Through the new Tourism for Development Fund, supported by the UNWTO, the Tui Care Foundation will invest €10 million by 2030 to support projects in LDCs.

According to the United Nations (UN), sustainable tourism has the potential to be a key driver of development in many LDCs through its stakeholders and activities which can contribute to economic growth.

Through the Tourism for Development Fund, the Tui Care Foundation will drive positive outcomes in education, local entrepreneurship, support for artisans and creatives, and the protection of natural habitats on land and below water.

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili added: "The Tourism For Development Fund will provide vital investment for the sector, working directly with local stakeholders to deliver on our sector’s unique potential to spur economic development."

Projects will focus on dual vocational training for disadvantaged communities, the conservation of endangered species, sustainable agriculture, protection of marine environments, empowering local entrepreneurs, creatives, and artisans, and promoting sustainable investment. 

The fund will support projects designed to increase the capacity of destination communities to improve their livelihoods, conserve and regenerate nature, and create market-based solutions that benefit tourism destinations.

Targeted LDCs include Cambodia, Lao, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, The Gambia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.