Segittur, Hotelverse and Ilunion Hotels among the winners of the Tourism Innovation Awards 2024

Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) 2024 has once again hosted the Tourism Innovation Awards 2024, which recognise initiatives and projects that are committed to innovation, digitisation and sustainability in the tourism sector. In this new edition, solutions to improve the user experience or advanced technologies that are changing the current tourism landscape have been highlighted. Of the more than 140 nominations received, six projects from different companies and institutions have emerged as the winners of this fifth edition of the Tourism Innovation Awards 2024.

One of the companies recognised was Hotelverse, which received the Accenture Award for Excellence in Customer Experience for its online OTA solution, which reduces dependence on travel agencies. This initiative enables hotels to retain more revenue while improving satisfaction and delivering personalised customer experiences. Aloja Experience's real-time data analytics technology and Imvizar's multimedia and AR platform for creating interactive narrative environments were runners-up in the category.

Ilunion Hotels won the Teléfonica Award for Best Innovation in AI and Data Analytics for its project that leverages Data-Driven Organisational Culture while proposing the adoption and strategic planning of AI tools to generate economic and social value for the company's stakeholders. NTT Data's AI and machine-learning solutions applied to the tourism sector and Smartseer's system to provide tailored and personalised recommendations to tourists were the finalists for this award.

Also winning was Segittur, which was recognized with the Vueling Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation for transforming the Spanish tourism sector through responsible management and digital innovation, implementing initiatives such as Smart Tourist Destinations and the Tourism Intelligence System to boost competitiveness and collaboration. The finalists in the category were Datlas, with its data exchange portal for the tourism sector in Latin America, and BOB, with its luggage management solution with Bluetooth technology for real-time tracking of luggage.

The Melilla Emerging Business Model Award went to Singular Places, a company that promotes sustainable travel by connecting technology and local ambassadors, supporting SMEs and giving back to communities. NaviSavi's initiative to support local economies in promoting tourism, and Tripresale's project that allows users to book non-refundable hotel stays that can be resold if cancelled, were runners-up for this award.

For its part, the Cadena Ser Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion has distinguished Invisible Cities, a company created in 2016 with a strong social commitment that empowers people who have experienced homelessness by turning them into guides of their cities, allowing them to share their stories while earning a living wage and fostering community connections. The finalists in the category were Park4dis and its accessible mobility solution, and Tifloactiva for its smart accessible urban models that enhance the tourist experience.

In turn, the startup SwiftON has also been awarded the Innovator Award for sustainable leadership. With a commitment to sustainability, it encourages hotel guests to take shorter showers to save water. By IoT and gamification, it sends feedback and rewards in real-time to encourage responsible use in tourist stays. ANCYCO and its network of collaborative collaborations that drive local development and promote sustainable and cultural projects, and B&B Hotels, with its method of building eco-friendly hotels, were the finalists for this latest award