2009 Colibri Ecotourism Award http://www.planeta.com/colibri.html
OAXACA DE JUAREZ, MEXICO -- As part of the global celebration of World Environment Day (June 5), Planeta.com presents the ninth annual Colibri Ecotourism Award to Pedro Martinez, the owner of a small business in Oaxaca City that has pioneered responsible travel and ecotourism the past 20 years. "Pedro is an inspiration, a model of the small business entrepreneur who has persevered in creating an enterprise that touches the lives of locals and foreigners," said Planeta.com founder Ron Mader. " His work is outstanding and the contributions he has made to the Rural Tourism Fairs and to improving the editorial content on Planeta.com are good examples of sharing lessons and broadening the appeal of Mexico's rural tourism and ecotourism options." The Colibri Ecotourism Award recognizes leaders who are at the forefront of innovative measures to protect cultural and natural heritage in Mexico. "We hope that the Colibri Ecotourism Award gets the word out about Mexico's role in the global movement toward responsible travel and ecotourism," said Emilio Kifuri, award co-sponsor and owner of Canyon Travel -- http://www.canyontravel.com -- a North American ecotourism operator. "Entrepreneurs like Pedro Martinez lead the way. Literally!" "This year's Colibri Ecotourism Award recognizes a continuation of Oaxaca's place in fostering innovative and sustainable tourism practices," said Greg Custer, award co-sponsor and Vice President of Destination Ventures -- http://www.magicofmexico.com. "The Oaxaca region has for millennia been a wellspring for human cultural advancement. The rest of world should take note." ABOUT THE COLIBRI AWARD Colibri means 'Hummingbird' in Spanish and in 2009 the Colibri Award celebrates its ninth anniversary, making this one of the longest-running ecotourism awards. The winner of the annual award receives a trophy, diploma and a $1,000 cash award from Emilio Kifuri, president of Canyon Travel. "Mexico is one of the world's mega diverse countries and there are many examples where tourism helps educate visitors and provides benefits for rural communities," said Kifuri. "Mexico ought to be at the forefront of the ecotourism movement and if we pay attention to the work that's being done, the word 'ecotourism' will make travelers think of Mexico." The Colibri Ecotourism Award's co-sponsor, Destination Ventures, contributes directly to Planeta.com to develop supporting projects documenting the winner's work. The company specializes in travel industry education and currently works for the Mexico Tourism Board and United Nations Foundation in promoting sustainable travel to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Previous winners include Steve Bridger, Gerhard Buttner Jennifer Morfín, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, Jorge Chàvez de la Peña, Fernando Garcia Aguinaco, Marlene Ehrenberg, Juan Carlos Ibarra and Antonio Suárez and Francisco Verastegui. The winner of the award is selected by Planeta.com founder Ron Mader following consultation with previous award winners and colleagues. CRITERIA Planeta.com presents the Colibri Ecotourism Award to those whose work in Mexico is exemplary and who share what they learn. Good ideas require good work to come to completion and good work needs to be documented so that lessons can be shared. Nominees participate in the Planeta Forum or contribute editorial suggestions for at least a year. Bonus points are given to those who participate on other websites and forums. This is part of Planeta.com's desire to create incentives for communication, collaboration and continuity, all vital elements in the development of ecotourism and responsible travel. WINNER Pedro Martinez wins the 2009 Colibri Ecotourism Award. Born in El Cabrito la Hermita Ejutla de Crespo, Pedro was raised in the Oaxacan countryside. Pedro won the state sports award in 1985. He was a member of the national road cycling team from 1985 to 1988. In 1991 he participated in the Duatlón World Championship in California. Pedro opened his business in 1988 and after three years of running a cycling store began operating tours in 1991. "Tourists would come to Oaxaca and want to rent a bicycle and they'd look for me," Pedro recalls. "Then a tour operator friend from Ottawa suggested that I offer tours. This idea sparked my interest and helped developed the confidence needed to develop tours." Pedro credits a number of international contacts for the help needed in making his operation a success. These include Austin - Lehman Adventures (USA), Solana Tours (Mexico) and Joker Tours (Belgium). Inclusion in the Lonely Planet Guidebook has also been important. "Being featured in Lonely Planet has been an honor," Martinez added. "Foreigners coming to Oaxaca trust this book and feel a sense of security with the operations listed. I am very grateful to the publisher for a book that truly understands how to assist travelers to understand Mexico." Pedro also has been an active participant in the rural tourism fairs hosted by Planeta.com in Oaxaca since 2001. By giving Pedro the award in 2009, the Colibri Ecotourism Award draws attention to rich natural and cultural diversity in Mexico. Pedro works with weavers in Teotitlan del Valle (where last year's Colibri Ecotourism winner Gerhard Buttner taught English classes) - and integrates cultural elements on his bike rides. This 'out of the box' thinking still defies the traditional silo thinking as it does not fit with interior organization chart. Pedro added that he had ideas on how to make all of this work better and he's been doing just that. By working the artisans off the beaten track, he's been able to bring in much needed income to rural villages. It's this type of leadership that the Colibri Ecotourism Award recognizes. An interesting note is how Pedro has worked with his nephews in developing Web 2.0 channels including Flickr -- http://flickr.com/photos/bicicletaspedro -- and YouTube -- http://www.youtube.com/user/PedroMartinezBikes Pedro even started his own Flickr Group called Si Más Bicicletas to which cycling fans are cordially invited to share pictures http://www.flickr.com/groups/simasbicicletas http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/red/0906award.html
