Winners Announced: Geotourism Challenge 2010

Ashoka Changemakers recently announced the winners of the third annual Geotourism Challenge.  In this year’s competition, “Places on the Edge: Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destinations,” Ashoka partnered with National Geographic and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to identify tourism-related projects that have made impressive strides in protecting the cultural and ecological integrity of coastal, waterway, and island destinations. 

The competition drew 250 entries from 54 countries.  A panel of experts in sustainable tourism-related fields narrowed down the pool to 12 finalists that demonstrated exceptional innovation, social impact, and sustainability.  Public voting selected the three winners, who will each receive a $5,000 prize. They are:

• Development of Economic Partnerships Between Artisanal Fisherfolk and Tourism Operators, Costa Rica

• The Environmental Learning, Leadership, Adventure, and Stewardship Initiative (ELLAS), Nicaragua

• Coral Gardens–Living Reefs, Fiji

Watch Fiji reef restoration in action in the BBC-produced video after the jump.

Video: Coral Gardening from Jonathan Clay on Vimeo.

Photo: Jim Patterson/My Shot

Learn more about geotourism from the National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations