The European Space Agency and the World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) have signed a memorandum of intent (MoI) for advancing sustainable innovation for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry to promote its safe, secure, sustainable and seamless growth.

This cooperation supports the implementation of innovative space-based applications leveraging connectivity and digital transformation towards a stronger, more sustainable, and resilient tourism economy especially after the recent Covid-19 challenges. The goal is to accelerate good practices towards sustainable development that will help the tourism sector reach the Agenda 2030.

As a first step of this joint effort, ESA Space Solutions and WTFL are cooperating on an announcement of opportunity that  supports innovative tourism business projects harnessing space technologies to help the sector in its transition to the new normal through rapid digitalization and sustainable transformation.  

To ensure this initiative will deliver tangible impact, WTFL and ESA Space Solutions seek interested tourism businesses to be part of a user working group that will provide inputs on the most burning issues faced by the sector. The user working group will support ESA and WTFL by providing their views and customer requirements on the most pressing challenges for the tourism sector, identify commercial priorities and trends relevant to be addressed in the initiative, and will have the opportunity to provide recommendations and guidance to the applications that will be proposed*. 

“Leveraging downstream space technologies to drive sustainable development is going to determine the future of the tourism sector. Companies that tap in to the potential of space tech are becoming key players in the industry with a competitive advantage hard to copy”, says Martin Barth, President & CEO World Tourism Forum Lucerne.

“Space technologies, connectivity and digital transformation are key for the tourism sector to initiate a purposeful innovation journey towards a stronger and more sustainable tourism economy. The announcement of opportunity in cooperation with the World Tourism Forum Lucerne will help unleash this potential and fast-track business innovation towards a new dimension of sustainable tourism”, says Davide Coppola, Project Manager at ESA Space Solutions.

About WTFL:

The World Tourism Forum Lucerne is the leading interactive platform in the industry, where CEOs, Ministers, Academia, Finance, Start-Ups, Next Generation and Young Talents become a strong community addressing the future challenges of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry and shape a more sustainable future. The WTFL work is focused on four core pillars: Innovation, Sustainable Development, Talent and Diversity.

About ESA Space Solutions:

ESA Space Solutions is the go-to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Its mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life.

The programme is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Application Ambassadors and the ESA Business Applications programme. We can also support your ideas of transferring space technology into non-space markets or vice versa.

ESA Business Applications is part of ESA Space Solutions that supports the development of sustainable services utilising space assets. It provides funding opportunities and expert support to entrepreneurs.

*If you want to join the working group that will be responsible for research and setting up the right direction of the project, please express your interest by contacting elena.cholakova@wtflucerne.org making sure you include your first/last name, company, position, email, LinkedIn profile and your motivation to join the WP.