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    UNWTO Global Startup winners selected from 18 countries , SDG 8 to Community Homestay Nepal

    February 18, 2021
    Nepal News
    , , ,
    UNWTO Global Startup winners selected from 18 countries , SDG 8 to Community Homestay Nepal

    Ramesh Tiwari —

    Startups from around the world have been recognized for their unique contributions to sustainable and responsible tourism in the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition.

    The competition, supported by the United Nations Innovation Network, attracted some 10,000 initial proposals. From these, the jury chose 25 winners from 18 countries, highlighting the array of tourism talent in every global region and its widespread ability to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Shortlisted finalists were judged according to criteria which included the potential of the startups to contribute to a specific Goal, their ability to be scaled-up and the maturity of both the product and the team behind it, according to a release issued by UNWTO.

    The 25 winning startups, selected by a jury made up of leaders from across the tourism sector, offer distinct solutions for advancing the SDGs.

     The Americas led the way in submitting winning proposals, with nine of the competition winners coming from the region. Europe provided eight winners, Asia and the Pacific six, and Africa and the Middle East one winner each.

    The winning startups will now be given expert support and backing to develop further, including through guided mentorship programmes from Amadeus, Google, IE University and FarCo, and tailored mentorship sessions from Mastercard and ClarkeModet.

    The winners will also  benefit from access to all UNWTO’s collaborators for the competition, opening the door for potential game-changing pilots and networking opportunities with Amazon Web Services, Globant, BBVA, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Lab, Telefonica, Plug and Play, the Advanced Leadership Foundation, Impact Hub, mentorDay and the destination partners for the Competition.

    The winners and the SDG that the startup will help advance are as follows:

    SDG1 – No poverty

    Etnica (Guatemala)

    SDG2 – Zero hunger

    Ifarm Agritech (Kenya)

    SDG3 – Good health and well-being

    BlueDot (Canada)

    SDG4 – Quality education

    Immersion India (India)

    SDG5 – Gender equality

    Sisterwave (Brazil)

    SDG6 – Clean water and sanitation

    ECOLOO Greentech Malaysia SDN BHD (Malaysia)

    Zero Mass Water (United States of America)

    SDG7 – Affordable and clean energy

    BeFC (France)

    Enexor BioEnergy (United States of America)

    Swimsol (Austria)

    SDG8 – Good jobs and economic growth

    Clio Muse Tours PC (Greece)

    Community Homestay Network (Nepal)

    SDG9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure

    DefinedCrowd (United States of America)

    FREED GROUP (aka TravelFlan) (Hong Kong)

    SDG10 – Reduced inequalities

    Travaxy – accessible travel (Israel)

    SDG11 – Sustainable cities and communities

    Metrica6 (Spain)

    Tobadaa (Egypt)

    SDG12 – Sustainable consumption and production

    Lumitics (Singapore)

    SDG13 – Climate action

    ClimateTrade (Spain)

    Opus 12, Inc. (United States of America)

    Safety Line (France)

    SDG14 – Life below water

    Seven Clean Seas (Singapore)

    SDG16 – Peace, justice and string institutions

    Impulse Travel (Colombia)

    SDG17 – Partnerships for the goals

    Nibi (Colombia)

    Siliconbali (Portugal)

    Nepal’s Community Homestay Network awarded

    Meanwhile , Nepal’s Community Homestay Network is awarded as the winner of the UNWTO Global Startup Competition for Transforming Tourism under the “SDG8-Good Jobs and Economic Growth” segment.

    Shiva Prasad Dhakal, Founder of Community Homestay Network (CHN), said, “It’s indeed a great honor for the CHN team and our nation in setting the example and positioning Nepal as the leading destination for Community-Based Tourism; connecting global-travelers with the real faces of Nepal for an authentic local travel experience. Community-Based Tourism could be the model product for Nepal to diversify tourism prospects in the rural and emerging tourism destinations throughout the country, wherein we must embrace sustainable and responsible practices in its operation and management.”

    Feb. 17 , 2021

    Photo : Shree Antu Community Homestay in Ilam district  of Nepal (Community Homestay Network , Nepai )

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