GLP Films awarded winner for Best Storytelling in Newsweek’s Future of Travel Awards 2021
Newsweek announced its 2021 Future of Travel Awards winners, broken down into a variety of categories including Destinations, Airlines, Places to Stay, Tour Operators, Visionaries, Startups/Travel Tech, and Storytelling. GLP Films has been awarded as the sole winner in the Group Storytelling category.
“Through its films, GLP always looks for the deeper story, accessing culture and finding a common humanity. Its 'Tourism Strong' series during the pandemic lifted spirits when it was needed the most,” commented Norie Quintos, Contributing Editor at National Geographic, and Panel Advisor for Newsweek's Future of Travel Awards.
This honor was awarded specifically as a result of our storytelling campaign, #TourismStrong, a 23-part video series produced remotely during the pandemic to celebrate the resilience of the travel industry.
As COVID-19 restricted travel around the world, team GLP connected with industry colleagues and past film partners in a series of virtual video interviews to discuss how they were weathering the pandemic. While originally not intended to stretch to 23 separate stories, the project grew as more of our travel industry friends realized they wanted, and perhaps needed, to share their own stories of perseverance.
Co-owner of Ecuador’s Tierra de Volcán, Maria José Andrade, said the following about the series:
“I believe that resilience is a result of a process of being empathic with a situation and visualizing an outcome. The term #TourismStrong has a very powerful message and it empowers the local actors to find ways to persist. It also shows how tourism is a source for good, affecting in a positive way the local economies, enhancing connection among people from different backgrounds, supporting conservation and education on a wider spectrum, and bringing joy and beauty to the lives of many people.”
It’s clear that the #TourismStrong series resonated with many out there also searching for a connection to the greater community. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Our Founder, Rob Holmes, commented, “we are honored that GLP was recognized as the Winner for best storytelling in Newsweek’s ‘Future of Travel Awards 2021,’ but more importantly, that this award is for our work in the #TourismStrong video series. It is that very ethos that has carried our colleagues and friends in the travel industry through these challenging and crazy times, and it is rewarding to see the power of storytelling bring the industry together.”
Motivated by our relationships in the travel community, our goal as storytellers was to do something that would inspire, educate, and ultimately make a positive impact. We couldn’t think of a better way to contribute to the fine work undertaken by our colleagues across the industry, including fellow winners — a diverse assemblage of storytellers including Lola Åkerström, Graeme Green, JoAnna Haugen, James Edwards Mills, and Dr. Anu Taranath. It is wonderful to be in such esteemed company. Congratulations to all the winners spanning additional categories.
We believe the future of travel lies in sustainability, and now is the time to reassess, innovate, and make concrete moves towards that future. We hope others will join us in this mission to uncover the true power of sustainable tourism.
Watch the #TourismStrong video series trailer below and sign up to receive the free report with key takeaways from our travel industry peers — #TourismStrong: Lessons and Solutions for a Sustainable Tourism Future.
Contact us to learn more about our sustainability storytelling.
