Guludo has been nominated as a finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in the category for Community Benefits! The first Mozambican project to have ever featured in these incredible awards!
The awards are run by the World Travel & Tourism Council and the results will be anounced in May at the Global Travel & Tourism Summit. Here's what the Tourism for Tomorrow Award judges had to say about us...
"Situated in the Quirimbas National Park, Northern Mozambique, this lodge opened in 2006 after four careful years of scoping in one of Mozambique's most deprived areas.
Guludo Beach Lodge is a commercial enterprise that operates using fair trade principles, and its associated charity, the Nema Foundation, works with 12 local communities to implement projects.
"The lodge stimulates the local economy and develops skills while the charity tackles the root causes of poverty and environmental degradation.
The core pillars of the charity's work are:
1) health, including HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and support, nutrition and mother & infant care programmes;
2) education, spanning from school meal provision to scholarships for secondary schools;
3) care of orphaned and vulnerable children;
4) agricultural programmes;
5) fair trade principles; and
6) cultural revivals.
"These projects are based on the UN Millennium Development Goals and have been responsible for providing 15,000 people with access to safe drinking water, the distribution of 8,000 mosquito nets, nutrition workshops for 1,800 families.
Infant mortality has fallen from 30% to 21% over the last five years.
"Guludo Beach Lodge employs 80 local staff and has contracted 150 local suppliers and 64 traditional artisans. These direct beneficiaries support over 3,500 people in the area.
"Guludo Beach Lodge and the Nema Foundation have been widely recognised for their poverty reduction projects.
To export and promote this successful approach, Guludo founders have established "Thin Cats Thinking",
"... a consultancy that enables other hotels and resorts around the world to achieve the same success as Guludo."
"The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, now in their sixth year under WTTC's stewardship are aimed at recognising best practice in sustainable tourism within the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide. Given the growing concern about natural and cultural resources, these Awards are particularly important to WTTC and provide the Council with the opportunity of promoting and partnering with the industry leaders in responsible tourism, highlighting the prime examples of best practice."
