Published on : Thursday, September 13, 2018
The competition was focused on the search for innovative startups capable of transforming the way people travel and experience tourism, while adhering closely to the principles of sustainability (economic, social, environmental). The projects addressed areas such as the future of travel (33%), the tourism experience (32%), community development (29%) and environmental impact (6%).
“Today, innovation is one of the main drivers of sustainability, and tourism must continue to be at the vanguard as one of the leading sectors in new business models and relationships between people, and also as a steadfast and successful ally in promoting sustainable development throughout the world,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
Each solution’s uniqueness, viability, potential impact, business model and scalability, along with the profile of the team, were the criteria for selecting the 20 semi-finalists.
“The large number of companies that have presented their innovative proposals and projects reflects a true revolution in the way we travel and enjoy tourism,” said Globalia CEO Javier Hidalgo. “As a global tourism group, we are delighted to lead and spearhead this initiative together with the World Tourism Organization and we want to work together to lead the transformation of the tourism sector and become a benchmark.”
This group is notable for embodying entrepreneurial talent that offers pioneering proposals in the implementation of emerging and disruptive technologies that generate new sustainable business models.
Therefore, among the semi-finalists we find innovative projects that redefine the how trips are planned and how tourism is experienced, projects that promote sustainability and community involvement, as well as projects that use technology to revolutionize business models and the management of companies in the sector.
Those selected for the next stages will gain access to the leading actors in world tourism,
providing visibility and networking opportunities, as well as opening up financing and business development possibilities.
An innovative event
Globalia and the World Tourism Organization have entrusted this initiative to Barrabés.biz, an innovation consultancy with over 20 years of experience in creating, connecting and activating entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems.
The technological platform chosen to manage the competition was YouNoodle, a pioneering Silicon Valley firm that specializes in innovation and entrepreneurship competitions at the global level.