For the third time, World Tourism Forum Lucerne organised the WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp, which was this year integrated into the Pata Travel Mart in Langkawi, Malaysia, with the aim of finding revolutionary and innovative ideas in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

After two evaluation rounds, the 15 most innovative Start-Ups finalists presented their business models at WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp on September 12 in Langkawi. Finally, the international jury rewarded the winner in each of the five application categories: Destination, Hospitality, Mobility, Impact, and Transaction.

The five category winners of WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp 2018 defeated more than 200 competitors from 54 different countries with their ideas.

Here are the winners of the WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp 2018:

Category Destination – Namibia
The rainmaker - Vista Destination Network Open Platform and Ecosystem democratises technology and creates competitive advantages for hospitality and tourism businesses, leaving more tourism spend in the destination.

Category Hospitality – Singapore
Igloohome designs smart access solutions for smart management of properties and infrastructure. This is an official partner of major home sharing platforms such as Airbnb. They have sold products to over 80 countries.

Category Mobility – France
Wingly is the leading flight sharing platform, connecting private pilots with passengers to share their flights, passion and costs.

Category Impact – Singapore
Good For Food's Smart Dustbin empowers hotels with data analytics to reduce their food waste, cost and environmental footprint.

Category Transaction – Philippines
TripClub is a technology-powered concierge currently focused on the high growth blockchain and tech markets.

Each winner received a cash check of $15,000; a two-year coaching programme with an experienced industry executive; a free ticket to World Tourism Forum Lucerne 2019 next May in Switzerland; networking opportunities within the WTFL Start-Up community; and valuable advice from renowned business leaders and investors.

“The competition was tough – not just because of the quantity of applications and wide spectrum of nationalities, but because of the quality and strength of innovative thinking among the young entrepreneurs from the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. We shouldn’t forget that innovation is a major force for sustainable growth, development and healthy competitiveness in our industry,” said WTFL chairman of the Jury, Roland Zeller, a leading entrepreneur and business angel. - TradeArabia News Service