A young British couple who set up an eco-tourism Lodge in Mozambique to help relieve poverty in the local community, have been named as one of the Tourism for Tomorrow Winners at a major Awards ceremony organised by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in Las Vegas.

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise those leading organisations that have gone the extra mile to demonstrate sustainable tourism best practices in their philosophy, strategy and operations.

In 2006, Amy, 30 and Neal Carter-James, 33 realised their dream when they opened the Guludo Beach Lodge in the Quirimbas National Park, one of the most deprived areas in Mozambique. Their aim was to create an innovative and sustainable model to relieve poverty and protect the environment.

Guludo, which donates 5% of its income to charity each year, was awarded the Community Benefit Award by Tourism for Tomorrow for its contribution and commitment to the local community. Through its non-profit charity, Nema-Foundation, Guludo works with 16 local communities to implement grassroots projects including malaria eradication, clean drinking water, primary healthcare and rural agriculture production.

The announcement was made during a special welcome dinner that took place at the opening ceremony of the Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Las Vegas on 17 May, organised by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Government figures and company leaders were present as winners and finalists were honoured for their pioneering achievements in advancing sustainability to a higher level in the Travel & Tourism industry, including protecting the environment, support for culture heritage preservation, and helping to generate future employment.