Nairobi’s Radisson Blu to host 11th Eco Warrior Award Ceremony

ECO WARRIOR AWARDS 2016 RECEIVE OVER 50 NOMINATIONS

(Posted 08th August 2016)

As done in recent years will the 11th Eco Warrior Award Ceremony of Eco Tourism Kenya be part of the closing night of the annual Magical Kenya Travel Expo. The event this year will be held on Friday the 14th of October at one of Nairobi’s newest hotels, the Radisson Blu.
More than 50 companies and individuals have been nominated and the judges will now take a closer look at each and every nomination before closer to the event night then releasing a shortlist from which the winners are then to be picked.

The Eco Warrior Awards recognize efforts, innovations and exceptional achievements for promoting responsible tourism and enhancing tourism sustainability which directly conserves the natural environment linked to local communities through mutually beneficial and equitable partnerships. Therefore, the awards aim to celebrate ecotourism best practises in different tourism sectors and tourism set ups in Kenya. Eco Warrior Awards truly recognized these unsung heroes and heroines for their effort to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in Kenya.

For the 11th edition of the awards have 11 categories been created and the details are available for readers to see below:

1. 2016 Private Conservancy of the Year Award

1. Kaimosi Conservancy- Kakamega
2. Borana Conservancy- Laikipia North
3. Galana Conservancy – Watamu
4. Ol Pejeta Conservancy- Laikipia
5. Ol Jogi Conservancy- Laikipia County
6. Tsavo Conservancy- Taita Taveta county

2. 2016 Community Conservancy of the Year Award

1. Ol Kinyei Conservancy – Masai Mara
2. Olderkesi Conservancy –Narok County
3. Ole Lentile Trust – Laikipia North
4. Lower Tana Delta – Tana River County
5. Tawi Conservancy –Amboseli

3. 2016 Ecotourism Ecorated Facility of the Year – Lodge

1. Elkarama Eco-lodge – Nanyuki (Laikipia County)
2. Olare Kempinski- Olare Motorogi Conservancy
3. Tawi lodge –Kilotome Conservancy (Kajiado County)
4. Ol Tukai Lodge- Amboseli National Park
5. Sirikoi Lodge – Lewa Wildlife Conservancy ( Nanyuki)
6. Saasab Lodge- Westgate conservancy ( Samburu County)

4. 2016 Ecotourism Ecorated Facility of the Year – Tented Camp

1. Porini Amboseli Camp – Amboseli ( Kajiado County)
2. Cottars 1920’s Safari Camp – Olderkesi Community Ranch (Narok County)
3. Samburu Intrepids – Samburu county
4. Mara Plains Tented Camp – Mara National Reserve
5. Ekorian’s Mugie Camp – Rumuruti ( Laikipia County)
6. Serena Sweetwaters Tented Camp – Nanyuki (Laikipia County)
7. Lake Elementaita Serena Camp – Soysambu Gilgil
8. Basecamp Masai Mara – Masai Mara

5. 2016 Ecotourism Ecorated Facility of the Year – Hotel/Serviced Apartment

1. Serena Beach Hotel & Spa – Mombasa
2. Turtle Bay Beach Club – Watamu
3. Medina Palms – Watamu (Kilifi County)
4. Baobab Beach Resort and Spa- Diani Beach (Kwale County)

6.2016 Ecotourism Enterprise of the Year – Community Based

1. Kakamega Environmental Education Program- Kakamega Forest
2. Kijabe Environmental Volunteer Organization (KENVO) – Kereita Forest
3. Mlilo Community Based Tourism Association – Malindi
4. Dabaso Community – Watamu

7. 2016 Ecotourism Tours and Travel of the Year

1. Mlilo Community Tours and Safaris Limited- Malindi
2. Gamewatchers Safaris – Nairobi, Gigiri
3. Bonfire Adventures- Nairobi
4. Pollmans Tours and Safaris Ltd – Mombasa
5. Uniglobe Let’s Go Travel –Nairobi

8. 2016 Ecotourism Guide of the Year

1. Paul Kirui- Masai Mara – Vulture Researcher and conservation trainer
2. Philip Kibet Rono – MICATO Safaris
3. Amos Njoroge Njege – Solio Lodge
4. Joseph Kang’ethe – Mara Intrepids

9. 2016 Ecotourism Journalist of the Year

1. Thorn Muli –Standard Media Group
2. Susan Wong- Capital FM
3. Irene Muchuma – KBC
4. Henry Kimathi –Enchanted landscapes
5. Peter Muiruri – Standard Media Group
6. Mark Ten- Thekenyancamper.com

10. 2016 Ecotourism Training Program of the Year

1. Technical University of Kenya – Nairobi
2. Kenya Wildlife Training Institute (KWSTI ) Naivasha
3. Koiyaki Guiding School – Naboisho Conservancy( Masai Mara)
4. Moi University –Eldoret
5. Amboseli Institute of Hospitality and Technology –Thika

11. 2016 Ecotourism Airline of the Year

1. Safarilink Aviation

Notably was only one nomination received for Eco Tourism Airline of the Year 2016, this being Safarilink, unlike past years when local rival Air Kenya competed head on for the honours while all other categories are strongly contested.
Ms. Judy Kepher-Gona has been appointed to be Chief Judge and the rest of the team can be seen here: click.

Ecotourism Kenya is a civil society organization directly serving more than 450 members, and reaching out to hundreds more in Kenya. Since its inception in 1996 has Ecotourism Kenya been involved in a wide range of activities to promote and broaden the industry understanding of sustainable tourism, and attract membership beyond the mainstream tourism industry.

These include organizing international conferences and training workshops to developing guidelines such as the Green Destination Guidelines, codes of conduct, best practices and a Green Eco-rating Certification Scheme.

Ecotourism Kenya has had many firsts: it was the first Ecotourism Society in Africa; the first to develop a voluntary eco-certification scheme for hotels/lodges in Africa; the first to publish a Green Directory of producers of green products and services; the first to develop a Sustainability Standard for Tour Operators in E. Africa and the first to develop Green Destination Guidelines in Africa.

For more information about the Eco-Warriors Awards and/or Ecotourism Kenya contact Ecotourism Kenya by email or via their website:

info@ecotourismkenya.org

www.ecotourismkenya.org

https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-nairobi