WTM Africa awards provide an important African platform for identifying and celebrating good practice, while Gold winners automatically progress to the Global Responsible Tourism Awards. They then compete with Gold winners from the other ICRT regional awards, including Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and the worldwide regional awards.
This gives the WTM Africa awards a particularly important role: they identify African examples of Responsible Tourism that can subsequently be presented alongside leading examples from around the world.
For WTM Africa, the Responsible Tourism Awards therefore provides more than a platform for announcing winners. It provides a credible mechanism for identifying, assessing and showcasing African tourism businesses and organisations that are demonstrating measurable progress in making tourism better for people, places and nature.