UN Global Artificial Intelligence Challenge Tourism 2025 for Start-ups and Scale-ups.

Application Deadline: March 31st, 2025

Applications are now open for the 2025 UN Global Artificial Intelligence Challenge Tourism. The UN Secretary-General’s report highlights the need for accessible technologies and AI solutions that bridge the digital divide. This vision drives the UN Tourism Global Artificial Intelligence and Deep Tech Challenge for Start-ups and Scale-ups, which aims to drive innovation in the tourism sector with practical and high-impact AI applications across the tourism value chain.

CATEGORIES

1. Brand, Promotion and Marketing 

2. Smart Destinations and Deep Technologies 

3. Education and technology 

4. Efficiency and operations 

Evaluation Criteria

Participating start-ups will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Ease of value capture
• Scalability
• Potential impact on business
• Product/technology maturity
• Maturity of the team and the organization
• Preparing for partnerships
• Contribution to selected Sustainable Development Goals

Benefits

Benefits for winning startups include, but are not limited to:

• Presentation at the UN Tourism Demo Day
• Acceleration program at SPARK, the Innovation Sphere of Les Roches
• Access to over 90 venture capitalists
• Access to leading companies and over 150 countries
• Personalized mentoring programs
• Possibility of pilot project with collaborators from the private sector and institutions
• Plug and Play will offer a registered profile on Playbook, an invitation to participate in our Silicon Valley Summit, and access to talent and synergies with their Portfolio.

Application Process

Applicants are encouraged to take the following steps to ensure their submission meets the Challenge criteria:

1. Review Challenge Guidelines: Carefully read and understand the Challenge Terms and Conditions available on our website to ensure compliance with all requirements.
2. Category Selection: Carefully select the category under which your application will be evaluated. Ensure that your project is aligned with the specified objectives of the chosen category.
3. Prepare a Pitch Deck: Develop a concise and compelling pitch deck in English, limited to 15 slides maximum, which clearly presents the problem, solution, impact and business model of your project.
4. Compilation of Information: Provide a complete list of your organization’s web address, social media handles, and essential contact information to facilitate effective communication.
5. Application Submission: Once your documents are prepared and verified, complete the Application Form in English. The form is available on our official website and must be submitted before the indicated deadline.

Timeline:

• Submission deadline : March 2025
• Announcement of finalists : April 2025
• Final Presentation :   To be determined
• Impact : Continuous

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UN Global Artificial Intelligence Challenge Tourism