Costa del Sol Tourism Hub selects ten startups to accelerate tourism projects

The winners develop solutions that improve the competitiveness of companies and destinations

Costa del Sol Tourism Hub has selected the ten new startups that will participate in its programme, which offers specialised mentoring, networking and access to potential investors.

The awards focus on innovation as a driving force for tourism transformation, with projects proposing solutions to address some of the sector's main challenges through the use of artificial intelligence, process digitisation, sustainability and improvements to the tourist experience.

The selected startups include proposals focused on automating hotel and restaurant management, digitising regulatory compliance in tourist accommodations and developing more personalised experiences. They also include projects focused on accessible tourism, digital guided tours and new forms of interaction between destinations and visitors.

This year's awards have highlighted the diverse range of initiatives, from tools to optimise the online reputation of tourism companies and automate operational processes to platforms designed to improve the energy efficiency of accommodations, measure sustainability indicatorsand facilitate smarter destination management.

These ten companies will participate over the next ten months in an intensive acceleration programme designed to help their solutions evolve, adapt to real market needs and accelerate their implementation in tourism businesses and public administrations.

CEO of Turismo Costa del Sol Esperanza González said that this accelerator "has become a meeting point between entrepreneurial talent and the tourism industry".

"Our role is to support these startups so they can grow, validate their solutions and generate a positive impact on the sector," she stated.

The Costa del Sol Tourism Hub "consolidates itself as a connection point between entrepreneurs, companies, institutions and investors, promoting the transfer of knowledge and the development of projects with the capacity to transform the tourism industry".

The combination of "a solid tourism activity and a growing technological ecosystem makes this destination an ideal environment to promote innovative initiatives and test solutions with direct application in the market".

González said that innovation "is no longer an option, but a necessity for the tourism sector to remain competitive".

"With this programme, we aim to promote projects that provide practical solutions and help businesses and destinations adapt to the industry's new challenges," she stated.

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