WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) staff and Board of Directors announced this year’s recipient of the Martha Honey Legacy in Responsible Travel Award: Judy Kepher-Gona, Founder and Principal Consultant at Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (STTA).
The inaugural Legacy in Responsible Travel Award was made last year to Dr. Martha Honey on the occasion of her retirement to honor her leadership and accomplishments in responsible travel. At that time, the CREST Board of Directors decided to make this an annual award to someone in the global tourism industry making a significant difference in pushing the envelope in responsible travel.
This year’s award winner, Judy Kepher-Gona, is a thought leader in sustainable tourism with over 20 years of experience in championing responsible tourism in Africa and beyond. From setting up Africa’s first ecotourism society to working with countless communities in tourism and conservation, Judy’s contribution to sustainable tourism transcends continents. She has dedicated her career to a pioneering model of ecotourism worldwide.
“This recognition is a much-needed boost to my commitment to stand up for responsible travel. A renewal,” Kepher-Gona says. “Until the last tourism company responds. Until the last traveler responds. Until the last DMO & DMC responds. Until global tourism organizations respond. Until tourism media responds. Until policy makers and investors respond to the call for responsible travel; I have my work cut out.”
“[Judy’s] long legacy of work with a number of organizations demonstrates concretely how to ‘transform the way the world travels’ so that host communities, the country, conservation, the environment, and the traveler all benefit,” writes Mike Robbins, CREST Board Chair. “Her on-the-ground work in ecotourism, certification, women’s empowerment, and community-led wildlife conservancies provide both concrete examples of the principles CREST espouses, as well as a legacy of successful endeavors that are influencing sustainable tourism work across Africa, and beyond.”
Click here to view a short video in her honor.
