The UN Tourism, in an unprecedented alliance with the French government, has launched the UN Tourism National Open Innovation Challenge. This initiative marks the first-ever collaboration between UN Tourism and France, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within the tourism industry.
France, renowned as the most visited destination globally with a record 100 million international tourists in 2023, is also celebrated for its robust innovation landscape. Home to around 60,000 startups and more than 30 unicorns, France epitomizes a powerhouse of entrepreneurial and technological advancement.
‘As the world’s leading tourist destination and a land of innovation with a dynamic ecosystem of start-ups, France is now giving itself the resources it needs to nurture the future champions of travel tech. This is good news for the tourism economy, but it’s also good news for the planet. It’s in our start-ups that the solutions for building a more sustainable, more responsible tourism and for decarbonising the entire sector are being born. I am delighted that they can now benefit from the recognition and support of UN Tourism, which will enable them to become more international and share their best practices’, says Marina Ferrari, Delegated Minister for Tourism Economy of France.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “As the world’s top tourism destination, France is at the forefront of innovation. Our new competition will help find and recognize the next wave of tourism innovators and give them the support they need to truly transform our sector.”
“We commend the impressive ‘Welcome to France’ and ‘French Tech’ initiatives. These initiatives nurture and guide successful startups by leveraging the strengths of their communities. They set an exemplary standard for the rest of the world, encompassing almost 25,000 startups and representing over 1.1 million direct and indirect jobs”, says Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director.
The challenge invites collaborations between French startups (based in France) and major companies (either French or international) from the tourism sector. These partnerships are tasked with developing solutions focused on travel tech or innovative tourism strategies. Eligible startups must possess a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), a prototype, or a scalable solution, while partnering companies are expected to provide the necessary resources, mentorship, and support to foster implementation and further expansion.
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