As the world turns to sustainable living, tourism is no exception. Green destinations are more and more sought after, and to honor the companies, organizations, and destinations that represent sustainable tourism best practices, National Geographic Society in partnership with ITB Berlin is awarding them with The World Legacy Awards. 

Finalists were chosen based on how well the fit the profile of the five World Legacy Award categories, namely being Earth changers (environmentally friendly business practices and green technology, from renewable energy and water conservation to zero-waste systems and carbon emissions reduction), sense of place (including for example support for the protection of historic monuments, archeological sites, indigenous heritage, etc), conserving the natural world (preservation of nature, including restoring natural habitat, and protecting rare and endangered species), engaging communities (improving local livelihoods, community development, health care, and education, etc), and destination leadership (locations that demonstrate environmental best practices, protection for cultural and natural heritage, etc).

Without any further ado, here are the finalists:

1. MARK THORNTON SAFARIS, TANZANIA
2. MISOOL, INDONESIA
3. NORTH ISLAND, SEYCHELLES
4. RIVERWIND FOUNDATION, JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING, USA
5. SEGERA RETREAT, KENYA
6. SLOVENIAN TOURIST BOARD, SLOVENIA
7. CAYUGA COLLECTION, COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA
8. FINCH BAY GALAPAGOS HOTEL, ECUADOR
9. ITC HOTELS, INDIA
10. ANDAMAN DISCOVERIES, THAILAND
11. THE LODGE AT CHAA CREEK, BELIZE
12. CHAMBOK COMMUNITY BASED ECO-TOURISM, MLUP BAITONG, CAMBODIA
13. ADVENTURE CANADA, CANADA
14. AWAMAKI, PERU
15. CITY OF SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, USA

For more information on the finalists, click on the links provided above or click here for further details on competition.

Winners of the World Legacy Awards 2017 will be announced at ITB Berlin on March 8, 2017.