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Planeta.com Presents 2010 Colibri Ecolodge Award to Verena
Gerber in honor of World Environment Day
Publication Date: June 2010
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OAXACA DE JUAREZ,
MEXICO -- To celebrate World
Environment Day, Planeta.com presents the tenth annual Colibri
Ecotourism Award in the form of our first Colibri Ecolodge
Award to Verena Gerber.
ABOUT THE COLIBRI AWARD
Colibri means 'Hummingbird' in Spanish and in 2010 the
Colibri Award celebrates its tenth anniversary, making this
one of the longest-running ecotourism awards. Previous winners
include Steve
Bridger, Gerhard
Buttner, Hector
Ceballos-Lascurain, Jorge
Chàvez de la Peña, Fernando
Garcia Aguinaco, Marlene
Ehrenberg, Juan
Carlos Ibarra, Pedro
Martinez, Jennifer
Morfín, Antonio
Suárez and Francisco
Verástegui. In 2010 Verena shares the spotlight with
Colibri Ecotourism Award winner Allan
Rhodes.
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 by helpful edits, connecting using Web
2.0, Planeta Wiki
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 responsible
travel and ecotourism.
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WINNER
Verena opened EcoParaiso in 1996. Located on one of the most
fascinating Mexican biological reserves, nestled on a 3-mile
virgin beach, Hotel Eco Paraiso is located on the edge of the
Celestún Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula.
EcoParaiso is eco chic, providing impeccable comfort and service
in tranquil, natural surroundings. It offers a magical experience
in a pristine environment, while providing a warm ecological
oriented ambiance with wellness facilities and healthy activities
for the guests well-while in intimate contact with nature. Highlights
include a yoga center, juice therapy, pools and massage cubicles.
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| "We've persevered 15 years,"
Verena said. "The work has been titanic in scope -- changing
the way beach resorts have been developed and promoted. It wasn't
easy at the beginning and it's not easy now, but it's a challenge
we've accepted. Every day the tourists are becoming more savvy
in terms of what they're seeking and it's my belief that we
will thrive in the changing tourism environment."
Verena sees her role as a representative of private industry
as a way of changing an attitude that seeks partnerships. "It's
important to work together so that we can all benefit. Private
industry invests in tourism and we're betting not just on tourism
but on ecotourism". On top of Verena's wishlist -- deeper
support and better promotion of ecotourism from Mexico's tourism
officials.
MORE ABOUT THE WINNER
Flickr
Gallery
Website
DISCLOSURE
Editorial note from Ron: I think it's incumbent for awards
to disclose financial transactions. In full disclosure: I have
received a payment from Verena for the past few years for a
listing in the World
Travel Directory. This has had no bearing on Verena winning
the award. I have been a long-time fan of her work for about
15 years, since the time I was researching the Mexico: Adventures
in Nature guidebook.
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TESTIMONIALS
Pasan crisis y huracanes pero el ecoparaiso de Verena Gerber
en Celestún, Yucatán, sigue ahí. Ahora,
además con posibilidades de ofrecer retiros de Yoga.
No se que otra señal espero para ir y saludar una vez
más a Verena.
- Fernando
Garcia Aguinaco, Ganador Colibri
Verena Gerber has created Ecoparaiso Xixim as refreshingly different
from most of the Yucatan Peninsula resorts and beach hotels,
blending into the surroundings and is respected in the neighbouring
community of Celestun, a first impression confirmed through
my regular contact with Xixim's main ecotourism guide, a community
member of Celestun, while spending time in the town myself.
- Gerhard
Buttner, Colibri Winner
Verena Gerber is the personification of dynamism and energy.
Her contributions to the conservation of the dunes in front
of the Eco Paraiso resort and the creative implementation of
measures to protect bird species especially the endemic ones
are countless. I have seen her work many hours consulting with
the experts to do the correct thing in order to preserve nature
be it sewage treatment or keeping the natural vegetation untouched.
I have a great respect for such a human being. I hope we had
more Verena Gerbers in the world. She has been an remarkable
example of work ethics and perseverance to me.
- Alfonso Escobedo, Ecoturismo
Yucatán
Muy merecido el premio Colibrí por tus esfuerzos y
perseberancia, se necesitan factores ideologicos muy especiales
para continuar en esta lucha contra la destruccion del medio
ambiente, me siento parte de ella y por tanto te brindo mi apoyo
incondicional, FELICIDADES a todo el equipo de Xixim.
- Elena Gottdiener
Congratulations to Verena Gerber for winning the 2010 Colibri
Ecolodge Award. The work to develop sustainable tourism seems
endless, but it pays off in the end. Verena is a hard worker
and has a commitment to conservation and protection which is
so important to our Yucatan!
- Linda A. Schramm, AmigoYucatan
Yo también me pongo de pie y aplaudo al bello Xixim.
Sra. Verena, muchas gracias por su enseñanza en el cuidado
de la naturaleza y el medio ambiente. A la fecha sigo sus recomendaciones
de separación de basura y protección a la naturaleza.
Es Usted todo un ejemplo a seguir y me da tanta alegría
y emoción que se reconozca la gran labor que se hace
en Xixim.
- Luz María Núñez
Muy merecido premio! Ejemplos como Eco paraíso son
los que tenemos que estar fomentando en nuestro país,
gracias por tener la energía y la perseverancia de creer
en que hay una mejor forma de hacer las cosas.
- Gael Almeida, Fondo Mexicano
para la Conservación de la Naturaleza
Te felicito es un reconocimiento que te mereces. Ya sabes que
tus amigos de Fondo Mexicano que además pudimos vivir
el concepto de Eco Paraíso te admiramos y desearíamos
que hubiese más mexicanas y mas seres humanos como Verena.
- Eugenio Clariond Reyes, Fondo
Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza
¡Muchísimas felicitaciones! Mereces este reconocimiento
y muchos más, por tu tesón, tu visión,
tu amor por la naturaleza y tu sacrificio personal durante tantos
años. Y por lo mucho que has enseñado a otros.
Es un privilegio y un honor ser colega tuyo en el FMCN.
- Steve Knaebel, Fondo Mexicano
para la Conservación de la Naturaleza |
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