Environmental Award for Turkey's Ministry of Tourism
Turkey's Ministry of Tourism has been recognized for the Green Star program it has run since 2008. For its work on environmental responsibility, the Ministry received two awards, one domestic and one international.
The Ministry has operated the Green Star program since 2008. Through this program, it was shortlisted in the top-performer category of the Green Apple Environment Awards organized by The Green Organization. The program drew around 550 entries worldwide, and the Ministry reached the final. Competing in the final round among the last 5 entries in the public-bodies group, the Ministry took the gold award.
The competition gave bronze, silver, and gold awards across categories including conservation, sustainability, private sector, environmental improvement, public institutions, and innovation. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism took gold in the public-institutions category. The Green World Awards ceremony was held in South Korea in the previous year, and moved to Dubai in 2016. With this award, the Ministry earned the title of Green World Ambassador and the right to represent Turkey in the Green Book, the world's only reference publication showcasing leading environmental practices.
The Ministry received a second award for its work within ISO's Technical Committee on Tourism and Related Services. The applications category included nearly 60 organizations from 20 nations, and the session was chaired by a Ministry inspector.
The resulting international document, ISO/TS 13811, "Tourism and related services: Guidelines on environmental aspects applicable to accommodation establishments," has been in publication since December 2015.
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