Tech-savvy Ugandans have been invited to come up with new software applications that boost tourism across the continent in the 7th Africa Youth Tourism Innovation Challenge 2025 (AYTIC) which was launched virtually on December 10th.
Participation is limited to young people between the ages of 18 and 35 while the deadline for entries is February 28, 2025. The winners will be announced during the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit scheduled to take place in Nairobi in June next year. Further details are available here
The Challenge is an exclusive platform designed to empower innovative African youth in the travel and tourism sector. It provides opportunities for funding, mentorship, partnerships, and global exposure, enabling participants to present their groundbreaking projects to an international audience and secure the necessary support to bring their ideas to life.
Although the YTIC is aimed at young people up to age 35, it also welcomes post-graduate students to participate. A shortlist of the top 20 entries will be announced on March 14th, before they enter Bootcamp for the duration of one week beginning March 31st. Then they must resubmit their project entry by April 11. Final judging takes place on April 18 followed by a Pitch Battle on May 8 with the top five entries announced on the same day.
The organizers are looking to support innovative ideas and concepts, youth innovators, entrepreneurs, and small enterprises with an innovation outlook. The goal is to provide futuristic solutions that address tourism and travel growth challenges faced by African tourist destinations and the continent as a whole.
Convened annually by Africa Tourism Partners (ATP) in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and accounting firm, BDO, this year’s Summit will be leveraged for intra-Africa trade in tourism services among African youth and showcase youth in tourism businesses across the continent.
Central to this will be desktop exhibitions showcasing youth empowerment initiatives and SMEs in tourism, travel technology, fintech, and social entrepreneurship. Coupled with these, there will be intergeneration tourism trading in services business-to-business opportunities for tour operators, tourism accommodation facilities, transport service providers, educational institutions, travel and travel technology start-ups and incubators, employment agencies, professional development, and more.