UNWTO has announced the winners of its Awake Tourism Challenge, celebrating the start-ups that are reshaping the sector in every global region.
The Challenge was the second edition of the UNWTO Global Startup Competition focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Entrants were judged on how they are contributing to the development of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable tourism sector, with a focus on six core themes:
- Local Community Involvement
- Green and Blue Economies
- Ecological and Sustainable Capital Creation
- Tourism Tech for Good
- Tourism Education
- Women Empowerment
UNWTO Seceratry-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "Tourism startups have the power and agility to transform the sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The winners of the UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge all have the potential to help build a more inclusive and resilient sector and we look forward to supporting them as they grow in size and influence."
Tourism startups have the power and agility to transform the sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals
Winners from every global region
The competition attracted more than 2,000 entrants from 120 countries worldwide. The most submissions were from Europe, the Americas and Africa, followed by Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East. From these, an expert jury selected 30 finalists and then 15 winners.
