UN Tourism Social Innovation Challenge names seven global winners

The Sommet Education Foundation and UN Tourism have announced the seven winners of the ‘UN Tourism Social Innovation Challenge’. Launched in September 2025, the competition received 866 applications from 109 countries, with nearly half of the submissions originating from Africa.

The winners were selected across categories designed to address the future of the travel industry. In the Community-based Tourism category, winners include Lore (China), which utilizes artificial intelligence to preserve traditional knowledge; Local Narratives (India), a platform connecting travelers and students with rural communities; and Ecodigital (Tanzania), which integrates digital tools with local knowledge for ecosystem restoration.

In the Green Projects category, which focuses on environmental footprints and circular economy models, winners include Okumkom Biodigital Investment (Ghana), which converts organic waste from the hospitality sector into protein and fertilizer, and Bio Fábrica de Corais (Brazil), which utilizes biotechnology.