Tourism Startup Accelerator
Apply for the Spring 2026 Cohort before March 31st.
Remote Accelerator Program
The world is your classroom.
You have the vision. We give you the structure, accountability, and the confidence you need to build momentum and scale.
The Tourism Startup Accelerator is a 12-Week program that helps you launch, market, and grow transformative, experiential, and regenerative experiences that educate through immersion in the natural world.
Who This Is For?
This accelerator is built for the next generation of teachers, coaches, and facilitators who are ready to turn their passion for nature, learning, and transformation into a thriving tourism business. You’re in the right place if you:
- Lead hikes, retreats, workshops, or immersive nature experiences
- Want to build a premium ecotourism offer that sells to a market that wants premium experiences
- Are a guide, educator, or facilitator working in national parks, protected areas, or wild landscapes
- You own an ecolodge, hotel or property that you would like to promote for higher end ecotourism and deep nature connection
- Believe that reconnecting people to nature is one of the most important things you can do
- Want to make a bigger impact in your community and not have to worry about money
What Do Participants Recieve
- 12-week intensive program with a cohort of tourism startup founders
- Weekly group coaching sessions with experienced mentors and founders
- Group workshops on positioning, customer discovery, fundraising, and scaling
- A proven Growth Marketing System tailored to your business model
- Access to a network of investors and partners who believe in mission-driven ventures
- Accountability structures designed for creative brains
- Demo Day pitch event to present to investors and partners
We help you install a growth marketing system in your business so you can focus on facilitating transformational experiences
01
Attract
Brand story, a transformational offer, content strategy, editorial calendar, AI SEO, social media systems, email nurture sequences, and video production support.
02
Nurture
Engagement strategies, brand ambassador programs, user-generated content systems, live workshops, group coaching and event planning.
03
Convert
Email sequences, onboarding flows, retargeting ads, measurable sales funnel, appointment booking system and a CRM setup so your systems work even when your focus is elsewhere.
04
Scale
KPI tracking for both impact and revenue, and attribution modelling and AI conversion optimization for ads to scale up your growth so you can raise capital or bootstrap.
We work with founders building social enterprise ventures that solve specific problems and create specific results for their customers. Our focus areas are health, education and tourism.
Focus Areas
Experiential
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- Community-based tourism and group experiences
- Conservation-focused and educational experiences
- Wellness retreats and transformational travel
- Immersive skill-building workshops and cultural ecotourism
- Nature-based mental health and restorative programs
Ecolodges
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- Regenerative and carbon-negative accommodation models
- Community-integrated lodges supporting local infrastructure
- Educational stays with on-site nature and conservation or ecotherapy curriculum
- Off-grid and sustainable living demonstration sites
- Wellness-centric lodging focused on holistic health, lifestyle and prevention
Ecotourism
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- Impact-driven tour operators focused on local economic development and community projects
- Specialized facilitators for educational and field-study travel for schools
- Indigenous ecotourism exploring animism, spiritual ecology and cosmovision
- Wellness-led group adventure travel led by integrative medicine doctors
- Regenerative travel designers prioritizing ecosystem restoration
- Niche operators for ancestral skill acquisition
I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystems collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we, lawyers and scientists, don´t know how to do that. ― Gus Speth
300%
Startups are much more likely to make an impact than nonprofits dependent on fundraising and soliciting donations.
72%
Riding the entrepreneurship rollercoaster isn’t easy, with self-reported mental health concerns present in 72% of entrepreneurs surveyed.
3X
More likely to succeed if you have mentorship, accountability and community that keeps you accountable to your goals.
Learning by doing
The Tourism Startup Accelerator exists for founders who are done waiting for permission from a broken system and ready to build something that matters. If that's you, we'd love to hear from you.
What Types of Ventures Qualify?
We work with founders who are building businesses that help people get a specific result and solve a very specific problem.
This might look like:
- Group experiences, workshops, and retreats
- Group coaching or online membership communities
- A product or service with a clear, measurable outcome for customers
- A community or movement built around a shared mission
- An app, platform, or tool that transforms how people learn, heal, or explore
Your venture should be rooted in one of our three focus sectors: health, education, or tourism.
What Stage of Company Do We Accept?
Ideal candidates have:
- A validated problem and an initial solution or concept
- Early traction: an MVP, prototype, pilot customers, initial users, or a waitlist
- A committed founding team (solo founders with strong advisors are welcome)
- A clear vision for the social or personal impact their venture creates
- A business model with real potential to scale
We do not accept:
- Pure ideas without any validation or early traction
- Established companies beyond early-stage growth
- Traditional nonprofits without an earned revenue model
The Startup Growth Marketing System
Every participant gets access to our proven Growth Marketing System, adapted for socially conscious founders and mission-driven businesses.
The Tourism Startup Accelerator program covers:
- Lean startup methodology for continual building, testing and improving
- Detailed brand personas, brand story canvas and visual transformational map.
- Validated offers co-created with mentors and community members.
- Complete community architecture for peer learning and support.
- Live workshops and group coaching calls for weekly support.
- Automated email sequences, appointment booking and evergreen enrolment funnels.
- Live ad campaigns and a 30-day content calendar for growth.
- Standard operating procedures for scaling impact with ads.
- Reduced founder burnout through leveraged business models.
Spring 2026 Cohort
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply early for the best chance of acceptance.
01
March 2026
Applications open. Early applicants receive priority review. Application deadline is the last day of the month.
02
April 2026
Interviews and final selections. Cohort announced in the first week of April.
03
Mid-April to Mid-June 2026
12-week intensive program with weekly group coaching, office hours and support from our team.
04
June 2026
Demo Day. Review your quarterly growth metrics. Present your venture to investors and partners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tourism Startup Accelerator?
The Tourism Startup Accelerator is an intensive 12-week program designed for founders in ecotourism, sustainable travel, regenerative culture, outdoor education, adventure tours, and health & wellness retreats. Over three focused months, participants build a complete growth marketing system from the ground up, moving from strategy through execution to scalable customer acquisition.
What is the necessary time commitment?
The time investment required is 10-12 hours per week including calls and implementation. We prefer founders working full-time on their ventures or ready to go all in on their vision.
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
Social entrepreneurship combines business innovation with social impact. Social enterprises generate revenue while solving pressing problems, and measure success by both financial returns and positive outcomes in the world. Unlike traditional nonprofits, social enterprises have self-sustaining revenue models that don’t depend on donations or grants.
What stage should my startup be?
Is there a cost to apply or participate?
There is no fee to apply. Program participation details, including any investment terms, are shared with accepted founders during the interview process.
Can I participate remotely?
Yes. The core program is delivered virtually. Optional in-person retreats are held each season in different parts of the world where everyone can meet each other.
How do I apply for the Spring Cohort?
Click the Apply Now button below and complete the online application.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the better. The application process is straightforward and designed to be respectful of your time and your brain.
Step 1: Submit Your Application
Complete the online application form. Tell us about your vision, your market, and why you’re building this. We’ll ask about your personal journey and how it shapes your work as a founder.
Step 2: Submit a Short Video Pitch
Record a 2 to 3 minute video introducing yourself and your venture. No production value required. We want to hear from you, not a polished script.
Step 3: Interview
If your application resonates with us, we’ll schedule a 30-minute conversation to learn more about you and your venture.
Step 4: Decision
We’ll let you know within one week of your interview whether we’re moving forward together. There is no fee to apply.
What results can I expect?
Typical success metrics for program graduates include:
- 3–4x increase in qualified leads within 90 days
- 2–3x improvement in booking conversion rates
- 30–40% reduction in customer acquisition cost
- 25–35% of new bookings from referrals and organic community
What is the core goal of the program?
To help you build a predictable customer acquisition system that operates efficiently, so you can scale your marketing without scaling your stress.