Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award

The competition highlights the contribution of indigenous operators to biological and cultural diversity, and comprised applicants from ten countries around the world (Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sweden). More than 400 people cast their vote, carefully examining all 14 websites that fit the ambitious criteria set on Planeta.com's wiki site http://planeta.wikispaces.com/itbw. Additionally, a jury composed of six internationally recognized experts in indigenous and sustainable tourism picked their choice using the same criteria.
The winner of the judged 2010 ITBW Award is Nutti Sami Siida, which features reindeer sled trips. Owners Nils Torbjörn Nutti and Carina Pingi are both Sami from Gabna Sameby, Sweden. The winner of the popular count 2010 ITBW Award is TIME Unlimited Tours from New Zealand, operated by the Maori-European couple Ceillhe Tewhare Teneti Hema Sperath and Néill Sperath, and providing personalised and interactive Auckland and Maori Indigenous Cultural Tours.

Finalists:
Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre introduces visitors to the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) in Victoria, Australia.
Kakadu Culture Camp is owned and operated by Fred and Jenny Hunter, Aboriginal people from Australia's Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Area. The camp offers the opportunity to live with an Aboriginal family and to learn traditional skills including spear throwing, basket weaving and didgeridoo.
Chalalan Ecolodge is 100% run and owned by the indigenous community in Bolivia.
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre shares the cultures of two distinct indigenous cultures in a visionary partnership on shared traditional territories in Canada.
Te Urewera Treks strives to operate in a sustainable manner in accord with Maori principles and values in New Zealand.
Xe Pian National Protected Area features tours and accommodation owned and managed by local communities in Xe Pian NPA,southern Lao PDR.

About the award

The Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity/UNEP (CBD) with the generous support of the Heidehof Foundation.
The award is aimed at private tourism services, owned and operated by indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles, and its main objectives are to motivate candidates to improve their online communication on biological and cultural diversity, to highlight their best practices in managing tourism and to raise operators and public’s awareness on biodiversity.
Winners will receive the award in April 2010 at a tourism trade fair, the Reisepavillon in Berlin, Germany. Since 1991, the Reisepavillon has been a global focal point for responsible tourism. An average of 25,000 visitors each year have an opportunity to meet competent tourism operators and practitioners in a wide-ranging programme of events (90-120 presentations, workshops and chaired discussions). On this occasion, the Secretariat will facilitate meetings with winners and finalists with leading German tourism operators and agents dedicated to sustainable tourism.
Winners receive technical support and participate in a April 24 workshop on innovative Web-based tools for marketing and communications, facilitated by webmaster Ron Mader. A publication on the award, its nominees and winners and the lessons learned, will be distributed at event.

Applicants

Bicicletas Pedro Martinez is a Zapotec-owned biking company in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pedro prides his operation on respecting indigenous peoples and the incredibly rich ecosystems.

Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre introduces visitors to the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) in Victoria, Australia.

Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) is owned and operated by the indigenous Kho, Wakhi and Kalash communities in northern Pakistan.

Chalalan Ecolodge is 100% run and owned by the indigenous community in Bolivia.

Hospitality Kyrgyzstan, is an umbrella association uniting 18 diverse communities with more than 350 families in Kyrgyzstan.

Kakadu Culture Camp is owned and operated by Fred and Jenny Hunter, Aboriginal people from Australia's Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Area. The camp offers the opportunity to live with an Aboriginal family and to learn traditional skills including spear throwing, basket weaving and didgeridoo

Nutti Sami Siida features reindeer sled trips, which is a way to preserve knowledge. Owners Nils Torbjörn Nutti and Carina Pingi are both Sami. Nils is a reindeer herder in Saarivuoma Sameby and Carina has her reindeer in Gabna Sameby, Sweden

Pathways Hotel promotes sustainable tourism through conservation efforts, environmental awareness, community assistance and marine management activities on the island of Yap in Micronesia.

Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre shares the cultures of two distinct indigenous cultures in a visionary partnership on shared traditional territories in Canada. The Centre is staffed by Aboriginal Youth Ambassadors from both Nations.

Taiamai Tours was founded by Ngati Hineira – Te uri Taniwha descendant Hone Mihaka of Ohaeawai Kaikohe in 2001. Tours showcase ancient customary practices of kaitiakitanga [guardianship] and manaakitanga [hosting people] that links to the ancestral living landscapes in the Bay of Islands and the wider region of Northland, New Zealand.

TIME Unlimited Tours (“To Integrate Maori Experiences”) provides personalised and interactive Auckland & Maori Indigenous Cultural Tours. Co-Director Ceillhe Tewhare Teneti Hema Sperath is a direct descendant of Patuone, the famous Ngapuhi paramount chief who along with his brother Tamati Waka Nene was amongst the first to sign Aotearoa’s founding document in 1840. Ceillhe is the principal guide for TIME’s Auckland Maori Tours and Interactive Maori Culture Experiences.

Te Urewera Treks strives to operate in a sustainable manner in accord with Maori principles and values in New Zealand.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park showcases indigenous culture of the Tjapukai people, featuring theatrical performances and interactive activities in Far North Queensland, Australia

Xe Pian National Protected Area features tours and accommodation owned and managed by local communities in Xe Pian NPA, southern Lao PDR.

Editor's note - It's a big ask but please check out each of the nominees below. In our humble opinion, they're all winners and they signal the clearest sign yet that indigenous tourism is on the rise around the globe. We are updating this wiki on a regular basis. So far this page has been edited more than 600 times.
Reisepavillon - Attending the Reisepavillon will be a representative from Nutti Sami Siida, Ceillhe Tewhare Teneti Hema Sperath and Néill Sperath from TIME Unlimited Tours, Oliver Hillel from the CBD and Ron Mader from Planeta.com and several finalists.
Request - If you publish a blog, tweet, news story or anything else mentioning the ITBW Award, please include the hashtag: #itbw10