The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank group, and two partners are seeking sustainable tourism proposals for coastal, waterway, and island destinations that protect the environment and strengthen the heritage and livelihoods of the local population.
Ashoka’s Changemakers, National Geographic, and the MIF have launched the online contest “The Geotourism Challenge 2010: Places on the Edge - Saving Coastal & Freshwater Destinations.” Organizations, individuals, and global corporations are invited to participate in the competition and proposals must be submitted by December 1, 2010.
A panel of experts will select between 10 and 15 finalists from all of the entries submitted in the competition. From these 10-15 finalists, the Changemakers online community will vote for three winners, who will receive a prize of US$5,000 each.
The MIF will provide up to US$5 million of financing for finalists that provide innovative solutions for sustainable destination management by micro- to medium-sized companies in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
Moreover, muchbetteradventures.com will select three winners from all of the Geotourism Challenge 2010 entrants to receive a free, lifetime, upgraded level of membership to muchbetteradventures.com, as well as access to services and mentoring to build and improve their adventure tourism product.
Judges for the Places on the Edge: Saving Coastal& Freshwater Destinations competition include Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the World Conservation Union; Dr. Sylvia Earle, Ocean Explorer and Founder and CEO of the Deep Search Foundation; and Ashoka Fellow, Yves Lesenfants, technical advisor of the IDB Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN), as well as the social founder of the Programa Andes Tropicales Foundation.
Geotourism is defined by National Geographic as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place: its environment, heritage, culture, aesthetics, and the well-being of its residents
About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy.
About the Multilateral Investment Fund
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF/FOMIN) is an autonomous fund composed of 38 member countries that is administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the main source of multilateral financing for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 1993, the MIF/FOMIN has been providing grants, loans and equity investments for innovative projects that promote economic growth and poverty reduction through private sector development, focusing primarily on micro, small and medium enterprises. It is the largest private sector-focused development donor in the region, with an extensive network of over 650 local executing agency partners. Created in 2004, the Fund’s sustainable tourism cluster is a group of 27 projects in 19 countries aiming to increase the competitiveness of locally owned micro, small and medium enterprises by mainstreaming sustainability in the tourism sector.
About muchbetteradventures.com
muchbetteradventures.com are searching for the world’s local, ethical and hard to find travel choices for adventure-seekers. They collect them under one roof, making it easy for travelers to find and contact them direct. Free, fair and independent, this interactive marketing platform takes an alternative approach to generate business, increased web presence and cut costs for innovative operators, community tourism, not for profit and charity operations. Through a monthly, collaborative, e-mag they also showcase the people, destinations, kit innovations, photos and videos at the beating heart of sustainable adventure. The future according to muchbetteradventures.com is a world where everyone’s adventure choices directly support conservation and sustainable development.
About Ashoka’s Changemakers
Ashoka’s Changemakers is an online community of action that connects social entrepreneurs around the globe to share ideas, inspire, and mentor each other. Through its online collaborative competitions and open-source process, Changemakers.com is one of the world’s most robust spaces for launching, discussing, and scaling ideas to solve the world’s most pressing social problems. Changemakers builds on Ashoka’s three decade history and vision for an “Everyone a Changemaker” world by creating a place where the best ideas in social innovation can be shared, refined, and funded.