The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced the finalists to win the 15th UNWTO Awards, which recognize inspirational projects having made an invaluable contribution to advance sustainable tourism. The nominees are praised for contributing to advance the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Initiatives from Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Philippines made it to the list of finalists for 2019’s UNWTO Awards, ranging from community-based tourism development and innovation-driven nature conservation to heritage tourism and promotion of accessible tourism.

For this edition the jury committee was made up of eight tourism experts from the public sector, private companies and universities:

1. Ms. Diana Robino, Global Tourism Partnerships Lead, MasterCard

2. Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Head of Department Tourism and Hospitality, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom (Affiliate Member)

3. Mr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director/CEO, European Travel Commission

4. Mr. Istvan Ujhelyi, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, European Parliament

5. Mr. Jae-sung Rhee, CEO, Seoul Tourism Organization (Affiliate Member)

6. Ms. Judy Kepher-Gona, Founder & Director, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda – STTA Kenya

7. Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Affiliate Member)

8. Ms. Sally Davey, Director, Industry Affairs, Trip Advisor (Affiliate Member)

The UNWTO Awards recognize the contribution of public and private institutions, as well as NGOs, in the development of a more competitive, responsible and sustainable tourism sector that works towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 SDGs.

For the 15th year of the UNWTO Awards competition, a total of 190 applications from 71 countries were received in the three categories: Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, and Non-Governmental Organizations.
List of Finalists (in alphabetical order):

UNWTO Award in Public Policy and Governance

1. Tourism and Peace Programme, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Colombia

2. Love San Sebastián, Live Donostia, San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau, Spain

3. Sustainability Whale Watching Charter, SPET – Turismo De Tenerife, Spain

UNWTO Award in Enterprises

1. Community Impact by V Resorts, V Resorts (under the aegis of Bliss Inns Pvt. Ltd.), India

2. Fighting food waste at sea: 4GOODFOOD programme, Costa Crociere S.p.A., Italy

3. Masungi Georeserve: Innovations for Conservation, Masungi Georeserve Foundation, The Philippines

UNWTO Award in Non-Governmental Organizations

1. Embracing Our Potential, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Canada

2. Amuse Project, Fundacion Once, Spain

3. Treadright Foundation Heritage Initiative, Treadright Foundation, Switzerland