The African Youth Tourism Innovation Summit (AYTIS) & Challenge is organised by Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with UNWTO and BDO. It is the "only" Pan-African Youth and Start-ups in Tourism Summit and the challenge of tourism innovation on the continent.
Background: Registration for the African Youth Summit on Innovation in Tourism
The 4th and 2022 Tourism Innovation Youth Summit will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Namibia. The main areas of focus will include, but not be limited to, youth entrepreneurship, and immersing students in innovation, small business development, personal transformation, and self-actualisation.
Delegates will connect with African and global tourism leaders, business innovators, and partner organisations from across Africa and the rest of the world.
Held annually in collaboration with UNWTO and BDO, this year's Summit will include a desktop exhibition focused on highlighting youth empowerment initiatives, business offerings from SMEs including tour operators, tourist accommodation facilities, transport service providers, educational institutions, travel and marketing companies and technology incubators, employment agencies, professional development and more. The aim is to provide a transformative platform for African Youth, start-ups, entrepreneurs, students and small businesses for income generation and career development.
Call for applications: Youth In Tourism Innovation Challenge
This competition invites and welcomes innovative ideas and solutions that go beyond technology, but are projects related to travel, tourism and the MICE industry to be analysed and adjudicated by a pre-eminent panel of industry leaders. Through the summit and other social media platforms, the top 5 finalists of the African Youth in Tourism Innovation Competition are introduced to industry leaders, mentors and potential funders and/or partnerships.
This is also an exclusive platform to be provided to young African travel and tourism innovators looking for funding, partnerships and mentoring opportunities to present their projects to the global market in order to find the support they need for their programmes.
Entry guidelines and eligibility criteria
- Vision, uniqueness, authenticity and logic.
- Solved in Africa - COVID 19 era and beyond (such as technology, social entrepreneurship, education, youth empowerment and job creation, environmental sustainability, community development, etc.)
- The sustainability of the project's impact on travel and tourism, local communities and/or related industries.
- The deadlines for the project.
- The type of support needed - funding, investors, mentoring, partnerships, etc.
- Conclusion/additional but relevant information of no more than 500 words.
- Bidder required to show a demo/Minimum Viable Product (MVP) (5 min) during the presentation.
- Age limit - 35 years.
Competition timeline
- Challenge Opens: 8 December 2022.
- Closing date: 28 February 2023.
- The referees will make the Top 5 list: 10 March 2023.
- The promoters of the shortlisted projects will be informed on 15 March 2023.
- Mentoring for lift pitches (12 hours): 2 March - 16 May 2023.
- Presentation of the promoters of the shortlisted projects:
- 5-minute presentation at the Summit - 19 May 2023.
- The first 3 announced on 2 June 2023.
- Competitor obliged to present a demo/Product+
- Minimum Viable Programme (MVP) (5min) during the presentation.
- Announcement of the winners and runners-up: at the ATLF Awards in Gaborone, Botswana, on 20 October 2023.
Advantages for the winners
- 1,000 dollars seed grant for the winner.
- 500 seed dollars for 1st and 2nd place.
- Free enrolment for short courses provided by the UNWTO.
- Mentoring, partnership, financial support, career potential and opportunities.
- Opportunity to be part of an established network of Young Africans in Tourism Mentors and Innovators.
