The UNWTO launches competition to find best ideas to assist rural communities recover from COVID-19 impact

Published on : Wednesday, April 7, 2021

The UNWTO has launched a new competition to discover best ideas that will assist rural communities to get back 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 grab the economic and social opportunities that will come with restart of tourism.

The UNWTO has recorded increasing interest in unique and authentic travel experiences, including nature-based and outdoor tourism. This trend is expected to speed up as tourism restarts, and thus, the Startup Competition is looking for ideas that will help ensure that rural communities are best-placed to gain advantage.

Applications are now open for four categories:

People –Leaving no one behind: Projects that incentivize job creation and opportunities, promote gender and youth empowerment, and build opportunities for susceptible groups in rural areas.
Planet – Building back better projects related to the promotion and protection of natural resources, along with addressing tourism’s impact on climate change, and waste and resource consumption.
Prosperity – Opportunities for growth startups that provide pioneering solutions via 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 to make tourism move ahead along with development in rural areas.

The deadline for applications is 1 July 2021. Winners will be invited to take part in the UNWTO General Assembly, which would be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, this October.