Nomination Form

1. By entering the Awards the applicants agree to be bound by the rules.
2. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to any short listing or judging decision.
3. The judges, in their absolute discretion, may decide not to make an award if they believe no entrant is of sufficient quality to meet the requirements of the Awards.
4. Applications must be made on the official TOFTigers Wildlife Tourism Awards Application Form.
5. Applicants may be asked to submit further information as part of the judging process, failure to provide this information within the timescale stipulated at the time of the request may invalidate the application. No correspondence will be entered into in relation to such a decision to invalidate a nomination.
6. In certain categories, the judges will require the applicant to supply independent references, where such are requested these must be completed in the format requested and provided within the timescale stipulated.
7. Connections and associations (e.g. financial, family relationships, employment, etc.) with the nominee will not invalidate an application but must be declared on the initial application. Failure to declare such interest will invalidate an application.
8. Whilst information contained within application forms and assessments will be treated as far as possible as confidential, the organisers accept no responsibility for loss or damage should any information become public knowledge at any time.

•   Applicants agree that if they are short-listed this decision will be made public, together with outline details of their project. In addition, in some categories, a short film report may be made of the nominees and their project. The applicants agree to cooperate in such filming and to be filmed and that such film may be used to promote Awards as the organisers may decide. Such uses may include web, broadcast television, DVD, or other medium and may also be shown at the Awards. All material is the sole property of TOFTigers.

•   At the sole discretion of TOFTigers, TOFTigers can use all materials provided for Awards’ promotions and publicity. TOFTigers does not however guarantee promotion of any winner or finalist.

10. Applicants consent to their images, trademarks, logos etc. being made public in promotional material related to the Awards and this may include press, web, radio or broadcast. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all photo permissions are in place and to provide details of any photo credits required.
11. Awards may be withdrawn in the event that information subsequently becomes available to show that information provided at the time of judging was incorrect or unavailable and that such information had it been available would have made the award inappropriate.
12. Winners of cash prizes agree to be bound by the conditions stipulated in the individual Awards with regard to acceptable uses for such cash prizes.
13. Where appropriate, the organisers may arrange for the money due in cash prizes to be paid only when appropriate invoices, and or, receipts are available, and or, that the organisers are satisfied that the goods, services etc. to be provided to the person, community, organisation, or group have in fact been supplied.
14. In the case of cash prizes, the organisers’ decision that the conditions described in Clause 12 have been fulfilled will be at the organisers’ absolute discretion and no correspondence on its decisions in regard to these clauses will be entered into.
15. No responsibility is accepted by the organisers for any application submitted by email but not received by the organisers. Applicants concerned about whether an application has been received have to make their own enquiries to ensure their applications have been received.
16. The organisers can terminate one or more of the Awards if they see fit or shorten or curtail the Award ceremony should circumstances prevail that do not allow it to continue.

Eligibility rules of each award category

Each Award has separate eligibility criteria as detailed below:-

A) Most Inspirational Eco Lodge of the Year 2018 - The lodge must predominantly cater for visitors who intend to watch wildlife within an Indian subcontinent park. All round excellence in what PUG stands for and an inspirational place to stay. Open to all fully paid up TOFTigers PUG eco-rated members including runners up from previous Awards. Previous winners can reapply after three years. Judging panel plus client/customer voting available at www.toftigers.org/awardsvoting

B) Up and Coming Excellence in Nature Award 2018 - Rewarding a striving for excellence in one or more aspects of the TOFTigers mission - including visitor experience, nature education, rewilding habitat, conservation involvement or community engagement – and loved by its visitors too. The lodge or provider need not be a member of TOFTigers or accredited to the PUG Eco-Certification scheme but must meet the minimum standards of a PUG Eco-audit. Open to lodges, resorts, cruises or nature-based enterprises in areas of outstanding natural beauty or adjacent to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Judging panel plus client/customer voting available at www.toftigers.org/awardsvoting

C) Wildlife Guide of the Year 2018 - Open to a Park Guide (including runners up from previous Awards) who must be working in, or for, a park that is recognized as a tiger habitat and must have worked there for at least two years prior to the closing date for entries. Previous winners can reapply after three years.

D) Lodge Naturalist of the Year 2018 - Open to a Lodge Naturalist (including runners up from previous Awards) who must be working in, or for, a lodge that is recognized as a tiger habitat and must have worked there for at least two years prior to the closing date for entries. Previous winners can reapply after three years.

E) Visitor Friendly Wildlife Destination of the Year 2018 - This category is open to any park that has tigers within its boundaries and where sightings have been documented in the six months prior to the closing date for nominations (including runners up from previous Awards). The park does not have to be currently covered by TOFTigers, but must be able to highlight its efforts to work with and use tourism more effectively for conservation and support. Our judging panel will be looking at visitor votes and comments as well (www.toftigers.org/awardsvoting). Previous winners can reapply after three years.

F) Wildlife Promotion Company of the Year 2018 - This Award is only open to Destination Management Companies with a registered office in India (including runners up from previous Awards) and the company must be a fully paid up TOFTigers member. Our judging panel will be looking at how your approach supports our mission with an opportunity for your clients to vote as well as comment. Previous winners can reapply after three years. Client/customer voting available at www.toftigers.org/awardsvoting

G) Wildlife Tourism Related Community Initiative of the Year 2018 - Nominations are open to any community-related initiative connected with tourism in parks where there are tigers or other endangered species. The definition of what constitutes a Community Initiative will be decided at the absolute discretion of the judges but for general guidance it would be expected that ownership of the initiative would reside within the local community (5kms. radius of the project). Nominations must be supported by at least one lodge catering for tiger watching tourists and the lodge does not need to be part of TOFTigers. Runners up from previous Awards can apply; also winners after three years.

H) Wildlife and Tourism Initiative of the Year 2018 - This is a very wide category intended to encourage innovative thinking around wildlife tourism in the Indian subcontinent. The projects need not be related to tigers but should be capable of application in tiger areas. Runners up from previous Awards can apply; also winners after three years.

I) International Wildlife Tour Operator of the Year 2018 - This Award is only open to International Tour Operators with a registered office in their respective country and they must be a fully paid up TOFTigers member. Our judging panel will be looking at how your approach supports our mission with an opportunity for your clients to vote and comment as well. Runners up from previous Awards can apply also winners after three years. Client/customer voting available at www.toftigers.org/awardsvoting

Judging Criteria

The initial judging of applications will be undertaken by a small committee combining experts in tourism and conservation. Categories involving public voting will take into account the number, quality rating and comments as part of the judges’ overall assessment. A shortlist will be drawn up for the next round, with a short further presentation and justification being requested. Some categories will require two independent referees to be given. After the referees have been contacted the final judging panel of international experts will determine the winners. The Chairman's decision is final.

Judging Panel

The international judging panel of experts will be drawn from a range of experiences and backgrounds in tourism, government, business and conservation, both from India and abroad. This will be overseen by a well respected Chairman of the panel.