Deadline: March 5, 2019 00:00 CET | Apply here
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Eligibility: Startups in the Early Stage or Series A Stage; both for-profit and non-profit; natural or legal persons; startups with a minimum viable product (MVP); startups with potential for scalability; startups with a sustainable vision

Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition 2019

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center, presents the First Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition.

Tourism is a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, a cross-cutting sector with a high impact on the promotion of social welfare, with the aim of promoting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With continuous growth in the last decade, tourism generates approximately one in 10 jobs and accounts for 10.2% of world GDP.

At its intersection with the gastronomy sector, food tourism or culinary tourism, it is organized around experiential trips and assumes as part of its essence ethical and sustainable values related to the territory, heritage, local culture, local products, authenticity, tradition or culinary techniques at the local, regional or national level.

The undoubted influence of gastronomy in travel and the growing demand for gastronomic tourism have made this area one of the segments with the greatest development opportunities attracting growing interest on the part of governments.

Food tourism has become one of the most dynamic and creative segments of tourism and, at the same time, has naturally positioned itself as an element of diversification of tourism with a high impact on the promotion of sustainable development at the regional and local levels.

Projects evaluation criteria

The projects must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations and the introduction or adaptation of digital and technological elements, and focused on one (or several) of the following areas:

• Destination management or private management of solutions/products/services developed around gastronomy as gastronomic tourism products
• Supply-side configuration seeking balance between sustainable development and the profitability of the project, maximizing the positive impacts on the community.
• Connection with the market and the user experience in all phases of the trip
• The integration of sustainability in the project´s business plan, specifically the conservation of local ingredients and the relationship between culture, heritage, gastronomy, tourism and economic growth

The projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Innovation and disruptiveness
• Potential impact and scalability
• Initially validated or tested business model
• Suitable and committed team
• Partnership Readiness
• Sustainability in the value proposition
• Technological or digital component

Awards

• 20 selected Start-ups will be shortlisted by a panel of international experts and stakeholders from the gastronomy tourism sector (public and private sector, academia, and civil society)
• The 5 finalist startups will have a sponsored trip to pitch their idea to a panel of experts, governments, industry leaders and international investors who will attend the 5th edition of the World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism be held in Spain on 2-3 May 2019
• The winning company will have the possibility to make its mark on the international stage and increase the impact of its startup with the help of BCC experts with a customized mentoring programme and the possibility of participating in the business accelerator Culinary Action!
• The winning company will have the opportunity to design a pilot project with the Basque Culinary Center and implement it with the help of its network.

Interested in applying for the Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition 2019? Register your participation by following the registration link and taking the suggested steps.

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