International judges from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) will be visiting the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site this week as the Jurassic Coast has been shortlisted for the Destination Award at the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

Photograph of Ladram Bay

The awards recognise and promote the world's leading examples of best practice in responsible tourism development. The finalists were selected from over 90 applications from 30 countries and the winners of each of four categories will be announced during a special ceremony at the 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in New Delhi, India on 8 April.

Martha Honey, executive director of The International Ecotourism Society and a member of the finalists' selection committee said:

"The entries received this year were of a particularly high standard which made the selection process very difficult. However, it is encouraging to see how many companies are committed to developing tourism in a responsible way all over the world."

During the next phase of the judging process, the WTTC / Tourism for Tomorrow team will come on a two-day visit to the Jurassic Coast, looking for evidence of work to ensure maximum benefits and minimum negative impacts to the natural environment and the local economy and communities. The team will also be examining the World Heritage Team's work to support the preservation of the Jurassic Coast's natural and cultural heritage and its local character.

Sally King of the World Heritage team, said:
"We are absolutely delighted that the Jurassic Coast is a finalist in these prestigious sustainable tourism awards. A lot of hard work has gone into developing and promoting tourism along the World Heritage Site in a truly responsible way, and this would not have been possible without the help and support of a huge range of partners. It is vitally important that we continue to ensure the balance between tourism and conservation remains a priority for the Jurassic Coast and we are extremely proud that our efforts to date have been rewarded by reaching this stage of the award process."