The two-day Resilience and Innovation Summit in tourism and travel sectors was the leading travel and tourism event in Southeast Europe in 2024.
In collaboration with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Travolution, the USAID Turizam project organized one of the leading regional events in the tourism and travel sector, the Resilience and Innovation Summit, on June 6-7 in Sarajevo. This event brought together over 90 speakers and official participants from 25 countries, as well as more than 500 local and international visitors. The two-day program featured 20 plenary sessions, B2B networking, and a start-up competition.
Some of the speakers at the conference included the Federal Minister of Environment and Tourism Nasiha Pozder, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, CEO of Jacobs Media Duncan Horton, CEO of Chemonics International Jamey Butcher, Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence, Policy, and Competitiveness at the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Sandra Carvão, Secretary General of A World for Travel Christian Delom, and many others.
As part of the summit, a regional start-up competition was held, showcasing digital innovations and practical business solutions in tourism. The $10,000 prize, provided by Chemonics International, was awarded to Final Find from Montenegro for an app that creates interactive directions to tourist locations. The idea for this startup arose in response to a specific problem faced by the local community in Montenegro, where many accommodation providers spend a lot of time giving directions to their facilities.
In addition to the official program, conference participants attended a gala reception featuring the Herzegovina Wine Route and an evening at the Sarajevo City Hall titled “Heritage Resilience,” with traditional Bosnian music and folklore performances.
The winners of regional start-up competition: Final Find from Montenegro
Photo Credit: USAID Turizam