Two Standard Group journalists nominated for 2016 Eco Tourism Awards

Thorn Mulli is one of the Standard Group journalists nominated for the awards

‘’Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.’’ The words of Henry David Thoreau resonate with the mandate of Ecotourism Kenya which seeks to promote responsible tourism practices that sustain the wellbeing of both communities and the environment.

At a gala night and awards ceremony that is set for 14th October at the Radisson Blu hotel, nominees will be awarded for their great contribution towards ecotourism. Under the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism: Our diversity, Our strength’, in partnership with the Kenya Tourism Board, the eco-warriors award will recognize the unsung heroes and heroines for their contribution towards sustainable tourism in Kenya.

Founded in 1966 and directly serving more than 450 members, Ecotourism Kenya has been involved in extensive range of activities to promote and broaden the industry understanding of sustainable tourism. With submissions closed, Standard Media Group managed to fill up two spots with our very own Thorn Mulli and Peter Muiruri. The two renowned writers will muscle it out after they both garnered nominations in the 2016 Ecotourism Journalist of the Year category.

Selected through a panel, a team of handpicked individuals who are professionals in sustainable tourism and trained experts in classification and grading of tourism establishments will embark on the judging process. And back this year serving as the chief judge will be Judy Kepher-Gona. She has served as a judge and assessor for the Eco-Warrior Award, World Travel and Tourism Council Tourism for Tomorrow Awards from 2008. In 2014 she was appointed judge of National Geographic (Nat Geo) World Legacy Awards.

The nomination process for the Eco Warrior Awards closed on 1st August 2016.  Under the 11 categories, there was a total of 55 nominees.