Women make up the majority of the tourism workforce in the world’s largest tourist destinations, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). As required by Sustainable Development Goal 5, which refers to women’s empowerment through promoting their rights and increasing their involvement in business, UNWTO has always been devoted to gender equality. According to the UNWTO’s global tourism report, women make up more than 54% of the industry’s workforce globally, but just 8% of it in the Arab world. The UNWTO never misses an opportunity to emphasize the importance of women in the tourism industry, particularly Arab women.
Technology has become a driven tool for all travelers and tourism businesses. In the Arab region, 34% of tech focused startups were founded by women, and 57% of science technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates are women. UNWTO is committed to support Arab entrepreneurs, boosting their tourism business careers. Hence, the industry is always searching for businesswomen with technological solutions and specialized skills to oversee smart digital projects. For this reason, UNWTO launched a startup competition to find the most innovative tech-driven startups in the realm of tourism, managed by women.
The UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, calls for women entrepreneurs from all over the world and based in the Arab region willing to grow their tech startup in the tourism industry, and provide sustainable solutions to the sector.
Benefits:
- A total funding of +214 USD million has been raised for Top Startups.
Eligibility:
- Startups must be led, owned or managed by women in the Middle East, residing in any of the following countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
- Be an Idea Stage, Early Stage or Series A startups with a minimum viable product or idea that is ready to be developed and funded.
- Have a full-time team, a tested pilot and business plan.
- Be scalable with potential for international growth.
- The applicants who want to apply to this competition please go through their website for details.
