• TUI Futureshapers Tunisia and Egypt empowers 800 Young Women through peer mentorship programme

• Programme provides targeted entrepreneurship training and seed funding for female-led social enterprises

• Initiative creates sustainable livelihoods in the tourism destinations of Monastir, Mahdia and Hurghada

Building on the successful implementation of the TUI Futureshapers programme in Tunisia during from 2023-mid 2025, where 592 young women received mentorship to advance their careers and business ideas, the programme continues with further expansion in Tunisia and Egypt. The TUI Care Foundation, in partnership with Mentor Arabia Foundation, has launched a new two-year female empowerment programme to address high unemployment rates amongst young women in both countries and transform social challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities.

The programme adopts a peer-to-peer mentorship model that creates sustainable impact within local communities. 80 young women, 55 in Tunisia and 25 in Egypt, will receive intensive training to become peer mentors, equipping them with skills in life coaching, career guidance and entrepreneurship fundamentals. These mentors will then facilitate structured mentoring sessions for 800 young women aged 18-25, 550 in Tunisia and 250 in Egypt, in the tourism destinations of Monastir and Mahdia in Tunisia, and Hurghada in Egypt. Mentorship sessions will cover topics such as personal growth, career development, employability skills and healthy lifestyles.

This expanded initiative introduces a regional collaboration model. Experienced mentors from Tunisia will also support programme implementation in Egypt, promoting knowledge exchange and strengthening networks across borders. This approach ensures programme sustainability, with local partners eventually running activities independently.

In addition to peer-to-peer mentoring, participants will gain access to a structured online course, which provides foundational knowledge in entrepreneurship, from how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and building a business model canvas, to idea pitching with the focus on tourism and creative industries. This comprehensive approach ensures that young women gain both the soft skills necessary for successful employment and the technical knowledge required to launch their own ventures.

A highlight of the programme is an entrepreneurship competition where participants will showcase their business ideas focused on the tourism sector. Twelve winners - eight in Tunisia and four in Egypt - will receive seed funding, alongside targeted coaching and mentorship from industry experts. These winners will benefit from at least six one-on-one coaching sessions to help them transform their concepts into viable social enterprises, covering business strategy, financial planning, marketing and operations,

The programme partners with key educational institutions including the Student Entrepreneur Centre of the University of Monastir in Tunisia, with a similar tourism and vocational training institution to be identified in Hurghada. These partnerships ensure that programme activities are embedded within existing educational structures, facilitating long-term sustainability and broader reach.

TUI Futureshapers Tunisia & Egypt is part of the global TUI Futureshapers programme that empowers young people to turn social challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities in tourism destinations including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Greece, Albania, Morocco, Colombia, Jamaica, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Laos, Namibia and Tanzania.