The growing sports tourism sector took centre stage at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau with the first-ever edition of the United Nation World Tourism Organization, UNWTO’S Tourism Sports Tech Adventures initiative aimed at celebrating the most disruptive ideas and innovators from around the world.
Five finalists; Runnin’City (Belgium), Flyfoot (Lebanon), Inclusive Society Led by Persons with Disabilities (Japan), Oevit (US) and WeFish (Spain) faced-off in a “Start-Up Battlefield”, a special masterclass on pitching and attracting investment. The finalists faced-off following sessions focused on the future of sports tourism and the potential for disruptive technologies to create value for tourism.
Declaring the event open, UNWTO General-Secretary Zurab Pololikashvili, highlighted the United Nations agency’s strong support for innovation while noting the rising numbers of tourists travelling for sports or wellbeing. He further stated that the competition was launched to identify supporting start-ups that excel in several ways, including their potential for scaling-up and ability to help contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG.
In his words, “Tourism and sport create decent jobs, promote local culture and provide opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs. Sports tourism can also contribute to creating peace, sustainability and inclusiveness, building bridges between different countries and cultures. UNWTO welcomes innovation in this niche sector and congratulates all today’s finalists on their vision and determination” he said.
At the end of the Start-Up Battlefield Masterclass, Runnin’City, a smartphone app that allows users to discover over 200 cities around the world while running (or walking) fenced off competition from the other Start-ups to emerge the winner.
Runnin’ City defeated Fly-Foot is the first online platform where football fans can book all-inclusive travel packages to watch their favourite teams play with just a few clicks and fosters local football communities, Inclusive Society Led by Persons with Disabilities a travel agency specialized in adapting travel and sports to individuals with limited mobility to increase social inclusion, Oevit; a one-stop-shop solution for experience ecosystems which combines near field communication and biometric payments, audience engagement, loyalty programs, access control, registration and (e)ticketing and WeFish, a fishing application which is interactive, simple and social – developed by fishers for fishers.
