TUI Care Foundation Launches Green Financing Initiative in Laos - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Tourism plays a central role in Laos, contributing more than 10% to national GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic and providing livelihoods for hundreds of thousands. Yet the crisis severely disrupted the sector, leaving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) under-resourced and facing limited access to finance, particularly for green investments.

In response, the TUI Care Foundation, in partnership with Plan International Laos and aligned with the EU-funded Lasting Laos project, has launched TUI Futureshapers Laos. The initiative aims to strengthen 200 MSMEs and 100 young entrepreneurs – half of them women – by providing technical support, training and access to a Small Matching Grants Programme for sustainable innovation.

Green financing and business support

The programme offers small grants to help tourism businesses scale up sustainable products and services. Over the course of the project, 80 businesses will receive grants as seed funding to pilot and expand environmentally responsible solutions. In addition, participating MSMEs will benefit from training in financial management, sustainable business practices and product development, as well as support to achieve the Lasting Laos sustainability certification.

The initiative focuses on four key destinations: Vientiane Capital, Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang and Champasak. By strengthening MSMEs across these regions, the project is expected to support around 2,000 livelihoods, including employees of participating businesses.

Fostering long-term partnerships

To encourage investment and visibility, the project will organise an investor familiarisation trip in its third year. International investors and mentors will be invited to Laos to meet high-potential enterprises, explore funding opportunities and establish lasting partnerships.

Global context

TUI Futureshapers Laos is part of the global TUI Futureshapers programme, which empowers people in tourism destinations to turn social challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities. Current projects span Greece, Portugal, Sweden, the Dominican Republic, Albania, North Africa, Colombia, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Egypt, Zanzibar and Namibia.

The launch also forms part of the TUI Care Foundation’s ‘Tourism for Development Month’, a series of activities highlighting the role of tourism in empowering Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Through its Tourism for Development Fund, the Foundation and UN Tourism have pledged €10 million by 2030 to support LDCs in strengthening livelihoods, conserving nature and developing market-based solutions for sustainable growth.

Image Credit: © TUI Group