Generation Next: Middle East and North Africa’s Rising Female Travel Leaders

Nada Wael Farouk

Turismo Founder

Nada Wael Farouk started Turismo in November 2020 to solve a key problem with travel in the Middle East and North Africa: the lack of organization of tourism activities.

In its description on LinkedIn, the app aims to digitize tourism, hospitality and entertainment in the MENA region. “It might seem to be a risky decision, but I believe Turismo is the right solution at the right time,” Farouk told Entrepreneur in 2022. 

In short, Turismo does in Qatar, Saudi, and Egypt what GetYourGuide does in the rest of the world – it showcases activities that travelers can experience when visiting a destination. Turismo, however, caters to the “unique interests of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) travelers,” according to Turismo’s website. Instead of offering holiday packages like many other travel companies were doing in the MENA region, Turismo partnered with local vendors. 

Standalone activities such as dhow cruises, pearl kayaking, desert safaris, and more were listed on the platform. 

There were a few problems she hoped the app could solve: Low profit margins for vendors, poor customer experience, and the lack of awareness about hospitality operations on cultural sites. “70% of tourism companies and agents in Egypt alone are underserved and running offline without any technology nor safe payment methods,” she said in 2022.

She envisioned a localized platform that would align itself with the respective visions of the countries it was operating in. Think 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: It digitized sports and cultural tourism in the run up to this event. Turismo does not aim to serve a wide audience, but a niche within Millennials and GenZ travelers.   

While she is busy building Turismo, Farouk has also joined consulting firm PwC in the Middle East as transformation and strategy consultant to help organizations develop and refine their strategies. 

Speaking to Entrepreneur, she shared one of her tips to entrepreneurs: “Don’t lie to yourself if something is not working, face the brutal facts with versatility, confidence, and faith that your hard work will eventually pay off. And most importantly, make your mental health your number one priority, always.”

She is keen to learn and grow. “You need people in your life who are further ahead than you. People who have a bigger vision, more experience, and a broader perspective. Surrounding yourself with such individuals exposes you to new levels of growth and achievement,” she believes.

– Bulbul Dhawan