UNWTO Awards recognize the commitment of the tourism sector to sustainable approaches

UNWTO Awards 1aGuanajuato’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.

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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 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.UNWTO Gala Award

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