(Photo: Shutterstock)
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a new competition to identify the best ideas that will help rural communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Rural Tourism Startup Competition will also support the entrepreneurs and enterprises that can help rural communities seize the economic and social opportunities that will come as tourism restarts.
The Competition aims to support rural tourism as a key tool to fight depopulation, promote inclusion and reduce regional inequalities in income and development as part of UNWTO’s special focus on tourism for rural development.
Applications are open for projects that incentivize the creation of jobs and opportunities, promote gender and youth empowerment, and build opportunities for vulnerable groups in rural areas; projects related to the promotion and protection of natural resources, including addressing tourism’s impact on climate change, we as well as waste and resource consumption; startups that provide innovative solutions through new business models, instruments that promote access to finance, markets and marketing for tourism in rural areas; implementation of new technologies to advance tourism and development in rural areas.
This competition is intended for projects at an early stage of development. The requirements for participation are as follows:
– innovation, – potential for business growth,
– certified or tested business model,
– market expansion,
– team of entrepreneurs/promoters,
– commitment to sustainable development goals,
– relevance of the topic.
In addition to these criteria, other selection requirements will be evaluated, such as: market potential, sustainability, social responsibility, social innovation, economic impact, environmental impact, impact on destination management.
Selected candidates will have mentorship from UNWTO and top partners, customized support for startups, investment opportunities, becoming part of the UNWTO Innovation Network, becoming part of the UNWTO pilot project “Best Tourist Villages”, scholarship opportunities for the Online Tourism Academy, opportunity to represent startups at the 14th UNWTO General Assembly in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The application form is available HERE.
More information about the competition is available at THIS link, and the application deadline is July 1, 2021.
