National Tourism Incubator

The National Tourism Incubator (NTI) program is the first of its kind national level platform for innovative tourism businesses to come forward, get access to tailored business coaching and advisory, financing and market linkages through a formalized program. The focus of the program is to explore untapped business opportunities, especially in areas of adventure, winter and sustainable tourism, infrastructure, experiences tourism, sustainable infrastructure, etc. in Pakistan.

National Tourism Incubator

Program Goals:

To identify existing entrepreneurs who are working towards solving the highlighted pressing problems within the tourism sector with an innovative approach.
To help entrepreneurs develop or enhance business models, financial models specific to their industry and become investment-ready.
Equip entrepreneurs with the required skills, knowledge, and subject matter experts for launching and growing a business using providing sector specific data and insights.
Through business mentoring/coaching, we aim to equip entrepreneurs with specialized business knowledge and insights tailored to their respective solution and prepare them to attract investments effectively.
To help size their market accurately and build their business based on authentic data and assumptions
To enable businesses to meet all legal and compliance requirements and execute the proposed growth strategy through patient financing/ investments.
To promote innovation and a problem-solving mindset through encouraging entrepreneurs to think creatively and approach challenges with a solution-oriented attitude

Who Is This Program For & Who Can Apply?

MVP stage, launch stage and early-stage startups/SGBs entering tourism industry and are focused on solving the highlighted problem statements within Adventure Tourism, Experiences, and tourism infrastructure.
Businesses from across the country are eligible to apply
Not-For-Profit business ideas or institutions are INELIGIBLE to apply.

Adventure

Lack of diverse adventure activities at major tourist destinations across Pakistan. There is a dire need to explore options beyond traditional offerings like trekking or mountaineering.
Inadequate information and marketing. Lack of tech integration in tourism startups is causing difficulties with limited and inadequate information for tourists travelling to remote areas. There is a need to explore solutions that integrate tech aspects for targeted marketing, proper guidance, and enhanced communication.

Experiences/Cultural Tourism

Lack of experiences for tourists ranging from Tracing Ancient History at Mohenjo-Daro, traditional storytelling in the Lahore’s walled city, promoting indigenous regional festivals, to rural homestays and yoga retreats in mountains in far north

Infrastructure

Inadequate public facilities such as clean restrooms in public places and on long roads.
Tourists face challenges navigating unfamiliar locations due to inadequate signage and directional information. There is a need of startups solving these infrastructure issues through navigation apps, info desks, and digital maps to help navigate the remote destinations.

Components of National Tourism Incubator

The National Tourism Incubator will bring together all the essential elements of the incubation program, starting with:

Tourism Ecosystem Building

By bringing together key stakeholders, NTI will promote industry collaboration through:
- Tourism Association Strengthening
- Sector Focused Expert Sessions
- Policy and Consultative Workshops
- Dedicated Coworking Spaces

Training and Advisory

- AP-designed business training content including engaging reading material and interactive videos will help enable entrepreneurs to build out their business ideas and think innovatively.

- Online advisory sessions with experts for enhancing their business models and financial models

Subject Matter Experts

- Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) also hold one-on-one training and advisory sessions with entrepreneurs to help them make refinements considering the industry condition and status.

Business Coaching

- Entrepreneurs will be assigned a business coach from AP.
- Business coaches will prepare them to be investment ready.

Co-working Spaces

- Entrepreneurs will be provided with dedicated spaces in Gilgit, Chitral, Hunza, Islamabad, and Karachi to work on their business, interact and collaborate with fellow aspiring or emerging entrepreneurs, as well as other stakeholders of the tourism industry.

Market Linkages

- Entrepreneurs will get access to AKDN's professional networks
- Build better market linkages through attending ecosystem events and conferences
- Hunt different points of sale, and better connect with their customer base and target market.

Subsidized Debt Financing

- Startups/SGBs showing promising returns and potential to scale will be taken forward for pre-financing due diligence and be provided with patient debt with subsidised markup.

The Complete National Tourism Incubator Journey of an Entrepreneur:

Business Criteria

A unique and innovative business model with potential for causing or contributing to a transformative effect in the health sector, specifically in terms of improving quality of services, increasing access, convenience and/ or affordability.
A clear market niche, sound target market and customer base.
Realistic competitive advantage in terms of price, quality and easy/ large access.
Strong revenue and profit models, potential for scalability and growth.
Strong value chain effect.
The business demonstrates positive environmental and sustainable development (impact) effect.

Personal Criteria

Strong entrepreneurial traits, including (but not limited to) leadership qualities, risk taking, street smartness, ability to do more with less etc.
Coachable team, including (but not limited to) openness to advisory, learn, ability and openness to constantlyiterate, adapt and evolve based on changing conditions, realities or assumptions etc.
Past experience in doing business, or as an employee in a similar industry, or subject matter expertise relevant to the product/ service.
Strong interest in the health sector and the idea/ business being proposed, with significant skin in the business.