Last week in Las Vegas, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley won the prestigious Virtuoso® ‘Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award’ for 2019 at the celebrated Virtuoso® Best of the Best Awards. The resort was one of just 10 properties honoured in front of 1,800 premier travel advisors and luxury hospitality executives at the 13th annual Hotels & Resorts Dinner at Bellagio Resort & Casino.
The Virtuoso® Sustainable Tourism Leadership Awards, now in its ninth year, recognises companies that are committed to travel that is environmentally friendly, protects cultural heritage, and contributes to the well-being of local people. “It is important to recognise the exceptional contributions of Best of the Best winners such as Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley,” said Albert Herrera, senior vice president of Global Product Partnerships for Virtuoso. “Every year our winners raise the bar even higher for global luxury hospitality, and we are proud to honour their accomplishments while expressing gratitude for the inspiration they provide to us all.”
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is an ultra-luxury resort with sustainability at its heart. Since opening in 2009, the resort has secured and maintained carbon-neutral certification from internationally accredited scheme carboNZero, for ten consecutive years. The dedicated resort team has planted over 200,000 indigenous trees, actively preserved biodiversity and restored a historic homestead building, as well as introducing large-scale energy and waste reduction initiatives. Guests are encouraged to participate in the resort’s efforts to protect cultural and natural heritage, with activities as native tree-planting and wombat tracking.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be recognised with this prestigious Virtuoso® Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award,” said James Wyndham, General Manager of Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley. “It means so much to the passionate, dedicated team at Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, who work hard every day to build a sustainable future for the resort, our surrounding environment, and for the tourism industry. It is also an honour to be the first Australian winner of this important award, and we hope to inspire others in the industry by leading the way in sustainability practices.”
