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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 tonight in Madrid at the International Tourism Trade Fair in Spain (FITUR).

Among the finalists there are 2 Italian initiatives

Community and Resilience: two villages tackle depopulation, Valle dei Cavalieri (finalist on UNWTO Award for Innovation in Enterprises)
The Valle dei Cavalieri community-based cooperative was created to counter the depopulation of the village of Succiso in Italy, whose population passed from over 1,000 inhabitants in the 1950s to 64 inhabitants some years ago. Thanks to the strong involvement of the community, innovative and authentic tourism attractions were developed resulting in the development of the tourism activity and the enhancement of the unique cultural identity of the village.

IT.A.CÀ – Migrants and Travelers, Festival of Responsible Tourism, Associazione YODA (finalist on UNWTO Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations)
IT.A.CÀ is the first festival in Italy dedicated to responsible tourism involving about 250 organizations working in the fields of responsible tourism. The festival is composed of more than 300 free events such as guided tours and itineraries, workshops, meetings and seminars, 0 km lunches, expositions, and concerts.

The 4 winners of the UNWTO Awards for Innovation in Tourism are:

Tourism training talent (TTT), Turismo de Portugal, Portugal (Public Policy and Governance)

The Tourism training talent (TTT) programme implemented by the national Portuguese tourism organization represents an excellent example of capacity building programme developed to prepare the future generations of tourism workforce. The comprehensive training programme is strategically built around the National Tourism Plan and takes into consideration the future needs of the sector. This project contributes to the improvement of the competitiveness of the sector and to the positioning of Portugal as a leading tourism destination.

Conservation and Livelihoods: Community managed Ecotourism at Mangalajodi,  Mangalajodi Ecotourism trust, India (Enterprises)

Mangalajodi, a picturesque village located in northeast India at the borders of a vast wetland, is home to over 200 of birds´ species. Once associated with poaching of birds, the villagers stand today as true defenders of wildlife thanks to a coordinated effort in implementing a solid awareness campaign on the importance of preserving natural species and the benefits associated with wildlife tourism.

Connecting community, local friends, and visitors to a unique experience and happiness, Triponyu.com, Indonesia ( Non-Governmental Organizations)

Triponyu.com is a booking application that offers unique tours of the local communities in the Solo and Central Java area. These offers are not only unique but also contribute to job creation, preserve the community’s heritage, environmental landscape, and the sense of well-being that is felt by locals. The tours are designed and conducted by the locals who are now become active players through this scheme as they receive 93% of revenues that derived from this initiative.

Smart Tourism System (STS), SEGITTUR, Spain (Research and Technology)

Smart Tourism System (STS) is a crucial element in the Smart Destinations project as it allows different data sources to be analyzed, selected according to the destination’s needs, and for information to be gathered, processed, and analyzed, transforming it into knowledge. The STS offers the necessary information for the decision-making process of companies and administrators at the destination.

 Source: .unwto.org

UNWTO Awards - tourism awards

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