The Itaipu Technological Park (Brazil), the Treetop Walking Path (Lithuania), the Sisterhood of Survivors Program (Nepal), and Re-Inventing the Government in Tourism (Indonesia) were the winners of the 12th UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism. The projects were selected among more than 100 candidatures from 30 countries.
The Awards, recognizing innovation in four categories – Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, NGOs and Research and Technology – were announced last week at the UNWTO Awards Ceremony in the Spanish Tourism Fair (FITUR).
“The UNWTO Awards aim to honour those that everyday work for the benefit of host communities, supporting the livelihoods of local people and protecting our environment and our culture for future generations,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, opening the ceremony. “All 16 finalists are an example to all of us of how the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the objectives set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can inspire sustainable tourism.”
The full finalists and winners were:
UNWTO Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance
Winner: Re-Inventing the Government in Tourism, Pemkab Banyuwangi, Indonesia
First Runner-up: East Africa Tourism Platform, Kenya
Second Runner-up: Green Certifications Program, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Puerto Rico and Responsible Tourism and Free of Crime in Medellín, Alcaldía de Medellín, Colombia
UNWTO Awards for Innovation in Enterprises
Winner: Treetop Walking Path, Anykščiai Regional Park Direction, Lithuania
First Runner-up: Bali Beach Clean-Up, Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia, and World´S First 100% Electric Tour Bus, Switzerland Explorer Tours, Switzerland
Second Runner-up: Plentifulness Project, Projeto Fartura, Brazil, and First Professional Experience Project, Meliá Hotels International, Spain
UNWTO Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations
Winner: Sisterhood of Survivors (SOS) Program, Samrakshak Samuha Nepal (Sasane), Nepal
First Runner-up: Coral Reef Reborn, Yayasan Karang Lestari, Indonesia
Second Runner-up: The Child safe Movement, Friends-International, Cambodia; and Children in the Wilderness, South Africa
UNWTO Award for Innovation in Research and Technology
Winner: Itaipu Touristic Complex, Fundação Parque Tecnológico, Brazil
First Runner-up: Mobile Application Bike Rijeka, Rijeka Tourist Board, Croatia; and Korea Medical Tourism Online Platform, Korea Tourism Organization, Republic of Korea
On the occasion UNWTO has also conferred the UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement to the late Arthur Haulot, founder of the International Social Tourism Organization for his contribution in promoting social tourism and the right to tourism for all and the UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge in Tourism to Dr. Richard Butler, author of one of the most influential theories about tourism – the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC).
See more at the official awards page here.
