Más allá del turismo

The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity for the tourism sector and its closely related supply chains to embrace digital transformation and drive innovation ecosystems in the public and private sectors.

Innovation can be the ingredient that stimulates the recalibration of the sector to re-emerge from the crisis ready to grow again.

THE CHALLENGE

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory, BID Lab, and in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), seeks to identify business models that aim to transform and revitalize the tourism sector in 15 target countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

CRITERIA

To be considered, these models must have four characteristics:

1. Present innovations at least in one of the two defined categories
   • workforce development,
   • or environmental sustainability (which includes safeguarding biodiversity, adopting waste management, circular economy models and/or climate-smart farming practices)
   • Using innovative and disruptive technologies
   • Demonstrating financial sustainability
   • Contributing to the country’s economic, social and environmental impact

GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR APPLICATIONS

• How will tourism organizations, governments, and other industry players design programs to prepare the tourism sector’s workforce for accelerated digital transformation?
• How will tourism organizations, governments, and other actors currently working in the sector’s value chains collaborate to incorporate ecological measures that ensure the optimal use of natural resources and preserve biodiversity?
• How will the tourism sector’s supply chain actors meet the growing demand for the sector? sustainable food systems and changing patterns of global consumption and tourist preferences?

PREMIUM

• Lab Financing: Applications whose proposals are selected may be considered by IDB Lab to receive funding to implement the proposed tourism business model in one of the 15 target countries.
• Participation in regional network events: The Applicants whose proposals will be selected will be part of the IDB Lab’s network of global innovators and may have the opportunity to participate in networking events organized by the IDB Group and its partners.

For more details see guidelines.