Call for Entries: Indigenous Tourism Innovation Challenge

Benefits

• Opportunity to present their solution at the UN Tourism Tech Adventures: Indigenous Tourism
• USD 10,000 investment offered by CAF for the winner
• Mentorship and support from UN Tourism and top-tier partners
• Personalized support for the company
• Scholarship opportunities in the UN Tourism Online Academy
• Inclusion in the UN Tourism Innovation Network through which they will have continuous support and opportunities to participate in UN Tourism projects and events.

Eligible Projects

• Projects should include activities that promote ancestral culture such as rituals and spiritual ceremonies, learning traditional knowledge, exploring historical sites and connecting with nature, in addition to strengthening the role of tourism in solving local problems and promoting sustainability:
  • Economic empowerment of Indigenous communities: Initiatives that promote the development of local capacities, offering communities the tools and knowledge necessary to manage and benefit directly from tourism in their territories.
  • Preservation and revitalization of traditions: Projects that support the preservation of languages and safeguarding of different cultural and artistic practices, rituals and Indigenous traditions through tourism experiences that directly involve communities in their planning, management and execution.
  • Promotion of local gastronomy: Projects that highlight and promote local culinary traditions as an integral part of the tourism experience, providing support to local producers and markets.
  • Development of indigenous tourism at the community level: Initiatives that promote community-led and managed tourism, focusing on equitable practices and respecting the autonomy of communities to define the presentation of their culture and the nature of their interaction with the tourists who visit them.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entrepreneurs and startups with a maximum of three years from the start date of their operations or their legal constitution and that meet the requirements below may apply.

Evaluation Criteria

• Generating positive impact on the community and social value: The project proposes activities to promote the development of both technical and interpersonal skills in Indigenous territories, supporting their personal and professional growth.
• Preservation of cultural capital: The project proposes activities for the preservation of Indigenous cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible (Indigenous peoples and Afro-descendant communities).
• Preservation: The project proposes activities for the preservation of ethnic cultural heritage (Indigenous peoples).
• Generating a positive impact on the natural environment: The project proposes activities for the conservation of protected areas.
• Project innovation: The project proposes innovative elements that seek to generate a transformative experience for tourists.
• Budget viability: The projected budget for the use of the resources of the prize is consistent with the proposed activities.

For more information, visit UN Tourism.