UN Tourism Artificial Intelligence Challenge

With AI and advanced technologies reshaping the travel industry, 2024 presents a key moment to redefine tourism. As international travel reaches full recovery, the challenge focuses on using AI to improve personalized services, streamline operations, and elevate customer engagement, delivering scalable solutions that bring measurable results.

The UN Secretary-General’s report highlights the need for accessible technology and AI solutions that close the digital divide. This vision drives the UN Tourism AI & Deep Tech Start-up & Scale-Up Challenge, which aims to spark innovation in tourism with practical, high-impact AI applications across the tourism value chain.

Objectives

Innovate: Support AI-driven solutions that enhance efficiency and transform traveler experiences across the tourism ecosystem.
Adopt: Ensure AI adoption is equitable, providing access to all communities and fostering widespread participation and benefits from these technologies.
Drive Growth: Foster AI solutions that optimize operations and improve service delivery, benefiting stakeholders across the industry.
Collaborate: Unify governments, industries, and experts to advance AI’s role in addressing tourism’s key challenges.
Shape the Future: Use AI to meet user demands, from optimizing logistics to enhancing the visitor experience, reinforcing tourism as a driver of economic growth.

CATEGORIES

1. Branding, Promotion & Marketing

2. Smart Destinations & Deep Technologies

3. Education & Technology

4. Efficiency & Operations

The UN Tourism AI & Deep Tech Start-up & Scale-Up Challenge is strategically aimed at start up & scale-ups that have already demonstrated significant potential in the tourism or technology sectors and are poised for their next stage of growth. These are companies that have moved beyond the initial startup phase, with proven business models, established customer bases, and a track record of innovation. The target scale-ups should meet the following criteria:

1. Technological Innovation and Readiness

Proven Technological Readiness: Demonstrated deployment of advanced, AI-driven or emerging technologies that are market-ready and address real-world challenges.
Ethical AI and Compliance: Adherence to international regulations like GDPR, focusing on data security and ethical AI practices.

2. Market Validation and Business Viability

Sustainable Business Model: a strong strategy to minimize risk and the capability to sustainably expand operations.
Growth Stage with Market Traction: Strong market presence with proven revenue streams, demonstrating customer demand and effective solutions to real-world applications.
Financial Stability: Robust financial backing and stability to support long-term growth.

3. Global Reach and Scalability

Global Scalability and Adaptability: Vision and readiness to scale solutions globally, with the ability to customize them for diverse geographic and regulatory environments.
Collaboration Readiness: Engagement in strategic partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaborations to advance responsible AI use in tourism.

4. Sustainability and Social Impact

Commitment to Sustainability: Dedication to practices that support environmental conservation and contribute to the SDGs.
Social Impact and Inclusivity: Technologies that promote inclusivity, enhancing accessibility and cultural exchange.
Impact Measurement and Reporting: Systems for measuring and reporting the impact of their solutions on sustainability and SDGs.

Read more: https://www.unwto.org/challenges/artificial-intelligence-challenge