This is a Global Call for Entrepreneurs to apply for the 2022 UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge to stand a chance to grow your startups. More information below.
UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge 2022: Global Call for Entrepreneurs
Tourism is resilient. While it has been one of the most impacted sectors by global crisis, it has also demonstrated its potential as a major force of recovery. At the same time, youth has proven its capacity to come up with technology, social impact, and sustainability solutions. However, they need concrete support to keep their energy and unleash all their projects’ benefits. For this reason, UNWTO calls for a joint effort amongst stakeholders and launches the Awake Tourism Challenge seeking to find the most innovative startups that are working to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Requirements
Startups from all walks of life, from all over the world and all economic sectors are invited to participate if meeting the following criteria:
- Be innovative in nature providing value-added solution and sustainability-driven
- Be scalable: to have potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions)
- An Early Stage or Series A startup
- Introduction or adoption of digital and technological elements
- Have a tested pilot and business plan that has been accelerated before
- Have a full-time team including at least 2 members under 35 years. All ways of innovation are welcome: technology, social impact and sustainability solutions.
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Categories
UNWTO has identified 6 challenges that that will act as the categories for this programme. As there might be projects able to contribute to more than category, the one in which the positive impact is expected to be stronger should be selected.
- Local community involvement: 80% of all people living in ‘extreme poverty’ live in rural communities1 while domestic, rural and eco-tourism have emerged as the most popular travel choices. With a focus on communities, the sector has a great potential to stimulate local economies and improve the economic conditions of low-income and vulnerable populations.
- Green and blue economies: tourism can be a source of economic opportunities at the same time of protecting natural ecosystems by developing its operations with sustainable infrastructure through more efficient energy, water, and waste management systems.
- Ecological and Sustainable Capital Creation: sustainable capital has the potential to optimize resource usage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also provide a competitive market advantage for businesses.
- Tourism Tech for Good: advancements in deep technology have revolutionized the sector, especially since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, by simultaneously improving customer experience and increasing quality of life and wellness for societies, including topics such as accessibility, inclusion, poverty alleviation.
- Tourism Education: despite representing 10% of the world’s jobs2 before Covid-19, tourism has faced a challenge in terms of skills development. Indeed, almost 20%3 of the employed people in selected tourism industries in the European Union had less than primary and lower secondary education in 2018.
- Women Empowerment: while employing the largest number of women4 in most regions of the world, they yet tend to be concentrated in the lowest paid and lowest status jobs in the sector.
Benefits
- Sponsorship provided by Wakalua to pitch at the UNWTO Demo Day (venue and country tbc);
- Application through the YouNoodle platform, which facilitates introduction and growth opportunities for startups;
- Access to 90+ Venture Capitalists, Top Corporations and 150+ Countries;
- Become a Member of the UNWTO Innovation Network;
- Curated mentorship and acceleration programme from our partners;
- Membership at the Startup Campuses;
- Potential pilot project with private sector collaborators and institutions;
- Potential seed funding;
- Incubation services in Les Roches Spark Innovation Center, including 3 months accommodation in Crans-Montana, provided by the Sommet Education group.
See Also-Village Capital Future of work Africa 2022 for young African Entrepreneurs
How to Apply:
Get ready for your application:
- Keep in mind the category you will apply for
- Read the Terms & Conditions of the Competition
- Read the questions in the Application form
- Make an attractive pitch deck in English (no more than 15 slides)
- List your web page, social media users and contact information
- Once you have all of them ready, fill out the Application form in English and submit it
Once you have all of them ready, fill out the Application form in English
Timeline
- Launch: 21 April 2022
- Deadline for candidatures: 30 June 2022
- Announcement of winning startups: October 2022
- Pitching round for winners: December 2022
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the UNWTO Awake Tourism Challenge 2022
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