Click here to see the full-size version of the announcement of Geotourism Challenge 2010

Ashoka’s Changemakers has recently announced the start of its third Geotourism Challenge. In cooperation with National Geographic and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (BID/Fomin), Changemakers this year is in search of innovations that protect the environment and that strengthen the patrimony and the sustainability of local communities located on coastal, fluvial and insular areas.

The 2010 competition, called Places on the Edge – Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destination is looking for sustainable models of championed by individuals, organisations and corporations that improve, instead of degrade, the unique character and the beauty of the world’s oceans, rivers, bays, estuaries and water courses, as well as the culture and the patrimony of the inhabitants who reside nearby.

The submission of entries has begin and will remain open until December 1st 2010. All entries must be made online. The top three will be awarded US$5,000 each and the two best submissions received by 6pm EST on October 20, 2010, will be eligible to win an additional US$500 each.

Other prizes include up to US$5 million of co-financing (made available through Multilateral Investment Fund Opportunity 2010) for competition entries that provide innovative ideas for sustainable destination management by micro to medium companies in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

In addition, three winners from all 2010 entrants will receive a free, lifetime membership to Local Travel Movement partner muchbetteradventures.com, as well as access to services and mentoring to build and improve adventure tourism product.

The two previous Geotourism Challenges were ‘Celebrating Places, Changing Lives’ (2008), the goal of which was “to identify and showcase innovators — individuals and organizations — that support the approach known as geotourism: tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents,” and ‘Power of Place: Sustaining the Future of Destinations‘ (2009), a celebration of outstanding examples of geotourism. (Local Travel Movement partners Urban Adventures and Tourdust both contributed prizes in 2009.)