UN Tourism Social Innovation Challenge winners

The Sommet Education Foundation and UN Tourism announced the winners of the ‘UN Tourism Social Innovation Challenge’. The competition, which launched in September 2025, drew 866 applications from 109 countries, with approximately half of the submissions coming from Africa.

Winners were selected across categories aimed at advancing sustainable and inclusive tourism. In the Community Tourism category, Lore (China) was recognized for using artificial intelligence to preserve traditional knowledge, Local Narratives (India) for connecting travelers with rural communities, and Ecodigital (Tanzania) for integrating digital innovation with community knowledge for ecosystem restoration.

In the Green Projects category, Okumkom Biodigital Investment (Ghana) was noted for converting organic hospitality waste into proteins and fertilizers, and Bio Fábrica de Corais (Brazil) for its work in coral restoration. Additionally, the startup Your Accessible Flight was recognized in the Accessibility and Inclusion category for using AI to assist travelers with disabilities in navigating air travel.