Belize Tourism Board Announced as Sponsor of the 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards

Belize City, Belize, June 3, 2026 — The International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT Global) today announced the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) as the official sponsor of the 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards, further strengthening Belize’s standing among the world’s leading advocates for responsible, community-centered, and sustainability-driven tourism.

The Global Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board, are hosted annually by ICRT Global at a prestigious ceremony held on the Monday preceding World Travel Market in London. Attended by influential industry leaders from across the globe, the awards celebrate and recognize organizations and destinations delivering measurable, replicable, and scalable solutions to the tourism industry’s most pressing challenges. As a sponsor, Belize will assume a prominent role on the world stage, championing best practices and supporting changemakers in destinations worldwide.

Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, Sports, and Diaspora Relations, said: “Belize has long recognized that tourism must create meaningful benefits for the people and places that make our country unique. Our commitment to responsible travel is not a slogan; it is a national priority grounded in community partnership, cultural pride, and environmental stewardship. Sponsoring the 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards gives us an opportunity to celebrate those driving real impact, while sharing Belize’s experience as a destination, building a more robust and inclusive tourism future.”

Professor Harold Goodwin, Founder of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, welcomed the partnership: “Belize has demonstrated, time and again, that responsible tourism is about taking responsibility and making tourism better for both host communities and visitors. The country’s vision, rooted in practical action rather than rhetoric, aligns perfectly with the values of the Global Responsible Tourism Awards. We are delighted to have Belize championing this global programme in 2026.”

Belize’s leadership in responsible tourism was underscored earlier this year when the country hosted the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s 2026 Sustainable Tourism Conference in San Pedro, bringing together more than 300 delegates from 29 countries to advance climate resilience, cultural preservation, community empowerment, and innovative financing for sustainable development. The conference spotlighted Belize’s commitment to integrating blue, green, and orange economies into national tourism planning.

This builds on Belize’s long-term National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP), which sets out a 2030 vision for tourism that protects the country’s natural and cultural heritage, strengthens local capacity, and ensures that growth benefits Belizean communities while preserving the nation’s authenticity and environmental integrity.

As sponsor, the Belize Tourism Board will play an integral role throughout the full awards cycle, encompassing global promotion, engagement with finalists across multiple regions, and participation in the 2026 awards ceremony in London. The partnership will amplify Belize’s voice in international tourism dialogue and advance the global exchange of proven solutions to address climate change, biodiversity loss, community well-being, and destination stewardship.

The awards programme spans six regional competitions: Latin America (in partnership with LATA), Europe (sponsored by easyJet holidays), Africa (in partnership with WTM Africa), the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and a Worldwide category open to all other geographies. Regional winners automatically advance to contend for a Global Responsible Tourism Award, sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board.

Entries for the Worldwide and Indian Subcontinent categories remain open until June 30, 2026.