World Tourism Forum Lucerne’s Start-Up initiative attracted over 200 young entrepreneurs from 54 different countries. The 15 most innovative businesses are now invited to WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp 2018 in Malaysia, where they will have a unique opportunity to pitch their business model and convince international investors to help make their vision a reality.
Lucerne/Langkawi, 10 August 2018 – For the 3rd time, World Tourism Forum Lucerne is organizing the WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp with the aim of promoting new and innovative business models in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Start-Ups had the opportunity to apply in five different categories: Transaction, Hospitality, Destination, Mobility, and Impact. The best start-ups of each category were pre-selected by the international jury and invited to the WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp 2018 (integrated in PATA Travel Mart 2018) to Langkawi, Malaysia.
WTFL Chairman of the Jury Roland Zeller, a leading entrepreneur and business angel, is positively surprised by the amount of innovation Start-Ups deliver each year. Overwhelmed by the number of applications and spectrum of nationalities, the jury had a difficult task to select the most promising business models. However, the following 15 Start-Ups succeeded in convincing the jury the most, above all by their innovative thinking and vision. “Particularly in these times of structural changes and challenges, innovation is a key factor in the long-term competitiveness of companies,” says Roland Zeller.
World’s 15 Most Innovative Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Start-Ups:
Category Destination
Cuseum (Unites States)
Irhal (United Arab Emirates)
Rainmaker (Namibia)
Category Hospitality
Contactless (Estonia)
Igloohome (Singapore)
Zeemart (Singapore)
Category Impact
Good For Food (Singapore)
Red Dot Foundation (India)
The Freebird Club (Ireland)
Category Mobility
Confirmtkt (India)
Kwikcar (Malaysia)
Wingly (France)
Category Transaction
Baarb (United States)
Tixget (Thailand)
TripClub (Philippines)
The 15 Start-Up finalists will pitch their business in front of the jury, international investors and industry executives at WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp 2018 in Langkawi, Malaysia on 12 September. The winner of each category will be awarded with 15’000 USD Start-Up Innovation Award, a 2-year coaching programme and “5 Minutes of Fame” in front of high-ranking international audience.
Martin Barth, WTFL President & CEO is convinced that “innovation is very much in evidence in all sectors and niches of the global tourism industry. Although digitalization has strongly impacted travel and tourism, innovation exists not only online but offline as well.” Our finalists operate in online business like booking platforms and software tools, but also offline as reducing food waste by using smart dustbins in the hospitality industry.
WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp is a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to establish contacts, receive deep industry know-how and advice from top experts in travel, tourism and hospitality sector. Besides, the Camp offers investors and industry executives the chance to meet the most innovative start-ups from around the world, get an insight into the best business models of the future and push innovation to the next level.
