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Vermont's Downtowns Honored at International Conference

Contact Information:
Erica Houskeeper, Director of Communications
(802) 828-0528
Erica.Houskeeper@state.vt.us

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont’s historic downtowns received international acclaim at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 10-12.

The London-based World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) chose Vermont’s downtowns, and the Vermont Downtown Program, as a finalist in the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Destination Award category. The other two Destination Award finalists were the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Greenbox ecotourism program in Ireland. The Great Barrier Reef was announced the winner at the summit.

“Being a finalist in this competition brings worldwide recognition to the remarkable qualities of Vermont’s downtowns,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “We’ve seen tremendous change in these communities, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our local downtown organizations and their hundreds of volunteers.”

According to the WTTC, finalists in the Destination Award category have proven that their destination ensures maximum benefits and minimum impacts to the natural environment and local communities.

The summit focused on managing tourism and travel growth responsibly and investing in a sustainable future by integrating economics, the environment, and social and cultural priorities. WTTC research suggests that the demand for global travel and tourism will grow at an annual rate of 4.3 percent over the next 10 years.

“Vermont is ahead of the curve and well positioned for managing tourism growth responsibly,” said Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Bruce Hyde, who attended the summit. “Vermont already has a great deal of land in conservation, and we are a leader in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Global Travel and Tourism Summit is the industry’s highest profile event and provides a unique platform for discussion between the leading public and private sector decision makers who will shape the future of travel and tourism, one of the world’s largest industries.

“Choosing a winner for the Destination Award was the most difficult,” Hyde said. “Judges agonized for three hours between the State of Vermont and the Great Barrier Reef before making a decision.”