Submissions open for UN Tourism Social Innovation Challenge

The challenge invites innovative solutions that enhance the tourism ecosystem through sustainable practices, inclusivity, and community empowerment. By focusing on these three pillars, the challenge aims to support initiatives that not only create economic opportunities but also promote equality, sustainability, and the preservation of cultural heritage and natural resources.

Challenge Objectives

• Innovate: Support solutions that empower communities, enhance accessibility, and promote green tourism practices.
• Adopt: Encourage widespread adoption of inclusive, accessible, and sustainable tourism practices.
• Collaborate: Foster partnerships between governments, industries, entrepreneurs and civil society organizations to drive social innovation through global tourism transformation.
• Sustain: Promote long-term solutions that balance economic growth, environmental preservation, and social equity within the tourism sector.
• Scale: Identify and accelerate scale innovations with the potential for global impact in building a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient tourism industry

Challenge Categories

• Community-based Tourism:
  • This category seeks solutions that empower local communities across the globe. Innovations should focus on creating projects and platforms that actively involve local communities in cultural and tourism initiatives. These should prioritize women’s participation in tourism, promote gender equality, encourage youth participation, and support rural development and agrotourism. Additionally, projects should emphasize ecotourism, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the promotion of creative industries and gastronomy, ensuring that these initiatives generate inclusive economic opportunities—such as job creation in local communities and support for creative entrepreneurs—while preserving natural ecosystems, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting sustainable resource management
• Inclusivity & Accessibility:
  • This category welcomes innovations that enhance accessibility in tourism for people with or without disability, seniors and travellers with specific access requirements and their families. It looks for solutions aimed at designing accessible experiences, developing assistive technologies, or providing inclusive services. By fostering universal access to tourism facilities and products, these solutions create a more inclusive industry that benefits travellers and local communities while bringing along new sources of revenue for destinations.
• Green Projects:
  • This category invites startups and tourism companies leading innovative initiatives that promote sustainability and regeneration across multiple areas. This includes environmentally responsible tourism solutions that reduce carbon emissions, enhance energy efficiency, manage waste or generate circular economy solutions, and promote sustainable and smart infrastructure. Additionally, initiatives that support the conservation of protected areas, like national parks and biosphere reserves, are encouraged, as well as efforts to contribute to the regeneration of ecosystems, biodiversity, and communities through tourism experiences

Benefits for Startups

• 6 Scholarships for Les Roches Diploma of Advanced Studies in International Hospitality Management in the Marbella Campus (Spain); or similar in regards to winner’s profile, time available for study
• Scholarships from the UN Tourism Online Academy
• Pitch at UN Tourism Demo Day
• Access to 90+ Investors
• Access to Top Corporations in 160+ Countries
• Curated mentorship programmes
• Potential pilot project with private sector collaborators and institutions
• Benefits from Plug and Play:
  • Registered profile on Playbook
  • Invitation to participate in the Silicon Valley Summit
  • Access to talent and synergies with Plug and Play’s portfolio

Targeted Startups and Scaleups

• Entrepreneurs, startups, scaleups, tourism companies, and organizations that meet the following requirements can apply:
  • Have an innovative and/or disruptive nature
  • Offer sustainable and value-added solutions for the tourism sector
  • Leverage new technologies and innovative solutions in community-based tourism, accessibility, and/or green projects
  • Have potential for growth, scalability, and application
  • Preferably have a minimum viable product (MVP) or project that is ready to be developed and funded; however projects in later stages of the idea phase will also be considered
  • Have a structured business plan
  • Contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

For more information, visit Plug and Play.