Recognizing Responsible Travel Guides: Green Microphone Award

The inaugural Green Microphone Award ceremony will be held in Ljubljana with Travel Massive Slovenia on World Tourism Day, September 27.

We asked Tina Hudnik, co-lead of our Slovenia chapter, to tell us more about the event and its focus on responsible tourism.

Tina is co-founder of G-Guides – a training provider for tourist guides with a focus on developing tour guides who are ambassadors for destinations, promotors of local suppliers and creators of authentic experiences.

👉 Do you know a tour guide that deserves to be recognized for their amazing work? Learn more and nominate them for Green Microphone Award.

What is the Green Microphone Award and its purpose?

The Green Microphone Award is dedicated to all the tourist guides who are the voice of responsible tourism and are aware of the importance they have while conducting their job. Responsibility towards the destination, the local communities and the reputation of the tourist guide profession is a key point.

We want to give a voice to the guides that are supporting responsible tourism.

The Green Microphone Award gives tour guides the chance to tell their story, to tell us why they love what they do, and how they are making the world a better place.

How can tourism professionals get involved?

Tourism professionals can get involved by nominating tour guides that they know or they see in their everyday work. For now, the nominee can either nominate herself/himself, or they can get nominated by someone else.

It is important to present the candidate and also to describe, what exactly they are doing in compliance with sustainable development. We want to hear and share their stories so that everyone can learn from them.

How is the green scene in Slovenia developing in recent years?

The Slovenian Tourism Board developed the strategic guidelines for green tourism in 2009 and 2010 and is focusing its efforts to make Slovenia one of the most sustainable countries in the world.

In the recent years, Slovenia has been at the head of sustainable development, winning many awards in the field. Even the country slogan says “Slovenia – Green, active, healthy”.

• In 2016 Slovenia hosted the first Global Green Destination Day.
• Ljubljana was the European Green Capital of Europe in the same year.
• In 2017, Slovenia won the National Geographic World Legacy Award.
• In 2018, the country was proclaimed The world’s most sustainable country, according to National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

This is why it is also natural to us that we are the first ones to offer the Green Microphone Award – a recognition for the tourist guides who are the voice of responsible tourism.

How can travel companies be more responsible?

The first thing travel companies can do is to train their people. Everyone working with tourists should have some basic knowledge about sustainable and responsible tourism. Companies should employ people who live up by that standard. There is a lot of potential in this sphere.

Knowledge, care, and understanding are key to reaching sustainable development.

Travel companies should work with local suppliers which are contributing directly back to the community. They should also find a way to tackle the overtourism issues – for instance by choosing to promote places that are off the beaten path. Travel companies can use a way of transport with the least negative impact on the environment.

One other big issue in tourism are wages. Travel companies should provide fair and timely compensation for all the people involved in the creation of the final product.

What are the main trends you are seeing in the responsible tourism space?

Travelers want not only to learn but to actually understand the destination. They wander around and are seeking authentic experiences.

Instead of souvenirs, people are looking for experiences – the memories of which they can keep forever.

They would rather visit less places but spend more time in a local community that is not yet crowded with other visitors.

👉 Do you know a tour guide that deserves to be recognized for their work? Learn more and nominate them for Green Microphone Award.