As the eight TOURBO partners descended on the City of Sevilla, it was therefore time to get this Inter-Regional project underway. Over the 2-day event (27-28 June 2023), the 8 project partner representatives and invited stakeholders enjoyed the opportunity to officially launch the 4-year Interreg Europe project.
The TOURBO project aims at “Boosting the transition pathway of MSMEs in tourism with green and digital transformation”. What does this mean for the regions involved?
During the kick-off and official launch meetings, TOURBO partners took the opportunity to introduce their teams, stakeholders and the ecosystem characteristics that look to be included throughout the duration of the project cycle. As a group we reviewed the project elements and also the communication plan that has been planned. Partners in the TOURBO Project include:
- Seville Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation - Lead Partner (Spain)
- Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Vratsa (Bulgaria)
- Marche Region & NBSP (Italy)
- North Aegean Region (Greece)
- Experience Bremerhaven, Tourism, Marketing and Events Company (Germany)
- PORA Regional Development agency of Koprivnica Križevci County (Croatia)
- Donegal County Council (Ireland)
TOURBO offers an innovative approach to a crucial priority for the EU: Enabling Public Authorities and MSMEs to develop TWIN TRANSITION Strategies to stimulate economic development of the regions.
The Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, as well as digitalisation and climate change, have highlighted the importance of government resilience in the face of unexpected shocks and stresses and they have also demonstrated the transformative role of digital technologies in helping the public and private sectors solve urgent challenges and remain resilient during a crisis.
This project will identify and share innovative and best practices to improve the transition to "Industry 4.0" in tourism-related MSMEs (such as small accommodation operators, restaurants, small local craft businesses, small tourism service providers, etc.).
The use of digital approaches and new technology solutions can help accelerate European sustainability policies while creating more responsive, intelligent and inclusive local and regional governance strategies.
TOURBO will create a sustainable and progressive framework for the integration of a resilient tourism sector into local and regional policies, especially with the aim of the transition pathway of MSMEs by a quadruple-helix approach for a smart-green transformation.
As a network we greatly look forward to engaging with the tourism sector, to seek inspiration and fruitful inter-regional exchange. If you would like more information on the project you can go to the following media outlets.
Website: www.interregeurpe.eu/tourbo
Instagram: InterregEUTourbo
Facebook: @InterregTOURBO
Linkedin: Tourbo Interreg Europe
