UNWTO Startup Competition for Tourism Technologies and Solutions in Hotels and New Business Models

In the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality management, the mission is clear—forge unforgettable guest experiences and cultivate welcoming environments where every guest feels valued, comfortable, and cared for. As guest demands become more intricate, hotels are turning to new ideas and to technology to seamlessly enhance guest experiences, improve operational efficiency, and provide personalized services.

In the spotlight, this year is the future of tourism in hotels and new business models. They invite you to be a pivotal part of redefining the landscape of Hotels and New Business Models. The objective is to ignite a revolution in the tourism sector, steering it toward uncharted levels of intelligence, sustainability, and innovation. UNWTO invite startups from around the world to join this journey of transformation.

Picture a competition that assembles brilliant minds from across the globe, all with a shared commitment to rejuvenating the tourism industry. They are in search of pioneers, innovators, and visionaries who can provide ingenious solutions to the multifaceted challenges that confront this vital industry. The challenge is open to any startup worldwide, eager to revolutionize the tourism sector with innovative approaches related to Hotels and New Business Models.

Competition Categories

• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• Opportunity to Pitch your solution at the UNWTO 2nd Tourism Tech Adventures in Gran Canaria, Spain, within the framework of DigiON, on 19-20 February 2024.
• Mentorships by UNWTO and top partners
• Tailored support for your startup
• Become a member of the UNWTO Innovation Network
• Scholarship opportunities for the Tourism Online Academy

Why This Challenge Matters?

• The global tourism industry is not only vast but also vital to economies worldwide, serving as an economic cornerstone for countless nations and generating over $1.5 trillion in export earnings in 2019 alone. Tourism is more than leisure; it’s an economic lifeline. Within this dynamic sector innovation in hotels, rental platforms, and other new modern business models playing a pivotal role, involving the implementation of new and unique ideas, technologies, and practices to elevate the guest experience and enhance operational efficiency. From the integration of smart hotel rooms and mobile check-ins to immersive virtual reality experiences and sustainability initiatives, innovation is reshaping the very landscape of the hospitality industry.

Target Audience and Requirements

• 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.

For more information, visit UNWTO.