UNWTO RECOGNIZES TOURISM SECTOR’S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
(Posted 19th January 2017)
Guanajuato’s State Ministry of Tourism (Mexico), Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (Belgium), Govardhan Ecovillage (India) and Dutch Travel Trade Association (Netherlands) were the winners of 13th Edition of the UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism. Nearly 150 initiatives from 55 countries applied for this edition.
The UNWTO Awards paid tribute to the commitment of the tourism sector towards sustainability and innovation. The winning projects were announced last night during the UNWTO Awards Ceremony in the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid.
‘The 13th UNWTO Awards is particularly relevant as it coincides with the Official Launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, a milestone and an immense opportunity for the global tourism community to advance towards a more inclusive and sustainable sector‘ underlined UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai in his opening remarks.
Attended by nearly 400 participants from 85 countries, the Ceremony emphasized how the tourism community has embraced sustainable and innovative approaches in the last years as ways to enhance the sector in the future.
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 greatly 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 awardees of the 13th UNWTO Awards for Innovation in four different categories are as follows:
| Finalists | Organization | Project | Country | Post |
| Public Policies and Governance | Guanajuato Ministry of Tourism | Strategies for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in Guanajuato | Mexico | Winner |
| Instituto Costarricense de Turismo | Social Progress Index in Tourist Destinations of Costa Rica | Costa Rica | First runner up | |
| Valencia Region Tourism Board | Valencian Institute of Tourism Technologies (INVAT.TUR) | Spain | Second runner up | |
| Advisory Council of the Tourism Ministry | Innovative Use of E-Tourism | Egypt | Third runner up | |
| Entreprises | Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group | Adding Color to Lives | Belgium | Winner |
| Ecobnb | Ecobnb, The Community of Sustainable Tourism | Italy | First runner up | |
| Non-Governmental Organizations | Govardhan Ecovillage | Govardhan Ecovillage – Eco Tourism as a catalyst for rural development | India | Winner |
| Petra National Trust | Culture Heritage: Tools for Sustainability of a World Heritage Site | Jordan | First runner up | |
| Fundación Tropicalia | A Sustainable Tourism Supply Chain | Dominican Republic | Second runner up | |
| Research and Technology | ANVR (Dutch Travel Trade Association) | Carmacal carbon calculator for travel packages | Netherlands | Winner |
| Turismo de Portugal, IP | Tourism 4.0 | Portugal | First runner up | |
| Ulysses Foundation | Encyclopedia of Tourism | Spain | Second runner up |
Additional information
The 13th Edition of the UNWTO Awards were kindly supported by:
– Suning (China)
– China Chamber of Tourism (China)
– Andalucia Region (Spain)
– PortAventura (Spain)
– Macao Government Tourism Office (SAR)
– Itaipu Binacional (Paraguay)
– Secretaria de Estado de Turismo de Paraguay (Senatur)
– Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia
– Samsonite
– Madrid Destino
– Eventisimo
Useful links:
13th UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism
