TBS Africa, an eco-tourism, tourism4sdgs and sustainability advocacy platform with the mission to promote and run advocacies for eco-friendly & SDG-compliant travel & tourism in Africa has officially joined the UNWTO Global Rural Tourism Startup Competition through her “Clean & Green Tourism Campaign”.
The “Clean & Green Tourism Campaign” for Africa which was recently launched as an initiative targeted at identifying eco-tourism sites and attractions in Africa for deliberate, intentional and intelligent “Clean & Green Tourism with SDG Action” activity-based advocacy. TBS
TBS Africa, will be joining the global competition in the second category: Planet – building back better – with focus on projects related to the promotion and protection of natural resources, namely the mitigation of the impact of tourism on waste, energy and water in rural areas.
The UNWTO Global Rural Tourism Startup Competition seeks to source new startups and entrepreneurs that advance the contribution of tourism to rural development and support recovery.
Creating opportunities in Rural Destinations through innovation and digital transformation in tourism to:
- Fighting poverty: 80% of all people living in ‘extreme poverty’ live in rural communities.
- Curbing depopulation: By 2050 68% of the world population will live in urban areas and cities will produce 85% of global economic output.
- Closing the Digital Divide – 87 per cent of people in developed countries used the Internet, compared with just 19 per cent in the least developed countries.
- Supporting Women and Youth– More that 50% of global workforce employed in tourism are women and nearly 1 billion of the world’s 1.2 billion youth aged 15-24 reside in developing countries and 88% of youth in developing countries live in rural areas; 75 million of them are unemployed.
1. BENEFITS
- Mentoring by UNWTO and top partners
- Tailored support for your startup
- Investment opportunities
- Form part of the UNWTO Innovation Network
- Form part of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages of the World Pilot Initiative
- Scholarship opportunities for the Tourism Online Academy
- Opportunity to present your startup at the 14th UNWTO General Assembly in Marrakech Morocco
2. CALENDAR
Launch:
6 April
Deadline to submit candidatures:
1 July
Announcement of finalists:
15 August
Final pitch session and announcement of winners:
October
3. CATEGORIES:
People – Leaving no one behind
Projects that incentivize the creation of jobs and opportunities, promote gender and youth empowerment, build opportunities for vulnerable groups in rural areas.
Planet – building back better
Projects related to the promotion and protection of natural resources, namely the mitigation of the impact of tourism on waste, energy and water in rural areas.
Prosperity – opportunities for growth
Startups that provide innovative solutions through new business models, instruments that promote access to finance, markets and marketing for tourism in rural areas.
Propulsion of Rural Tech – Implementation of new technologies
Deep Tech – startups implementing new technologies to advance tourism and development in rural areas.
4. THE CHALLENGE:
Closer
Domestic tourism has shown positive signs in many markets since people tend to travel closer. Travellers go for ‘staycations‘ or vacations close to home.
New concerns
Health & Safety measures and cancellation policies are consumers’ main concerns.
Get away
Nature, Rural Tourism and Road Trips have emerged as popular travel choices due to travel limitations and the quest for open-air experiences.
Last minute
Last-minute bookings have increased due to volatility of pandemic-related events and the travel restrictions.
travel recovery has been stronger among younger segments. ‘Mature’ travellers and retirees will be the most impacted segments.
Tourism has proven to be a tool for economic diversification and a major employment engine with a multiplier effect on other sectors that contribute to rural development. Tourism in rural areas can particularly benefit traditionally disadvantaged groups such as women – who make up 54% of the workforce in the tourism sector compared to 39% for the overall economy.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered rising interest from tourists looking for new experiences based around natural and rural areas in the open air, far from congested settings. This, combined with the already rising demand for more authentic experiences that over stronger engagement with local communities, their culture and products, such as local OR traditional gastronomy, etc., as well as demand for a greener approach in all stages of the travel experience opens up immense opportunities for the economic, social and environmental revitalization of rural areas through tourism.
The current crisis has also emphasized the importance of building resilience among communities in those rural areas which rely on tourism. This implies better social protection and benefits-sharing among communities, as well as economic diversification and the broadening of tourism products and markets through added value experiences. To achieve this, investment, skills development and education, access to finance, infrastructure development, digital transformation, sustainable development, impact assessment, improved governance and women’s empowerment should be placed at the heart of the recovery plans for tourism in rural communities. This will help support them as they navigate the crisis and build back better for people and planet.
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