Chamba’s H2O House Wins Sustainable Accommodation of the Year among 200+ South Asian Organizations
NotOnMap H2O House, Chamba-based homestay, has won the Sustainable Accommodation of the Year at the 30th Edition of SATTE Awards 2023, held on 10th February and organized by Informa Markets. More than 200 travel innovations and organizations have participated from across South Asia, out of which 17 eminent organizations emerged as the notable winners.
SATTE (South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange) is recognized as Asia’s Leading travel and tourism exhibition to conduct business, share knowledge, exchange ideas in order to arrive at solution-driven innovations to accelerate the pace of the growth of the industry.
SATTE Awards recognised NotOnMap H2O House for its commitment to sustainability, and its commitment to preserving the local environment, culture and its use of renewable energy sources, waste reduction efforts. Five proud representatives of H2O House attended the event to receive the award, Mrs Renu Sharma, Owner at H2O House; Mr Magandeep Singh, Representative of H2O House & the Chaminoo Community Village; Mr Manuj Sharma, Co-founder at NotOnMap; Mr Sachin Kumar, Advisor at NotOnMap; and Mr Anil Attri, representative of NotOnMap H2O House.
“We are truly honored to receive this award,” said Renu Sharma, Owner at H2O House. “At our homestay, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Apart from environmental sustainability, H2O House from the very beginning has been working for the socio-economic development of the local & rural communities of Chamba.”
NotOnMap H2O House is a 150+-year-old heritage property in Chaminoo Village of Chamba District that sits atop a Gharat, a traditional water mill, built on a piece of land granted in the 13th century as evidenced by a copper plate. It is dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices through its core concept of ‘Where Nature Meets Culture’. The USP of H2O House is that it is a community-oriented initiative, run by the local community of Chaminoo and nearby villages. It works in collaboration with and preservation of the local Culture, Community, Crafts, Cuisine, & Countryside; and developing alternative livelihood opportunities for the socio-economic development of the communities involved.
“We are proud to be part of the growing movement towards a more responsible and sustainable travel industry,” added Magandeep Singh, Representative of Chaminoo Community Village. “We look forward to continuing to provide guests with an unforgettable travel experience while making a positive impact on the environment and local communities.”
“Having been honored with such a prestigious award provides a morale boost for all of us at NotOnMap to continue our efforts to create a sustainable rural travel ecosystem,” commented Manuj Sharma, Co-founder at NotOnMap. “The core of NotOnMap will always be on creating an inclusive & sustainable community enterprise using Travel as a Tool to preserve and promote the rich local cultural heritage and improve the economic standards of rural communities across India.”
Established in 2018, NotOnMap is a socially driven initiative promoting Sustainable & Responsible Tourism to bring about socio-economic independence for the rural communities across India. It is based in Chaminoo Village of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh and works pan-India.
The event was graced by eminent officials namely, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism Govt. Mauritius; Mr Alhasan Ali Aldabbagh, Chief Markets Officer – Asia Pacific, Saudi Tourism Authority (STA); Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Maldives; Mr. Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Ltd; Mr. Yogesh Mudras, MD, Informa Markets – India; Ms. Pallavi Mehra, Group Director and Publisher – T3, Informa Markets – India; Vk Duggal, Governor of Mizoram, Advisor to Mizoram and Myanmar Tourism; and many more.
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