National Geographic, Ashoka and WHL have teamed up to launch a new global geotourism competition.
In recent decades tourism has exploded into one of the largest, most all-pervasive industries on Earth. Hundreds of millions of people now travel. When done well, tourism can alleviate poverty, educate the public, and motivate preservation and conservation of unique cultural, [...]

National Geographic, Ashoka and WHL have teamed up to launch a new global geotourism competition.

In recent decades tourism has exploded into one of the largest, most all-pervasive industries on Earth. Hundreds of millions of people now travel. When done well, tourism can alleviate poverty, educate the public, and motivate preservation and conservation of unique cultural, natural, and historic resources. But when done poorly, tourism may destroy environmental and cultural distinctiveness, perpetuate great disparities in wealth, and educate few.

The goal of the Geotourism Challenge is to identify and showcase innovators-individuals and organizations- that support the approach known as geotourism: tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Participate in Ashoka’s Changemakers collaborative competition through several actions:

1. nominate candidates between now and April 19, 2008
2. enter the competition itself and encourage others to do so, starting January 30, 2008
3. comment on entries in the online discussion, throughout the competition, to help tourism innovators refine and improve their ideas
4. vote for three Geotourism Challenge winners from a slate of finalists chosen by expert judges, starting May 28, 2008

Help identify remarkable examples of innovation that demonstrate ways for tourism to do the most good and the least harm; information on innovators from around the world and from every kind of enterprise, government, or organization-large and small- who are helping destinations benefit from tourism while protecting the assets that make their places special.

Who are the best Geotourism Challenge candidates? People and organizations that build community pride, increase knowledge about a place, help to protect or enrich the character of a place, and improve residents’ well-being.
Share your knowledge with the world. Even if you do not nominate a candidate or enter the competition, visit Ashoka’s Changemakers community discussion and comment online (http://changemakers.net/en-us/competition/geotourism).
If you are a traveler or tourism professional, you may already be working to improve a particular destination. If you live there, you may be working to make your place more attractive-both for visitors and for the local population. Your insights will be valuable and help shape the growing field of geotourism. Together, we can move tourism toward a model that protects and enhances the world.
Visit http://changemakers.net/en-us/competition/geotourism and nominate your favourite initiative. By doing so you will be in the running to win one of two global trips for two anywhere in the world selected from one of the destinations covered by the WHL network (www.whl.travel).