MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Portugal, India, Indonesia and Spain win UNWTO awards for tourism innovation

Attended by 500 participants from different countries the Awards Ceremony, emphasized how tourism has embraced sustainable and innovative approaches.

Turismo de Portugal I.P (Portugal), Ecotourism Trust (India), Tryponyu (Indonesia) and SEGGITUR (Spain) are the winners of the 14th Edition of the UNWTO Awards for Innovation in Tourism. Fourteen projects among 128 applicants from 55 countries were selected as finalists of the 14th UNWTO Awards for Innovation in Tourism.

 The winning projects, divided into four categories – Public Policy and Governance, Research and Technology, Enterprises, and Non-governmental Organizations –, have been announced at the UNWTO Awards Ceremony held in Madrid at the International Tourism Trade Fair in Spain (FITUR).

“Today we honor the vision and commitment of individuals, administrations, companies and organizations that every day build a better future by harnessing the potential of tourism. The work of all the finalists of the 14 UNWTO Awards on Innovation is an inspiration to all of us”, underlined UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, in his opening remarks.

Attended by nearly 500 participants from different countries, the UNWTO Awards Ceremony, co-organized by IFEMA|FITUR, emphasized how the tourism community has embraced sustainable and innovative approaches.

The UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism are held annually to highlight and promote the work of organizations and individuals around the world that have impacted the tourism sector. Their achievements have served as an inspiration for competitive and sustainable tourism development and the promotion of the values of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 14th Edition of the UNWTO Awards was organized in collaboration with the International Tourism Trade Fair in Spain (IFEMA/FITUR) and supported by: The Macao Government Tourism Office; The National Secretariat of Tourism of Paraguay-Itaipu Binacional; The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Argentina;
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in Colombia; The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador; Wonderful Indonesia; The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; and National Geographic.

List of Awardees of the 14th UNWTO Awards for Innovation

• Category Organization Project Country Post
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• Public Policy and Governance Turismo de Portugal I.P Tourism Training Talent (TTT) Portugal Winner.
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• Ente de turismo de la ciudad de Buenos Aires MiBarrio applied research Project Argentina Second Prize.
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• Management Committee of Longmen Grottoes World Cultural Heritage Park “Internet + Longmen” action plan China Third Prize.
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• Enterprises Ecotourism Trust Conservation and Livelihoods: Community managed ecotourism, MANGALAJODI India Winner.
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• Valle dei Cavalieri Community and Resilience: two villages tackle depopulation Italy Second Prize.
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• Balesin Island Club Three-Pillar innovation Initiative Philippines Second Prize.
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• Great Plains Conservation and the Great Plains Conservation Foundation Conserving and expanding natural habitats Botswana and Kenya Third Prize.
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• Non-Governmental Organizations Triponyu.com Connecting people through local experiences Indonesia Winner.
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• Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda Strengthening community tourism México Second Prize.
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• The Sumba Hospitality Foundation Educating and empowering local communities for Sustainable tourism futures Indonesia Third Prize.
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• Associazione YODA IT.A.CÁ- Migrants and Travelers, Festival of Responsible Tourism Italy Third Prize.
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• Research and Technology SEGITTUR Smart Tourism System (SIT) Spain Winner.
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• EarthCheck Building Planning and Design Standard (BPDS) Australia Second Prize.
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• Croatian National Tourism Board eVisitor- Croatian national tourist information system Croatia Third Prize.