Tourexpi
Though
the tourism landscapes of Portugal and the MENA region (including Egypt,
Tunisia, and Morocco) differ greatly, they share a common challenge: despite
their strong tourism sectors and rich cultural and natural heritage, local
entrepreneurs often face significant obstacles when trying to establish or
scale micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. These challenges include
limited access to support networks, markets, and financing.
To
address this, the TUI Care Foundation has launched two new initiatives within
its global TUI Futureshapers programme. These programmes aim to foster a
culture of socially driven entrepreneurship that creatively addresses social
and environmental issues—positioning tourism as part of the solution to local
development challenges.
Portugal:
nurturing social entrepreneurship in tourism
Following
a successful first phase in 2023–2024, the TUI Futureshapers Portugal programme
will once again support tourism-focused social entrepreneurship. In partnership
with IRIS (Regional Incubator for Social Innovation), the programme offers
online sessions and in-person workshops in four Portuguese cities for up to 60
participants.
Up
to ten promising project ideas will be selected to receive personalised
one-to-one mentoring from TUI Group professionals, participate in a three-day
intensive training programme, and join masterclasses on key business topics.
The programme concludes with a pitch event in Porto, where participants present
their business concepts to potential investors and partners. The top three
projects will receive a cash prize and further incubation support over a
six-month period.
North
Africa: creating jobs and connecting communities
In
North Africa, the TUI Futureshapers programme—run in partnership with the
enpact Foundation—focuses on building entrepreneurship in rural areas and
developing sustainable tourism experiences that connect indigenous communities
with travellers.
The
programme begins with “ideation marathons” involving 100 participants to raise
awareness about entrepreneurship and provide networking opportunities. In the
next phase, 50 individuals will receive training and mentoring and take part in
pitch events. Eight teams will receive monthly financial support, free
co-working space at enpact’s Startup Haus in Cairo, and additional mentoring to
develop their business ideas.
In
the final phase, ten startup founders from Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco will
take part in a three-month accelerator programme, which includes expert
training, roundtable discussions, and two intensive one-week startup camps in
Egypt.
These
two initiatives are part of the wider TUI Futureshapers programme, which
empowers people in tourism destinations around the world to transform local
social and environmental challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities.
Image
Credit: © TUI Group
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