We are excited to share that Circular Unity won the World Tourism Organization’s Startup Competition in the Digitalization and Disruptiveness for Sustainable Events Management category.
The UNWTO held a General Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which focused focused on providing three investment priorities for the global tourism industry: People (Education), Planet (Sustainability), and Prosperity (Innovation and Technology). The emphasis on these pillars, highlighted by UNWTO’s Natalia Bayona, is crucial for the future of international tourism given the scale of this sector. It ranked as the fifth largest in service trade in 2019, with a revenue of 1.7 trillion dollars.
Among the 164 applicants from 69 countries, the UNWTO chose the most sustainable, innovative, and disruptive startups. They stand at the forefront of delivering SMART solutions for major events and MICE tourism, with a focus on sustainable benefits for everyone involved — from attendees to local communities. The winners were selected across four categories:
- Circular Unity in Digitalization and Disruptiveness for Sustainable Event Management in Mega Events
- Touch2see in Inclusiveness and Accessibility
- Atlaseek and Sentimantl in promotion and marketing of MICE Events
- Hello X-Lab in technology for attendee engagement and infrastructure
Our CEO, Eduardo Lebre, represented Circular Unity at the UNWTO General Meeting in Uzbekistan. He showcased our comprehensive and innovative solutions tailored for the tourism industry to a global audience, forging meaningful connections with other key players in the sustainable tourism ecosystem.
This recognition from the UNWTO not only celebrates Circular Unity’s achievements but also signals a collective move towards a more sustainable and resilient tourism industry. It highlights the crucial role of technology and innovation in adopting more eco-friendly practices.