4 Israeli Startups In Finals Of World Tourism Organization Competition

Four Israeli startups are among the 10 finalists selected for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) start-up competition in partnership with Globalia Corporación Empresarial SA, a leading tourism group in Spain and Latin America.

First announced in June, the UNWTO competition is aimed at identifying new companies that have developed innovative and sustainable technologies and projects for the tourism industry.

The ten finalists, selected among almost 3,000 applicants from 132 countries, will present their solutions at the annual FITUR tourism conference in Madrid next month. The winning company will have the opportunity to design a pilot project with Globalia and its major brands, including AirEuropa, Be Live and Travelplan.

The Israeli startups are Pruvo, which developed hotel booking software that helps customers book accommodation at the lowest possible prices; SeeVoov, a social, interactive, video-based trip planner; Howazit, which created an end-to-end customer communication platform that allows travel suppliers to get immediate feedback from their clients; and Refundit, which enables users to submit VAT refund requests before reaching the airport.

“This is a significant achievement for companies in the field of tourism technology in Israel, which position Israel as a global leader in the domain,” said Economy Minister Eli Cohen, according to the Jerusalem Post.