With Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation Summit & Challenge 2021
Africa Tourism Partners will host the 2021 edition of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit merged with the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Tourism Tech Adventures I Africa from 28 to 30 July 2021 in a Hybrid Format.
The UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventures I Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge will be focused on skills development and innovation methodologies for youth in leisure and business tourism as well as MICE. It will at the same time highlight the need of an ecosystem approach among tourism stakeholders to enable entrepreneurs to grow and develop. Since inception in 2018, this Pan-African summit brings together youth, start-ups (in leisure tourism and MICE) and professionals to harness the potential of this sector by sharing insights, knowledge, experiences and opportunities.
The Summit comes with an invitation to Africa Youth in Tourism, Innovation and Technology with start-ups or projects that go beyond technology but are travel, tourism and MICE industry related to enter the 3rd Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation competition between 10 May to 15 June 2021. Through the summit and other media platforms, top 5 finalists of the Africa Youth in Tourism Challenge will be introduced to industry leaders, mentors and potential funders and/or partnerships.
According to the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, Kwakye Donkor, the summit will support and guide start-ups and entrepreneurs leisure tourism and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions/Events (MICE) in navigating post covid-19 “new world” challenges and opportunities – technology, financing and market access. He adds that the event further aims at providing career guidance for fresh high school and university graduates interested in travel and tourism and MICE eco-system careers.
The combination of the UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventures I Africa gives shortlisted Innovation Challenge competitors an opportunity to be supported and mentored to compete in the UNWTO Global Innovation Challenge.
Participants in the Summit and competition will benefit in many ways such as:
- career guidance for fresh high school and university graduates interested in travel and tourism and MICE eco-system careers;
- Creating a new exclusive marketplace for African Youth and Start-Ups and SMMEs in leisure tourism, business tourism and MICE
- Gaining insights into supply-chain linkages, market access, funding, business recovery and continuity opportunities between start-ups established & big industry stakeholders across leisure and business travel as well as MICE;
- synergies amongst public sector entities (including National Tourism Organisations, Convention Bureaux and Conference Centres), start-ups, academia, corporations, investors, accelerators.
The finals of the Youth Innovation Summit and Challenge will take place on the margins of the annual Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) and Awards scheduled to take place in Rwanda later in this year. Please click the appropriate links below to enter the competition, register for the summit or both.