V Resorts bags the prestigious UNWTO Award for Sustainable Tourism

@ The 15th UNWTO Awards held at St Petersburg, Russia

New Delhi, 27th September 2019: V Resorts, a boutique Indian leisure travel & hospitality brand, bagged the prestigious World Tourism Award (UNWTO) 2018-19 held at St Petersburg, Russia, recently. V Resorts has been felicitated by the coveted award in the Enterprises category, for its “Community Impact by V Resorts”, an initiative of the brand under the aegis of Bliss Inns Ltd India.

V Resorts competed with global enterprises from Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Philippines. The list of finalists for the 2019 UNWTO Awards ranged from community-based tourism development and innovation-driven nature conservation to heritage tourism and promotion of accessible tourism. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards recognize inspirational projects that make an invaluable contribution towards advancing sustainable tourism.

Elated on the felicitation, Ms. Aditi Balbir, Founder and CEO, V Resorts said, “I would like to thank UNWTO for this prestigious award and for recognizing our efforts for community-friendly initiates at V Resorts. We have been identified for contributing to the advancement of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a proud moment for an Indian company in the Tourism sector. With our properties employing 90% local staff, ensuring 100% local procurement, and assimilating local culture, we have been continuously working towards achieving the 12 goals identified by UNWTO and UNEP for the development of circular and inclusive economies. We want to create inroads for local community upliftment and revamp tourism globally through our asset-light and sustainable business model.”

Ms. Balbir further added, “Also, I would like to convey my sincere thanks and gratitude to our entire V resorts family, our esteemed customers, my family and friends without whom it would not possible to receive this prestigious award.”

For the 15th UNWTO Awards, a total of 190 applications from 71 countries were received in the three categories - Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, and Non-Governmental Organizations.

About V Resorts

With over 120 resorts spread across 22 Indian states, V Resorts is a micro-tourism focused hospitality management company, providing boutique stays in the leisure travel space. With resorts around offbeat and rural destinations of India, the company is deeply committed to working with local communities, growing micro-economies, and providing its guests rich and diverse experiences seeped in the local culture.

With all properties employing 90% local staff, ensuring 100% local procurement, and also assimilating local culture, the company brings empowerment to local communities, especially women, thus, also facilitating the development of circular and inclusive economies.

About UNWTO

TheWorld Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.

UNWTO generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.