- united under the banner of sustainable tourism. Meet four of our judges who, in their own words, talk about what it is like to be a judge for the world's most distinguished sustainable tourism awards, and their thoughts on the travel and tourism industry.

Laura Turner Seydel

Laura is an international environmental advocate and eco-living expert dedicated to creating a healthy and sustainable future for children... READ MORE »

Jessica Hall Upchurch

With a deep love for the outdoors and children, Jessica spearheads the $15.5 billion Virtuoso global travel network efforts on ensuring the organization uses its influence to advance sustainable tourism practices... READ MORE »

Sandra Howard

Sandra served as the Secretary General of Sustainable Tourism for the Small Islands Forum and has represented Colombia at the Americas Commission of the UnitedFor the seven years up until his bar mitzvah, Alex Aibel’s childhood schedule had revolved around a fixed religious routine. Sundays were reserved for Hebrew school and Fridays for the shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, while temple visits, Jewish holiday celebrations and trips to Israel to see relatives were sprinkled throughout the rest of the year. And through all of it, he felt neither particularly enthusiastic nor especially resentful – just detached.

Aibel’s Hebrew school took a wide variety of approaches to teaching its students about Judaism, from reading prayers and stories to watching videos about Jewish history. But for Aibel, none of it really clicked. Whether he was sitting in a small classroom or staring at the expansive ceiling of a temple, he always found himself slumped