1. Innovations in Digital Hospitality and Business Models: This comprehensive category explores pioneering technologies and strategies reshaping the digital landscape and operational efficiency of hotels and tourism-related businesses. From enhancing guest experiences through mobile apps, smart room technologies, digital infrastructure, and virtual concierge services to streamlining operations with advanced tools like revenue management systems, property management systems, housekeeping automation, and reservation platforms, participants are encouraged to present holistic solutions that seamlessly integrate technology for an elevated guest journey and enhanced operational excellence.
   
   In addition, this category also includes solutions designed for startups reimagining the traditional landscape of business models within the tourism and hospitality sector. Emphasizing creativity and originality, this category welcomes technological and non-technological innovations that bring novel approaches to how businesses operate and generate value. Whether it's redefining revenue streams, introducing innovative pricing structures, or proposing groundbreaking partnership models, this category encourages participants to challenge conventional norms and present fresh perspectives on sustainable and profitable business models.
    
2. Sustainability Impact: This category is dedicated to startups championing holistic sustainability in the tourism and hotel industry. It encompasses a wide range of initiatives, from environmentally friendly practices and waste reduction to renewable energy solutions. Moreover, it welcomes innovative approaches for preserving resources and extends to areas such as sustainable gastronomy, community engagement, cultural preservation, and health and wellness enhancement. This category invites transformative ideas that contribute to the overall well-being of both the environment and the communities involved in tourism and hospitality.

These categories cover a broad spectrum of innovation in the tourism and hotel industry, providing a diverse range of opportunities for startups to participate and showcase their innovative solutions.

The purpose of the competition is to capture particularly the attention of startups and entrepreneurs from across the tourism value chain to facilitate the offering of innovative and smart solutions related the complex challenges the hospitality sector is facing.
Startups are invited to participate if meeting the following criteria:

• Are innovative/disruptive in nature and provide value-added and sustainable solutions for the hospitality sector
• Harnessing the impact of new technologies especially within the context of blue and green economies,
• Offer alternative and complementary business models to harness the economic impact of hotels and new business models,
• Be scalable: to have potential for international growth and potential to be applied hotels or new business models,
• Be an Early Stage or Series A or B startups
• Have a minimum viable product or an idea that is ready to be developed and funded,
• Have a tested pilot and business plan
• Have a full-time team
• Emphasize the promotion of digitalization, innovation in environmental preservation and impact on local communities,
• All ways of innovation are welcome: new methods, processes, governance models, social impact initiatives, and technologies.

More information and the Terms of Reference.

Category 1: Deep Tech: New technologies applied to sustainability: We live in an increasingly connected and interdependent world with digital advances transforming how we inform ourselves, transforming our behaviour, and encouraging innovation. Technology helps us to manage our social, cultural and environmental impacts better. Moreover, if well managed, tourism can act as an agent of positive change for more sustainable lifestyles, destinations, and consumption and production patterns. The unprecedented disruption of the sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic requires that new technologies, digital tools and capacities are developed to accelerate the sustainability shift. Sustainability must no longer be a niche part of tourism but must be the new norm for every part of our sector and this is especially relevant for island destinations. Island destinations need to transform tourism that emerging from COVID-19 by embracing and supporting the development of new technologies and digital tools for their very specific needs. We are looking for innovative startups who could assist island destinations to achieve and accelerate this shift, by using and developing new technologies and digital tools applied to sustainability within a specific island context.

Category 2: Innovation & Digitalization for Island Destinations: Rebuilding tourism is an opportunity for transformation with a focus on leveraging its impact on island destinations and building more resilient communities and businesses through innovation, digitalization, sustainability, and partnerships. We are looking for startups developing smart solutions that harnessing innovation and digital technologies that provide tourism with opportunities to strengthen resilience, improve inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management, amongst other objectives within the wider sustainable development agenda and specifically designed for island destinations.

The purpose of the competition is to capture particularly the attention of startups and entrepreneurs from across the tourism value chain to facilitate the offering of innovative and smart solutions related the complex challenges the tourism sector of island destinations are facing with.
Startups are invited to participate if meeting the following criteria

• Are innovative/disruptive in nature and provide value-added and sustainable solutions for the tourism sector of island destinations
• Harnessing the impact of new technologies especially within the context of blue and green economies,
• Offer alternative and complementary business models to harness the economic impact of tourism in island destinations,
• Be scalable: to have potential for international growth and potential to be applied in island destinations,
• Be an Early Stage or Series A startups
• Have a minimum viable product or an idea that is ready to be developed and funded,
• Have a tested pilot and business plan
• Have a full-time team
• Emphasize the promotion of digitalization, innovation in environmental preservation and impact on local communities,
• All ways of innovation are welcome: new methods, processes, governance models, social impact initiatives, and technologies.

More information and the Terms of Reference.

To start your application, the startup must select one of the following categories:

Category 1: Innovation in blue economies – Life below water

Morocco is one of the world's top destinations for water sports (surfing and kitesurfing), capitalizing on the mythical spots of the Atlantic corridor. The offered experiences revolve around the discovery of water sports pleasures and are mainly declined in aquatic activities, such as surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and relaxation activities such as yoga retreats by the sea.

In this category, we are looking for solutions that contribute to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.

Category 2: Innovation in natural heritage - Life on Land
Sub-category: Nature, trekking & hiking
Sub-category: Desert & Oasis Adventure

Morocco’s dynamic landscape offers mountains, oasis/palm groves, lakes, valleys, and natural parks, anchored in a transversal approach of sustainable tourism (e.g. sports and cultural activities, local population immersion, and ecolodges). The experiences related to this theme revolve around trekking/slowtrek, nature and discovery of wide-open spaces, exclusive stays/experiences in the heart of nature, new outdoor activities, mindfullness and yoga retreats.

In addition, Morocco offers authentic desert getaways, alongside the links of the value chain (guides/agencies, tours, non-glamping trendy accommodations, animation, etc.) to improve and enhance the experiences of road trips, rallies or trekking. The related experiences are mainly road-trips (including rallies & marathons), homestays in the desert, creating unforgettable and magical experiences in the desert.

Category 3: Innovation in cultural heritage - Preservation through cultural innovation

Morocco has a diverse and rich cultural heritage, with strengthened medinas, Berber earthen houses, kasbahs, but also a very rich gastronomy and a wonderful craft industry. We are looking for startups that can discover the potential of unexploited tourism products through the rehabilitation and the revaluation of material heritage (medinas, ksours and kasbahs) and new activities.

Category 4: Sustainable Urban Futures

To consolidate and complete the city-break offer with animation, festivity, culture, and outdoor activities of the Kingdom's main urban tourism destinations, we are looking for startups that present sustainable and SMART features that can assure Moroccan cities are accessible, resourceful and diverse.

The purpose of the competition is to capture the attention of a large number of startups, tour operators, and entrepreneurs from the Kingdom of Morocco from across the tourism value chain to facilitate the selection of those that are most relevant to the challenge we are addressing.

The business must offer an innovative solution that is legally based in Morocco.

In addition, the competition will require the following requirements to participate:

The projects must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations and preferably also allow for an introduction or adaptation of digital and technological elements, and focused on one (or several) of the following areas:

• Be innovative/disruptive in nature providing value-added solutions;
• Harnessing the impact of new technologies;
• Alternative and complementary business models to harness the economic impact of tourism in destination(s);
• Smart and innovative solutions for sustainable experiences;
• Entrepreneur/promoter team: Suitability of the promoter team, motivation, and interest;
• Startup in Seed Stage or Early Stage (have a minimum viable product or an idea that is ready to be developed and funded);
• Emphasize the promotion of gender equity (and female empowerment), digitalization, environmental preservation, local communities, and youth leadership;

More information and the Terms of Reference.

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 solutions
• Be sustainability-driven
• Be scalable: to have potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions)
• Be an Early Stage or Series A startup
• Introduction or adoption of digital and technological elements
• Have a tested pilot and business plan
• Have been accelerated before
• Have a full-time team including at least 2 members under 35 years. Gender balance will be also considered.

All ways of innovation are welcome: technology, social impact and sustainability solutions.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. At this point, green investments and sustainable financial mechanisms can boost tourism potential to achieve the SDGs.
4. 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. Artificial Intelligence, crypto, blockchain, metaverse, NFTs are welcomed in this category.
5. 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. Furthermore, currently there is no continuous measurement or updated data on skills development and its contribution to creating added value jobs, which are fundamental to advance in this agenda.
6. 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. Startups with a gender focus can be an important contributor to equality.

Participating startups will be assessed according to their:

• Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
• Ease of value capture via collaboration with the startup
• Potential business impact
• Maturity of the product/technology
• Maturity of the team and the organization
• Partnership readiness

Benefits for winning startups include but are not limited to:

• 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.

Get ready for your application:

1. Keep in mind the category you will apply for
2. Read the Terms & Conditions of the Competition
3. Read the questions in the Application form
4. Make an attractive pitch deck in English (no more than 15 slides)
5. List your web page, social media users and contact information
6. 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