The only pan-African platform dedicated to youth and start-ups in tourism, the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit (AYTIS) & Challenge, is hosted by Africa Tourism Partners in collaboration with UNWTO and BDO.
This competition invites and welcomes innovative ideas and solutions that transcend technology but are travel, tourism, and MICE industry-related projects for review and adjudication by a preeminent panel of industry leaders. The top five finalists of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge are exposed to industry executives, mentors, and possible funders and/or partnerships through the summit and other media outlets.
The summit is to support African youth, start-ups, small businesses, and accelerator programmes as they explore opportunities within the global tourism ecosystem to become future leaders and change agents in the sector.
Other objectives are to create a viable network to support youths, start-ups, and small enterprises to maximise their leadership potential; help to drive transformative change in their societies and nations at large through critical and design thinking; train, inspire, and equip youths across Africa to impact their world, and proffer lasting innovative solutions for the growing Africa tourism sector; and empower youth at all levels, start-ups, and small enterprises by offering market access, business development, value-partnership, mentorship, and funding solutions.
Along with providing opportunities for career development, the summit gives young people interested in pursuing careers in travel, tourism, tourism academia, hospitality, aviation, conservation, and related industries and sub-sectors a chance to present their bankable projects and tourism-related businesses to a global audience.
Here are the key things you should know about this year’s edition of the tourism summit:
1. The 6th and 2024 Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit & Challenge, to be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Namibia, will be held at Windhoek, Namibia, from May 28 to May 31, 2024.
2. The main areas of concentration will be young entrepreneurship, students’ immersion in innovation, small business development, personal change, and self-actualization, among other things.
3. Participants will network with leaders in African and international tourism, creative entrepreneurs, and partner organisations from around the continent.
4. This year’s Summit will include a desktop exhibition focused on highlighting youth empowerment initiatives, SME trade offerings including tour operators, tourism accommodation facilities, transport service providers, educational institutions, travel and marketing technology start-ups and incubators, employment agencies, professional development, and more. The goal is to provide a transformative platform for African start-ups, entrepreneurs, students, and small enterprises for income generation and career development.
5. Winners and runners-up stand the chance to win a total prize valued at USD 12,000 in cash and kind, including a cash grant seed of $1000.00 for the winner and $500.00 each for the 1st and 2nd runners-up. They will also get a scholarship to enrol in short courses provided by the UNWTO; sponsored membership to join the Africa Youth Innovation Hub (valued at USD 5000), mentoring, partnership opportunities, potential funding support, and career prospects.
6. The deadline for submission is Friday, March 2, 2024.
