Sharkwatch SA Blog

Shark cage diving operator, Marine Dynamics, recently won a responsible tourism award at the Skål Congress in Hyderabad, India.

Founded in 1932, Skål is a professional worldwide organisation of tourism leaders from approximately 15,000 members in 400 Clubs throughout 80 countries, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry with a vision to be a trusted voice in travel and tourism and support a responsible tourism industry. Marine Dynamics won the Marine award based on an overview of all their projects - “Shark and whale eco-tourism benefitting conservation and community”. Brenda du Toit, Public Relations of Marine Dynamics, was at the event to receive the award. “International recognition of the work Marine Dynamics is doing in terms of marine eco-tourism and the impact for conservation and community highlights not only the company but also South Africa and the marine species we work with especially the great white shark and the endangered African penguin, and it is also a great honour for our team’s work to be recognised,” said CEO, Wilfred Chivell. South Africa was well represented at the awards with Panthera Africa winning the Countryside and Wildlife award and the Vineyard Hotel the Urban Accommodation award.

Halterios sponsored the2017 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards. Halterios is a Tourism Management, Branding/Social Responsibility and Marketing Consultancy based in Spain. Halterios' marketing department recently presented to the tourism industry the Stone Paper®, an intelligent, ecological and environmentally responsible product.

Marine Dynamics, as well as Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, are finalists at the global Responsible Tourism Awards to be World Travel Market in London in November 2017. World Travel Market, now in its 37th year, is hailed at “the global meeting place for the travel industry” and takes place over three days. Here the travel industry comes together with almost 5,000 destinations, technology and private sector companies exhibiting and is visited by 51,000 travel professionals, key industry buyers, journalists, digital influencers, students and tourism Ministers. Marine Dynamics will also be participating in a panel discussion on reporting responsible tourism initiatives.

For WTM awards, you can find more info here: http://responsibletourismpartnership.org/wtm-responsible-tourism-awards/