Empowering local communities turning them into laboratories for co-development of circular and sustainable tourism ecosystems

Co-financed by: EISMEA  – European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Agreement n° 101085853

Announcement of an open call for MSMEs

ECOTOURS is co-funded by the European Union’s SINGLE MARKET PROGRAMME (SMP/SME Pillar) under grant agreement No. 101085853. It foresees the provision of financial support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises…

Read more
0
6000 6041 Ecotours

The project ECOTOURS enhances the capacity of tourism’s SMEs and community tourism’s ecosystems to promote circular tourism and to uptake environmental principles, practices and standards in their businesses.
Through transnational cooperation, peer learning and capacity building, the project will engage key actors and local communities in Europe in cohesive and collaborative strategies and actions to build-up a support system to tourism SMEs, with a focus on how circular economy principles and standards apply to tourism services and businesses.
The project targets local communities in Italy (Sicily: Enna, Agrigento and Trapani), Greece (Western Macedonia), France (Corsica, Bastia), Hungary (Csongrad County, Szeged), Spain (Galicia, Vigo), Cyprus (Nicosia), including a natural & cultural heritage of international significance, that are currently facing common socio-economic challenges due to the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

RESOURCES

RESULTS

OBJECTIVES

  • Increase the capacity of tourism’s SMEs and community ecosystems in EU to incorporate and promote sustainable strategies and practices on circular tourism
  • Boost the transition process of tourism’s SMEs by increasing their capacity to uptake sustainable and circular principles and standards
  • Engage key actors and local communities in Europe in cohesive and collaborative strategies and actions to build-up a support system to tourism SMEs
  • Increase sustainability, competitiveness and economic regeneration of rural destinations in Europe through circular tourism

RESOURCES

  • Transnational capacity building programme based on peer-to-peer learning and practices sharing on circular tourism
  • Multi-stakeholder and multidisciplinary support system to tourism’s SMEs
  • Open Educational Resources (OERs) based on circular tourism, business development and sustainability assessment
  • 6 integrated circular tourism’s itineraries in target communities
  • Sustainable tourism marketing strategy and plans to promote circular cultural tourism in the target communities
  • Tailored collective and multi-stakeholders’ dashboard including (economic, social and environmental) sustainability impact indicators

RESULTS

  • Better understanding of the concept of “circular tourism” in the local communities involved and at EU level, with a view on how circular tourism can respond to community needs and generate sustainable development
  • Co-created and tested an innovative and multi-stakeholder support system to tourism’s SMEs and community tourism’s ecosystems on circular tourism at both local and EU level
  • Enhanced resilience, key competences and capacity of N.96 tourism’s SMEs to incorporate circular tourism’s principles and uptake sustainability standards into their businesses, services and practices, with the view of improving and measuring their green, social and sustainable performances
  • Strengthened strategic cooperation, exchange of best practices and synergies between tourism’s SMEs and community tourism’s ecosystems actively engaged in knowledge-sharing and co-development of sustainable strategies and practices based on circular tourism
  • Increased governance (public/private), multi-stakeholder engagement and cross-sectors coalitions to explore innovative circular business strategies and models in the field of tourism and community development

By subscribing to our newsletter, you will receive exclusive content, special offers, and updates on the latest news and events related to our products and services.

    Close