The term "ecotour" is a concept that refers to any tourist practice that involves visiting protected natural areas, while trying to minimize the negative impacts of the trip itself on the environment, as well as on the local inhabitants and culture.

The Ecotour Challenge is an initiative born with the aim of not only raising awareness and sensitizing the population about the importance of protecting and conserving our natural heritage, but also to offer viable and effective solutions, applicable in Catalan territory and extrapolated worldwide.

The Catalan Tourism Agency, with the support of Imagine Creativity Center, launched a call for participating teams to submit their proposals and develop them following the Lombard method. The three teams with the best ideas were part of a unique ecotourism experience: a week-long bootcamp in which they toured some of the most outstanding natural areas of Catalonia, with the purpose of connecting with the territory and exploring the feasibility of their ideas. As experts in storytelling, National Geographic was the speaker that communicated, through its media, the selection process of the winning teams, as well as the development of their projects throughout the trip.

Once the teams were decided, the first phase of the program began. Over the course of four weeks, participants had free access to a series of streaming webinars designed by Imagine. This remote and guided training allowed them to learn from the best experts in entrepreneurship and startup incubation. At the end of this educational process, the proposals that evolved in the most interesting way were selected to meet in a grand face-to-face finale. An event where participants had the opportunity to defend their ideas in front of a jury of experts in the tourism and sustainability sector.

The Grand Final of Ecotour Challenge 2023 was held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the Ecoresort Mas Salagrós. The final was attended by 9 teams selected from more than 200 participants.

The three winning teams of the Ecotour Challenge 2023 Grand Final were rewarded with a unique ecotourism experience that took them to visit several natural areas of Catalonia and enjoy various sustainable tourism-related activities. A trip that allowed them to establish direct contact with the people and the environment they want to protect and improve, as well as to perfect their ideas thanks to continuous mentoring during a week-long bootcamp on the field.