VEDA participated in the first partner meeting on the TOURISMO project, which took place in Greece. It is funded by the Euro-MED Program 2021-2027, with a total budget of 2,980,995 euros. The project involves 10 partners and 16 associated organizations from seven European countries – Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria (AIR-Varna), Croatia, and Malta. The leading organization is the South Aegean Regional Development Agency – READ S.A., Greece.

During the event, the objectives and planned activities of the project were presented, as well as the main roles and commitments of the partners in its implementation. Each of them introduced the attendees to the pilot area they represent, the challenges and problems it faces, and possible solutions.

The main goal of TOURISMO is to transition to conscious and sustainable tourism through innovative approaches, involvement of various stakeholders, improvement of tourism services, and stronger engagement of end-users. The idea is to overcome these challenges by using innovative technologies that offer modern solutions and services for monitoring and managing tourist flows.

The project will focus on areas with a high concentration of tourists in seven pilot sites in the partner countries. By using data collected in various ways – thermal cameras, visitor counters, drones, etc. – the density, routes, behavior, and habits of tourists will be studied. Various locations will be selected for this purpose – UNESCO sites, ports, urban centers, beaches, cultural monuments, parks, etc.

The target groups that will benefit from the project’s results include local and regional public authorities, small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector, business support organizations, non-governmental organizations, tourist agencies, and others.

TOURISMO will run for 33 months, from January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2026.