The startup competition, held as part of the two-day Summit “Resilience and Innovation in Tourism and Travel,” attracted innovative and entrepreneurial individuals seeking solutions to modern challenges in the travel and tourism sector.
Four companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region were invited to present their ideas, and the winner was the Montenegrin startup Final Find, with an innovative app that helps hosts guide guests to their locations.
The startup competition within the Summit focused on technological startup companies from Southeastern Europe that bring innovations in tourism, with an emphasis on digital solutions, the application of artificial intelligence, and electronic services.
Final Find from Montenegro, GemsAround from Moldova, Sarajevo VRX Immersive Museum, and ViaBalkanika from Bosnia and Herzegovina were invited to present their ideas before a four-member jury consisting of: Amra Omeragić, investment manager at Finance in Motion; Juan Chamarro Romeu, investment manager at Amadeus Ventures; Peter Melcher, senior director of public relations at SABRE Corp EMEA; and Tetyana Dudka, senior vice president at Chemonics International.
“We received 12 outstanding applications from different countries in Southeastern Europe and selected four to present their ideas at the Summit. All were brilliant and incredibly inspiring. We had a tough task choosing the winner, and we all agreed that the winner is Final Find, even though everyone was a winner because they showcased extraordinary and innovative ideas,” said jury member Tetyana Dudka.
About Final Find
Final Find stood out among competitors, as the organizers stated, with its innovative approach to solving a common problem in the tourism sector.
“Hosts were spending a tremendous amount of time directing guests to their locations. The purpose of our app is to simplify this process by providing visitors with a better experience and saving hosts valuable time,” explained one of the founders of Final Find, Dražen Stojović.
Final Find was awarded $10,000 for their winning idea, which will form the foundation for the development of the app, including the possibility of using it offline.
About the Summit
The Summit was held 6. on June 6 and 7, organized by the United States Government through the USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Turizam) project, the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, and Travolution. Renowned speakers and participants from around the world discussed and developed strategies that will shape the future of tourism.
“The goal of the Summit was to create a resilient, innovative, and inclusive tourism sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. I am extremely happy to see that the creative ideas generated at this Summit will spur progress, create new jobs and opportunities in the tourism sector, while preserving and respecting local culture and communities,” said Courtney Chubb, USAID Mission Director in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
USAID Turizam is a five-year project, worth $20 million, launched in 2020, aiming to utilize the immense potential of the tourism industry in partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Through this project, the US Government is working on educating workers and increasing the number of jobs in the tourism sector, improving access to finance for tourism companies, developing innovative tourism products, aligning policies and regulations, and helping Bosnia and Herzegovina build its own international brand and promote its destinations to travelers from around the world.
