• New initiative provides affordable financing and mentorship to tourism SMEs in destinations worldwide

• Small tourism businesses will receive low-interest loans and technical support over the next two years

• Programme focuses on enterprises that strengthen community benefits, create jobs and drive sustainable tourism innovation

The tourism industry is one of the world’s largest contributors to global economic activity, accounting for more than 10% of global GDP and employment. Yet small and medium-sized enterprises – which make up around 80% of tourism businesses globally – often struggle to access the capital needed to innovate and scale sustainable practices. The new TUI Futureshapers Global programme addresses this challenge by combining low-interest loans with tailored technical support and mentoring. Over the next two years, up to eleven tourism enterprises in key destinations will receive investment through affordable impact loans. The loans are structured for repayment over two years, with repaid capital reinvested into future initiatives, creating a revolving model that will continue generating impact in the years to come.

Beyond financial support, participating businesses benefit from extensive training and mentoring on financial management, sustainability practices and impact measurement. The programme also provides visibility opportunities within the tourism sector, empowering entrepreneurs to strengthen their networks and supporting them in reaching new markets. Through these measures, the initiative enables the creation or maintenance of at least 100 jobs whilst supporting a further 100 livelihoods in tourism destinations.

The project builds on the success of a pilot phase of the TUI Futureshapers Global initiative launched in 2022, through which seven pioneering tourism businesses across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean received flexible investment capital. These enterprises created new jobs, sustained livelihoods and welcomed more than 25,000 travellers, whist also integrating sustainability and community engagement into their business models.

The TUI Futureshapers Global initiative is implemented in partnership with the UnTours Foundation, a non-profit impact investor which dedicates its resources to supporting businesses that create meaningful social and environmental change. By combining catalytic investment with technical expertise and access to the global tourism ecosystem, the partnership aims to demonstrate how impact investing can accelerate a more inclusive and resilient tourism sector.

It is part of the global TUI Futureshapers programme which supports entrepreneurs in 48 different countries including Greece, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Laos, Cambodia and North Africa, and empowers people to turn social challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities in holiday destinations.