Students League: Rural development challenge

In 2020 the World Tourism Organization launched the UNWTO Students’ League, an initiative that creates an innovative environment and helps national public and private sector stakeholders to foster talent development and obtain innovative sustainable solutions for the challenges they face. This initiative empowers and motivates travel & tourism students to get involved in the industry and get real-time experience by creating and presenting innovative solutions for the challenges that the sector is facing nowadays. This tool also brings the tourism sector closer to the younger ages and bridges the gap between students’ education and training and the realities of our sector as, by working on creating these sustainable solutions, these young people then enter the labour market as highly qualified and skilled professionals capable of adapting to any situation that may arise.

Challenges are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, placing an emphasis on Goals 8, 12 and 14, in which tourism is featured and will match the SDGs requirements.

On May 1 2021 the Global UNWTO Students League was launched and 723 students – in a 155 Teams – from around the world from 11 to 29 years-old are now working on their solutions for their Challenge on either Rural Development through Tourism or Plastics Pollution.

The students will present solutions either through Works of Art, Instagram Campaigns, Destination Marketing and Strategies on how to Untap the potential of Tourism in the Rural village of Tabant, Morocco.

Teams have until the end of June to submit their solutions which will be evaluated by an International Jury Panel. Finalists will participate in the UNWTO Students’ League Global Final4 Live Competition and the winning students will get to participate in a Students’ League event to be held during the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021 in Marrakesh, Morocco. During this event, these students will enlighten the audience with their thoughts about our Sector, the future of it and on how they see themselves as part of it.