Innovative tourism rewarded

Professor Kaye Chon

UNWTO announces 2011 Ulysses Prize and Awards winners

A company offering guided tours through Canada for people with disabilities and a discovery trail of the ancient Moche civilization of Northern Peru are among the winners of this year’s UNWTO Ulysses Awards.

The UNWTO Ulysses Awards reward initiatives and projects undertaken by public tourism institutions, tourism enterprises and non-profit institutions that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism through innovation, in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The prestigious UNWTO Ulysses Prize will be awarded to Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for his outstanding contribution to tourism knowledge.

The 2011 UNWTO Ulysses Awards winners are as follows:

For Innovation in Governance:

• China Tourist Satisfaction Index – China Tourism Academy (China)
• Development of the ‘Ruta Moche’ as a Tourism Destination – Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Peru)
• Environmental Certificate "Friend of the Environment Establishment” – Madeira Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Transport (Portugal)

 For Innovation in Enterprises:

• The Artemisa project: transforming organic waste into biofuel for more sustainable tourism – Ingelia (Spain)
• Mayakoba Tourism Resort Mexico: sustainable and responsible tourism development – OHL Desarrollos (Mexico)
• TravelSat Competitive Index: global survey benchmarking international tourists’ satisfaction and trip quality – TCI Research (Tourism Competitive Intelligence) (Belgium)

For Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations:

• Connecting People with the Environment, W James Whyte Island Reserve: tourists volunteering to protect biodiversity – Conservation Volunteers (Australia)
• Development of Accessible Tourism in Slovenia (PREMIKI): accessible tourism for those with special needs – SENT Slovenian Association for Mental Health (Slovenia)
• La route accessible (The Accessible Road): guided tours for people with disabilities  – KÉROUL (Canada)

Special Jury Awards to:

• Cultural Villages Development Project – Alghat Cooperative Association (Saudi Arabia)
• UruguayNatural.tv – Ministry of Tourism and Sport (Uruguay)
• European Cemeteries Route – Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (Italy)

More information:
UNWTO Algarve Forum: www.fe.ualg.pt/conf/unwtoforum

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite Special Offer HERE