Fogo Island Inn Finalist For National Geographic Award

The accolades for the Fogo Island Inn continue with the recent announcement from National Geographic that it has been nominated as a finalist for the World Legacy Awards in the “Sense of Place” category.

As per Nat Geo, the “Sense of Place” category is for:

Recognizing excellence in enhancing sense of place and authenticity, including support for the protection of historical monuments, archaeological sites, cultural events, indigenous heritage and artistic traditions.

The Fogo Island Inn was nominated in particular for the approach taken in the construction of the inn.  It was built with collaborative input from local residents and international artists, designers and architects to capture the spirit and culture of the area.  In terms of operations, it continues to work collaboratively in terms of sourcing food for the restaurant, re-investing back into the community and even pairing visitors with local hosts.

The Inn which of course is situated on Fogo Island is up against 2 other entries including one entry from the other side of Canada.

The Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve in British Columbia was nominated for the partnership between the Haida people and Parks Canada to preserve this area which includes over 500 settlements dating back 12,000 years.  As part of the management strategy the Haida residents to live at cultural sites and carry on traditional activities while educating visitors.

The other nominee in this category is Cavallo Point near San Francisco, California.  This area was formerly Fort Baker, a US military base which has subsequently been transformed into a “LEED gold-certified tourism lodge.”  The renovation of this area sought to preserve the history of the base while re-using as much material to be ecologically friendly as possible.  With its view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, this area looks breathtaking.

The winners of the World Legacy Awards will be announced in March 2015 in Berlin at the ITB trade show.