Launching Event of the UNWTO Digital Futures Programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)

Launch Event of the UNWTO Digital Futures Programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs)

Floor 24, IE Tower - Paseo de la Castellana 259, Madrid. | 17 May 2022, 10h00 – 12h30

The UNWTO Digital Futures Programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeks to accelerate economic recovery of the tourism sector by supporting SMEs to unleash digital technologies to create jobs and enhance future resilience in the linkages of the tourism value chain post COVID-19. The UNWTO Digital Futures Programme for SMEs has the ambition to reach out to at least 1 million SMEs and to increase their competitiveness across six key digital dimensions – Connectivity, Business Growth, E-Commerce, Big data and Analytics, and Payments & Security – by providing online trainings that uptake the use of digital technologies and tools.

The UNWTO Digital Futures Programme for SMEs recognizes that SMEs are at the forefront of the post COVID-19 economic recovery and aims to support their digital transformation journey by facilitating the diffusion of relevant technologies to SMEs in the tourism value chain. To accelerate digital transformation, innovation and sustainable solutions for SMEs and Startups in the tourism Sector, we will foster partnerships with Global Tech companies, such as Mastercard, Cisco, Amadeus, Telefonica, Meta, Airbnb, and other key partners.

The event will include opening remarks by the UNWTO Secretary-General, a detailed presentation of the Programme by the Director of Innovation, Education and Investments, a round table with big tech partners, alongside government representatives and different trend showcases from SMEs and Partners of the Programme.

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