BLF Nagaland wins global honour at Responsible Tourism Awards 2025

Nagaland’s Better Life Foundation (BLF) has won second place in the category of Peace, Understanding & Inclusivity at the ICRT Global Responsible Tourism Awards 2025, sponsored by Sabre, held on November 3 in London.
Earlier, on September 13, BLF received the Indian Subcontinent Gold Award for Responsible Tourism under the same category, conferred by International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) and Incredible India at Yashobhoomi, IICC, New Delhi. The award was received by BLF founder-director Sethrichem Sangtam.
Sangtam, a social entrepreneur from Eastern Nagaland and the first recipient of the Rohini Nayyar Prize (2022), qualified BLF for the global awards after winning the regional gold.
At the London ceremony, BLF was among 30 organisations from around the world recognised for innovative contributions to responsible tourism, including community-based and cultural tourism initiatives, conservation projects, and sustainable travel enterprises.
BLF’s peacebuilding-led, culture-centred tourism model was commended for its impact. The foundation builds trust and reconciliation through regenerative farming and later integrates tourism, training former insurgents as local guides.
Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, chair of the judging panel and founder of ICRT global, said all recognised organisations offered “remarkable” and “exceptional examples of innovation and creative solutions,” expressing hope that they would inspire others.
The Global Responsible Tourism Awards honour initiatives demonstrating leadership in sustainability, community engagement, inclusivity, and positive transformation. All 30 global finalists had earlier won gold in regional rounds across Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia.
Speaking on the recognition, Sangtam said the award was a tribute to the resilience of the indigenous people of Eastern Nagaland and affirmed that peace built on trust, shared heritage and inclusive growth could transform fragile landscapes.
BLF continues to work on peace-driven sustainable development in rural Nagaland through regenerative farming, livelihood creation, and cultural tourism initiatives promoting inclusivity and intercultural understanding.