We are excited to announce the release of our report on the exploitation of the project results generated through the TOURBAN project in our 7 partner countries.
This is a significant and final milestone of our project, which concludes on the work undertaken in the last 3 years together with 8 project partners, 60 tourism Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) who have implemented sustainability initiatives in their businesses and over 40 mentors.
The TOURBAN project, a groundbreaking initiative, aimed to revolutionize tourism sustainability in urban areas across Europe by harnessing the potential of SMEs. With a vision to adopt best practices and innovative solutions, TOURBAN empowered SMEs to become both more sustainable and competitive.
In collaboration with local stakeholders, the report meticulously maps the challenges faced by urban tourism SMEs in the seven pilot cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Kiel, Budapest, and Tallinn. By identifying these challenges and understanding the unique contextual situations of each city, TOURBAN endeavours to pave the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for urban tourism.
As the final deliverable of the TOURBAN project, this report serves a crucial purpose in closing the loop and connecting the project’s outcomes with the initial sustainability challenges identified in early 2021. It not only showcases how each city benefits from the innovative solutions developed by TOURBAN in SMEs but also demonstrates the cities’ commitment to sustainability through the uptake of these solutions.
To achieve this, the report follows a structured approach:
- Recap of Major Challenges: Each city’s report begins by revisiting the major challenges identified at the project’s inception in 2021. The findings are drawn from the comprehensive “Report of Urban Tourism Challenges in the Partner Cities,” including insights from focus groups conducted in February/March 2021. In some cases, we have included the main SME challenges to ensure a comprehensive link with all TOURBAN projects.
- Coping with Challenges: The responsible partner in each city reflects on how TOURBAN SMEs tackled the identified challenges. The report presents a detailed list of all projects per city, highlighting how they successfully addressed the identified obstacles.
- Exploitation of Project Results: The third step intertwines the previous two, depicting how the project results have been and will be exploited in each city. Through in-depth interviews with city tourism stakeholders, we have gathered valuable insights into how TOURBAN contributed to sustainable tourism development. Furthermore, the interviews explore future plans for tackling challenges, ensuring a sustainable approach for years to come.
The TOURBAN PLEDGE:
The report concludes with a compelling summary, intertwining the findings from each city’s exploitation plan. We present the TOURBAN PLEDGE, a joint commitment from all project partners to build on TOURBAN’s learnings and drive lasting positive change for the future.
As we unveil this report, we celebrate the remarkable journey of TOURBAN and the profound impact it will have on urban tourism sustainability. Our mission to create a greener, more sustainable future for European cities continues, and we are excited to share these invaluable insights with the world. Let’s take tourism sustainability to new heights together!
Find the full report in our library!