TravTalk India Online Magazine
World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) is making its debut in India and has received over 200 participation requests for the upcoming Start-up Innovation Camp, 2019. First of its kind competition in India had open entries for start-ups focusing on culture, community, conservation and commerce in the field of travel, tourism and hospitality from the Indian subcontinent. In collaboration with Tata Trusts, IHCL, Swissnex India and the Global Himalayan Expedition, the finalists will be announced at the Start-Up Innovation Camp to be held on December 18th later this year.
WTFL’s entry into India is well-times as the country braces up to revive Brand India with the help of 5 Ts: Tradition, Talent, Tourism, Trade and Technology. This resonates very well with the four focus areas of Conservation, Culture, Community and Commerce where the nominations were solicited from promising entrepreneurs.
The WTFL is a globally renowned platform that provides world’s leading tourism, travel and hospitality leaders along with innovators to meet and shape a more sustainable future. For the past 10 years, WTFL has given an exclusive ground to the budding businessmen by nurturing their innovations in this sector.
The Indian Start-Up Innovation Camp has already received over 200 nominations, with Indian start-ups dominating it with 95% entries. All the entries will be screened by the pre-selection jury and 40 game changing ideas will be presented to the panel of International judges. Final 16 start-ups will be invited for the finale in Bengaluru to showcase their products/services. One winner under each category will take home USD 10,000 each along with a personalized two-year mentoring by industry experts.
Addressing the overwhelming response from participants, Martin Barth, President & CEO, World Tourism Forum said, “We are excited to have received a great number of entries for our India episode. India is a very important market for us due to its niche product portfolio in travel and tourism,that is expected to grow almost 100% by 2028. We are sure to make a mark and create awareness around the on-going environmental issues and look forward to holding more such engaging events in India in the coming years.”
WTFL has supported hundreds of start-ups in the last 10 years. In 2017, Global Himalayan Expedition became the first Indian start-up to have won the prestigious WTFL competition. The brand is looking forward to long-term plans with Indian market and will conduct more of such events and competitions.
