TUI Colourful Cultures – Storytelling Theatre

Destinations are not only characterised by their landscapes – they are also home to diverse cultures. With the TUI Colourful Cultures programme, the TUI Care Foundation invites holidaymakers to learn about and appreciate local traditions and cultural expressions. At the same time, it supports local people in preserving their cultural heritage and passing it on in the spirit of sustainable tourism.
The programme promotes creative initiatives in the destinations, thereby contributing to the strengthening of cultural diversity and the economic development of the regions. Artists and craftspeople are given the opportunity to develop their skills,
tap into new markets and present their work to an international audience. Whether dance, visual arts or crafts – TUI Colourful Cultures creates space for cultural participation and new perspectives for creative artists worldwide.
In future, the TUI Colourful Cultures programme will also include theatre projects with a narrative focus. The focus will be on productions that deal with history, tradition and cultural identity. They create spaces for exchange, reflection and shared experiences.
Captivating productions give rise to lively stage formats that take the audience on a journey through history, tradition and identity. In this way, cultural heritage becomes tangible and is given a visible place in the public consciousness

What is supported?

  • Organisations that contribute to the protection and transmission of cultural heritage
  • Organisations that recognise the potential of tourism as a driver of sustainable development
  • Organisations that strive to make an impact, pursue innovative approaches and share them with others

The TUI Colourful Cultures programme supports initiatives that promote and preserve cultural heritage and achieve measurable results in areas such as:

    1. Stronger support programmes for people committed to preserving cultural heritage and creativity
      1. Number of people supported (m/f/d)
      2. Number of organisations, collaborations and associations supported
    2. Stronger promotion of cultural heritage and art in tourist destinations
      1. Number of events organised and supported
      2. Number of people participating in events
    3. Increased income opportunities through tourism
      1. Number of collaborations with stakeholders in the tourism sector
      2. Number of newly developed tourism experiences
Was wird unterstützt?
Was wird unterstützt?

Support at a glance

Funding amount:
 10,000 to 40,000 euros per year
Duration:
 2 to 3 years
Eligible costs:

      • Activities to preserve and promote cultural heritage
      • Measures that strengthen the local population socially and economically along the tourism value chain
      • Local visibility and communication
      • Personnel costs and/or consultancy required to carry out the above activities (max. 30% of the budget)
      • Administrative costs (max. 10%)
      • Other expenses directly related to project objectives

To the article

Unterstützung im Überblick

Why is storytelling important in tourism?

Marketing destinations:
Stories give a place its own identity. They help to differentiate destinations from one another and make them appealing to visitors.

Emotional connection:
Travellers are not only looking for relaxation, but also emotional experiences. Storytelling appeals to the emotions and creates a deeper connection between holidaymakers, people and places.

Sustainable tourism:
Involving local communities in storytelling contributes to sustainability. It ensures that as many local people as possible benefit from tourism.

Cultural tourism:
Cultural narratives appeal particularly to culturally interested travellers who are interested in history, traditions and authentic experiences. This target group contributes to the diversity of tourism flows and represents an important market share.

Warum ist Storytelling im Tourismus wichtig?

The selected holiday destinations were determined based on various criteria. Countries that are significant in terms of tourism and also have a high need for support are eligible. These include:

Egypt, Albania, Aruba, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bonaire, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Germany, Dominica, Dominican Republic, France, Gambia, Grenada, Greece, Guadeloupe, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Austria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Zambia, Sweden, Senegal, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Cyprus

We are looking for local organisations with experience in effective cultural projects and in actively involving the local population. These include, for example, drama schools, theatres, cultural centres, associations and initiatives in the field of performing arts.

We would like to find out how your project contributes to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage – and what concrete impact it can have on the target groups, the local community and the tourist destination as a whole.

Close cooperation with the tourism industry is of central importance here. It contributes to the economic viability of the project and can thus help to ensure its impact beyond the duration of the funding.

Be inspired by existing TUI Colourful Cultures projects!

  1. Strengthening local communities: The active involvement of artists, storytellers, historians and elders enables authentic content creation and promotes local value generation.
  2. Preserving cultural narratives: Traditions, legends, rituals and folktales should be collected, documented and kept alive as part of the intangible cultural heritage.
  3. Shared forms of expression: By incorporating music, performance and dance, storytelling can be further enhanced. In collaboration with musicians, dancers and visual artists, captivating performances can be created — vibrant, creative and audience-centered.
  4. Education and talent development: Workshops strengthen the skills of local artists and storytellers. Young people on site and interested visitors are given space to engage with their cultural heritage and carry it forward.
  5. Developing experience-based offerings: Storytelling should become an experience — for visitors, the local population, schoolchildren and seniors alike.

  1. Submit your project proposal via the Google Form
  2. Selected organizations will be contacted and invited to an initial interview
  3. After a positive response, an invitation to submit a detailed project proposal via the Optimy platform will follow
  4. After two evaluation rounds, the board will decide on funding

Please note that only selected organizations will receive feedback.

Please refer to our “Terms of Reference” (in English) for further details.

Terms of Reference

Evaluation criteria:

  • Applicant organizations must be officially registered
  • Implementation in tourist-relevant destinations
  • High quality and relevance of the planned activities
  • Proven experience in the project area (e.g., similar projects in the last three years, funding used, connection to the tourism sector)
  • It is viewed positively if applicants coordinate their activities with other groups and initiatives to achieve greater impact
  • Appropriate cost–benefit ratio in relation to the programme’s objectives

Application deadline: 30 September 2025