The Routard.com Humanitarian Travel Award

For the third consecutive year, the Routard Awards are joining forces with the Responsible Tourism Awards to present the Routard.com Humanitarian Travel Award. Applications will be accepted until 27 April 2009.

The Routard.com Humanitarian Travel Award recognizes a meaningful, responsible travel project that demonstrates a real determination to assist underprivileged populations in France or abroad. The venture should encourage cultural exchange and solidarity in culture, crafts, agriculture, ecology and/or education. Aimed at promoting, enriching and developing responsible tourism, the award is fully consistent with the Guide du Routard collection’s values, which include initiative, responsibility, open-mindedness, social solidarity, and respect for other people, other cultures and the environment.

Selection criteria focus on project feasibility (including a trip’s quality of preparation, local contacts, advance research and budget) and team motivation (i.e. members’ interest in the country and field of activity chosen). The project’s originality, the sincerity of the proposed approach, the nominees’ commitment to sustainable development, and the reliability of the information supplied will also be taken into account.

The project can involve two people at most, and the trip may not exceed two months and must take place between 1 June and 30 September 2009.

Note: application packages for the Routard.com Humanitarian Travel Award must be submitted by 27 April 2009 at the latest.