Here Are the Most Innovative Tourism Organizations of 2014

There are tons of awards honoring innovation — “best of,” “top 10,” and other variations — in airline, airports, hotels, destinations, and online tools in travel, but tourism organizations  have few opportunities to be recognized.

Hence the annual UNWTO Ulysses Awards for “Excellence and Innovation in Tourism” is a good barometer for the innovation happening in the tourism sector in both the for-profit or non-profits sectors.

This year is the 11th annual version of these awards. Here are the finalists for the awards, broken down into four different categories. It’s worth clicking through to each of these to check out the work they are doing in different areas of tourism.

Award for Innovation in Research and Technology

• Building a Community of Conscious Globetrotter Making a Positive Impact through Ethical and Responsible Tourism, Freeedom – Explore Experience Empower (Australia)
• China Tourism Economy Monitoring and Early Warning System, China Tourism Academy (China)
• Key Figures : Amsterdam as a Convention Destination, Amsterdam Marketing (The Netherlands)
• Visit Europe iPad App, European Travel Commission

Award for Innovation in Enterprises

• Inspira Santa Marta Hotel, Hotel Santa Marta S.A. (Portugal)
• Isoitok Camp Manyara The African Footprint Co ltd (Tanzania)
• Routes the Coffee Cultural Landscape, Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, Quindío (Colombia)

Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance

• Domestic Tourism Promotion Initiative “Y tú, qué planes?”, Commission for the Promotion of Exports and Tourism – PromPeru (Peru)
• Fragrances and Tastes of Lošinj, Mali Lošinj Tourist Board (Croatia)
• The Use of Open Innovation in Co-Creating Vienna’s Tourism Strategy 2020, Vienna Tourist Board (Austria)

Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations

• Conserving Wildlife and Empowering Communities in Namibia, World Wildlife Fund for Nature (Namibia)
• Promotion of Local Culture in the Sundarbans Impact Zone in Bangladesh through Cultural Ecotourism and Entrepreneurship, Relief International – UK (Bangladesh)
• Taste of Fethiye, The Travel Foundation (Turkey)
• Visit Amsterdam, See Holland, Amsterdam Marketing (The Netherlands)