V&A Waterfront makes an impact at the World Responsible Tourism Awards

The V&A Waterfront team triumphed at this year’s World Responsible Tourism awards. Held in London on 01 November, it recognised destinations that “educate, challenge and inspire other businesses to spread good practice”.  

In fact, the V&A Waterfront scooped the prestigious Global Award for their work in “sustaining employees and communities through the pandemic”. The award levels go from One to Watch, Silver, Gold, and then up to Global, which gives you a good idea of the V&A’s impressive achievement.  

V&A Waterfront CEO David Green said, “From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we knew we had a responsibility to support the many individuals and households who depend on us for their livelihoods, particularly the micro-enterprises such as our tour operators as well as the crafts and design stores at our Watershed market.” 

In this category, judges looked at the work done by businesses and organisations in the travel and tourism sector who successfully and selflessly helped employees, neighbours and communities to weather the COVID-19 storm.

WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor, Harold Goodwin explained that there are many destinations and businesses around the world taking responsibility and making a difference. “The ambition of the World Responsible Tourism Awards is to encourage businesses to learn from the leaders and to be inspired to do what they can to make tourism better – better for our environment and local communities.” 

The Waterfront nurtures over 400 start-ups, enterprise development projects and emerging / small businesses that create income and employment. Many of the beneficiaries are from disadvantaged backgrounds, with limited education and income-generating skills. The V&A Waterfront positively supports its employees to mitigate poverty and unemployment.

“An Award of this stature is a significant win, and not just for the Waterfront, but for Cape Town and for our entire tourism industry as it proves that we can hold our own against the best, most innovative and trendsetting destinations in the world. The timing of the award could not have been better as it coincides with international tourism beginning to open up,” concludes Green.