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Yaoundé, [Date]:                             

NATIONAL START-UP COMPETITION

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« ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TOURISM »

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2026 — “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign

Tourism »

Cameroon National Museum, Yaoundé — September 23-27, 2026

Registration link for the competition on the Ministry’s website « www.mintoul.gov.cm »

SUMMARY

Action 1 — Draft competition regulations

Action 2 — Proposal of prizes and awards

Action 3 — Application submission procedures

Action 4 — Methodology for analysing and ranking applications

ACTION 1 — DRAFT COMPETITION REGULATIONS

National innovation competition “Artificial Intelligence in Tourism”, organised by the Ministry of  Tourism and Leisure (MINTOUL) as part of the World Tourism Day (WTD) 2026 Celebration.

Article 1 — Purpose

The purpose of this regulation is to define the conditions of participation, organisation, selection and  award of the start-up competition « Artificial Intelligence in Tourism », organised by MINTOUL on the  occasion of World Tourism Day (WTD) 2026, celebrated under the theme « Digital Agenda and  Artificial Intelligence to Rethink Tourism ».

Article 2 — Organizer and Management

The competition is organised by MINTOUL, under the supervision of the WTD Committee. Its operational implementation is entrusted to the Tech, AI & Innovation Commission, chaired by the Head of the IT Unit, in collaboration with the Technical Secretariat (DPT/DDL).

Article 3 — Eligible themes and challenges

Applications must focus on a digital solution integrating artificial intelligence and addressing a concrete challenge in the Cameroonian tourism sector. For example, the following are particularly relevant:

•  Multilingual tourist guide and visitor assistance (chatbots, voice assistants);

• Ecotourism and the sustainable management of natural sites and parks;

•  The promotion of crafts and cultural heritage (Grassfields, Sawa, Sudano-Sahelian, Fang-Beti);

• Hotel management, booking and optimization of the customer experience;
• Any other predictive or application tool contributing to the modernization of Cameroon as a destination.

Article 4 — Eligibility Requirements

Legal entities or individuals may apply:

• Start-ups, innovative companies, incubators or project promoters, with a team mainly based in

Cameroon or whose project directly targets the Cameroon tourist destination;

•  Students or young innovators divided into teams of at least two (2) people, including one adult leader;

• Projects at the prototype implementation or rollout solution stage; a project presented only at the concept stage is not eligible for the competition;
• A structure can be the bearer of several projects/applications.

Excluded are: jury members, MINTOUL officials directly involved in the organization of WTD 2026.

Article 5 — Competition Calendar

The schedule needs to be reviewed and adopted by the JMT Committee; it must remain consistent with the general JMT 2026 timeline included in the TOF.

Article 6 — Composition of the application file

The application file, written in French or English, includes:

•  A duly completed registration form (identity of the structure and the team);

• A presentation of the project (2 to 5 pages): problem addressed, AI solution proposed, degree of maturity (concept, prototype, product);

•  A demonstration or a link to a functional prototype (video, test access, code repository, interactive mockup);

• A note on the expected impact on Cameroon as a destination and its contribution to sustainable development;
• The administrative documents of the structure (Trade Registry/registration or proof of existence of the team, ID card number of the project holders);
• A declaration on honour of the originality of the solution and acceptance of these regulations.

Article 7 — File Submission Guidelines

The application files will be done online on the MINTOUL website. Application Form – Ministry of Tourism and Leisure www.mintoul.gov.cm

Article 8 — Selection Process

The selection process will be in three (3) phases:

• Phase 1 – Administrative admissibility: verification of the completeness and conformity of the files;
• Phase 2 – Technical evaluation and pre-selection: scoring of applications by the Tech, AI & Innovation Commission according to the grid in Article 9, resulting in a list of finalists;
• Phase 3 – Final deliberations: presentation (pitch) of the finalists before the jury on September 26, 2026, followed by deliberation and final ranking.

The number of finalists shortlisted for the pitch phase is determined by the Tech, AI & Innovation Commission based on the volume and quality of applications received (approximately: 8 to 12 finalists).

Article 9 — Evaluation Criteria

In accordance with the Terms of Reference, applications are evaluated based on the following criteria: technical feasibility/

reliability of the solution, impact on the image and attractiveness of Cameroon as a destination, ergonomics and user experience, degree of innovation, and consideration of sustainable development. The detailed scoring grid is provided below:

Article 10 — Jury composition and functioning

The jury, in accordance with the Terms of Reference, is composed of representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure (MINTOUL), directors of technology incubators, university experts, or leaders from the hotel industry. It comprises five (or seven) members. The jury elects a chairperson from among its members. The jury’s deliberations are final, confidential, and recorded in minutes signed by all members present.

Article 11 — Prizes and Awards

Award Categories and Distribution.

The prizes will be awarded at the ceremony on September 27, 2026 (2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.), in the presence of the Minister of Tourism and Leisure.

Article 12 — Intellectual Property and Confidentiality

• Each candidate retains ownership of the intellectual property rights attached to their solution;

•  Participation in the competition does not entail any transfer of rights to MINTOUL or the event partners;

• The candidate authorizes MINTOUL to use the name, logo and a brief presentation of his project for institutional communication purposes relating to WTD 2026 (#JMT2026Cameroun).

Article 13 — Candidate Commitments

•  Provide accurate and truthful information in the application file;

• Be available for the final presentation on September 26, 2026 and the ceremony on September 27, 2026;
• Comply with the instructions of the Tech, AI & Innovation Commission and the Technical Secretariat;
• Accept, without reservation, the terms of these regulations by submitting your application.

Article 14 — Disqualification and Fraud

Any fraud, plagiarism, false statement or incomplete application after the closing date will result in the immediate exclusion of the candidate, at any stage of the competition, without possibility of appeal or compensation.

Article 15 — Force Majeure

MINTOUL reserves the right to postpone, modify or cancel all or part of the competition in the event of unforeseeable circumstances, or circumstances beyond its control, without incurring any liability.

Article 16 —Dispute Resolution

Any dispute concerning the admissibility of an application must be submitted in writing to the Technical

Secretariat (email: concours@mintoul.gov.cm ) within 48 hours of notification. The jury’s decisions

regarding scoring and final ranking are, however, final and without appeal.

Article 17 — Final Provisions

These regulations are adopted by the WTD Committee upon a proposal from the Tech, AI & Innovation Commission. It may be amended as necessary. Any unforeseen circumstances shall be decided definitively by the WTD Committee.