UNWTO Ulysses Prizes to Innovators in Tourism
2006 UNWTO Ulysses Prizes will be granted to Professor David Airey (UK),
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (USA) and Accor (Sofitel, Novotel…).
Madrid, 12 May 2006 – Upon the recommendation of the Ulysses Prize and Awards
Committee, the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization has decided to award
the 2006 UNWTO Ulysses Prizes to Dr. David Airey, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council,
and Accor.
Dr. David Airey will receive the 2006 UNWTO Ulysses Prize in recognition of his
contributions made to knowledge management in tourism, and especially to enhancing the
development of tourism education and research at the graduate and postgraduate levels. Dr.
Airey has been involved in tourism and hospitality for nearly 35 years, particularly in the
subjects of education development, tourism development and leisure. He currently serves
the University of Surrey as a Professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor.
The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, represented by its President, Dr. Robert Billington,
will be awarded the 2006 UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Tourism Destination
Management for contributing to a positive change with regards to community values in
Rhode Island over the past 20 years. The Tourism Council is a world pioneer in developing
tourism as an instrument to regenerate the first river to die in the USA due to industrial
pollution and to create a sense-of-place within its nine communities. The Blackstone Valley is
the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
Accor, represented by its Executive Director, Mr. Giles Honegger, will receive the 2006
UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Tourism Enterprises in recognition of its
endeavours in the development and application of knowledge in tourism. Accor is the one of
the world’s leaders in hotels and services with presence in 140 countries. Beginning with its
meal and food vouchers, in which they pioneered, Accor’s portfolio of services to the private
and public sectors has been expanded to include a broad range of innovative human
resources and social program management solutions.
The UNWTO Ulysses Prizes recognize Innovation and Application of Knowledge in Tourism.
They are granted to an individual scholar, as well as to projects undertaken by tourism
destinations, enterprises and institutions, which merit distinction for their innovative
contributions to tourism policy, destination management, environmental and cultural
management, education, training and research, excellence in service or tourism
technologies.
The 2006 UNWTOUlysses Prizes will be presented on June 1, 2006 in Madrid, Spain, with
international and national public and private organizations attending. The Ceremony will be
co-chaired by the UNWTO Secretary-General, Mr. Francesco Frangialli, and the first
President of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and writer, Joaquin Leguina Herrán.
For further information please contact:
Dr. Eduardo Fayos-Solá, Head
UNWTO Education, Training and Knowledge Management Department
Email: educa@world-tourism.org
