Sustainable EU Tourism: Shaping the future through knowledge exchange and innovation

News provided by

Mar 24, 2025, 10:56 ET

The EU hosts a series of tourism stakeholder workshops

BRUSSELS, March 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable EU Tourism – Shaping the Tourism of Tomorrow project (2023-2025), funded by the European Union, is driving transformation in European tourism through a series of high-impact workshops. These sessions bring together EU destinations, tourism experts, and policymakers to develop innovative, resilient, and inclusive solutions. By fostering collaboration, exchanging best practices, and tackling shared challenges, the initiative is laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable tourism sector across Europe.

Upcoming workshop: Smart Solutions – Pathways to Sustainable Tourism

Building on the success of the first workshop, the Sustainable EU Tourism project invites tourism stakeholders to its second workshop on 26 March 2025, available online. This event will bring together leading destinations and tourism experts to explore how technology, data, and digital solutions can drive sustainability across EU destinations.

Smart Solutions – Pathways to Sustainable Tourism:

Register now to join the livestream of the workshop (free of charge).

26 March 2025 | 17:00 - 18:45 CET

Workshop Agenda:

17.00 – 17.10 | Introduction & presentation of the Sustainable EU Tourism project

17.10 – 17.20 | EU support for the tourism ecosystem, Andreea Staicu, European Commission, DG MOVE

17.20 – 17.30 | EU initiatives & tools for tourism development, Marlène Bartès, European Commission, DG MOVE)

17.30 – 18.00 | Sustainable EU Tourism Talk. The road ahead: Smart Solutions for a Sustainable Tourism with Misa Labarile, European Commission, DG MOVE & Dolores Ordóñez, ANYSOLUTION

18.00 – 18.30 | Panel session. Best practices unpacked: Challenges, achievements & main barriers with insights from Ljubljana, Andalucía, Benidorm, Dubrovnik & Bruges

18.30 – 18.45 | Conclusion & next steps

Key takeaways from the first workshop 'Widening Horizons: Diversifying Tourism for a Sustainable Tomorrow', (11-12 March 2025)

Held on 11-12 March 2025 at the European Commission's premises in Brussels, the first Sustainable EU Tourism workshop brought together 27 Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) from across Europe to explore tourism diversification as a strategy for resilience and sustainability. Discussions focused on accessibility, seasonality, and evolving consumer preferences. Highlights from the discussions included:

Tourism diversification as a tool to address key imbalances and enhance local communities' involvement.
Data-driven decision-making, with insights from destinations such as Malta, leveraging satellite and transactional data for improved tourism management.
Innovative approaches to accessibility, including Liepaja (Latvia) introducing tactile maps and accessible beach facilities, and Katerini (Greece) showcasing the power of stakeholder collaboration.
Seasonality solutions, with Saalfelden-Leogang (Austria) developing a year-round mountain bike park to attract off-season visitors.
Sustainability in practice, as demonstrated by Bled (Slovenia), where zero-waste initiatives and tourist engagement contribute to responsible tourism development.

Based on their common challenges, DMOs then came together to jointly develop action plans and innovative solutions. Five twinning groups explored key sustainability challenges, leading to concrete project ideas that foster cross-destination cooperation. One group focused on improving accessibility, proposing the creation of a Best Practice Lab to facilitate knowledge exchange, while two groups tackled changing consumer preferences by developing strategies to encourage responsible behaviour through gamification, incentives, and EU-wide awareness campaigns. Another two groups addressed seasonality by proposing tailored product development, strategic destination branding, and multi-sector cooperation to create year-round tourism opportunities. As a next step, DMOs will continue refining these solutions through dedicated webinars, deepening collaboration and ensuring the practical implementation of their ideas. Be part of the change—join the 26 March workshop!

About Sustainable EU Tourism – Shaping the Tourism of Tomorrow

The Sustainable EU Tourism project supports the EU's tourism priorities by promoting collaboration, sustainable practices, and resilience in the tourism sector. With over 200 participating destinations and extensive research, this initiative aims to transform European tourism, ensuring long-term benefits for both local communities and the environment.

Explore the Sustainable EU Tourism Best Practices Compilation

The results of a comprehensive 2024 survey, combined with desk research and interviews, have led to a valuable compilation of best practices, now available for download. This resource highlights innovative solutions from 50 EU destinations addressing critical issues such as water scarcity, waste management, and over-tourism.

One standout example is Benidorm (Spain), the 2025 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, which has implemented advanced water management strategies, among many other smart initiatives. These include separating rainwater and wastewater, composting sludge for agricultural use, and generating biogas from wastewater to produce electricity—an inspiring model for other destinations committed to sustainability.