Tourexpi
Tourism plays a central role in Laos, contributing
more than 10% to national GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic and providing
livelihoods for hundreds of thousands. Yet the crisis severely disrupted the
sector, leaving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
under-resourced and facing limited access to finance, particularly for green
investments.
In response, the TUI Care Foundation, in partnership
with Plan International Laos and aligned with the EU-funded Lasting Laos
project, has launched TUI Futureshapers Laos. The initiative aims to strengthen
200 MSMEs and 100 young entrepreneurs – half of them women – by providing
technical support, training and access to a Small Matching Grants Programme for
sustainable innovation.
Green financing and business support
The programme offers small grants to help tourism
businesses scale up sustainable products and services. Over the course of the
project, 80 businesses will receive grants as seed funding to pilot and expand
environmentally responsible solutions. In addition, participating MSMEs will
benefit from training in financial management, sustainable business practices
and product development, as well as support to achieve the Lasting Laos
sustainability certification.
The initiative focuses on four key destinations: Vientiane
Capital, Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang and Champasak. By strengthening
MSMEs across these regions, the project is expected to support around 2,000
livelihoods, including employees of participating businesses.
Fostering long-term partnerships
To encourage investment and visibility, the project
will organise an investor familiarisation trip in its third year. International
investors and mentors will be invited to Laos to meet high-potential
enterprises, explore funding opportunities and establish lasting partnerships.
Global context
TUI Futureshapers Laos is part of the global TUI
Futureshapers programme, which empowers people in tourism destinations to turn
social challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities. Current projects span
Greece, Portugal, Sweden, the Dominican Republic, Albania, North Africa,
Colombia, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Egypt, Zanzibar and Namibia.
The launch also forms part of the TUI Care
Foundation’s ‘Tourism for Development Month’, a series of activities
highlighting the role of tourism in empowering Least Developed Countries
(LDCs). Through its Tourism for Development Fund, the Foundation and UN Tourism
have pledged €10 million by 2030 to support LDCs in strengthening livelihoods,
conserving nature and developing market-based solutions for sustainable growth.
Image
Credit: © TUI Group
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