Eco-Sustainable TouRism Investments to stimulate and promote the competitiveness and innovation of the Marine cross-border cooperation activities
In line with the EU's "Blue Growth" strategy, this project tackles the common challenges of the coastal and maritime tourism sector of the cooperation area. The project aims to improve the ability of operators to attract non-resident tourists to the Programme area. Its three specific objectives are as follows: - overcoming the fragmentation of the sector, which makes it difficult for operators to coordinate on a blue and green, cross-border and trans-regional growth strategy; - exploiting the potential of tourism, even out of season, based on innovation and sustainability; - making existing products more accessible for more competitive offers. EcoSTRIM will improve the general competitiveness of companies in the blue tourism sector on national and international markets, thanks to the coordination of the target groups towards a cross-border strategy of differentiation and promotion of innovative and sustainable offers for everyone. The direct or indirect beneficiaries will be the companies of the sector, including diving centres, whale-watching, fishing tourism, water sports and passenger transport. The project will also affect municipalities and provincial administrations as far as their environmental policies and tourism supply chain, managers of protected sites, environmental education associations, specialised sea protection research centres and local social growth. The keywords that describe the approach and innovative character of the project are ecotourism, e-tourism, accessibility for everyone, eco-sustainable accessibility, participation of operators in the development of a cross-border strategy, promotion and competitiveness. The project capitalises on and develops the good things done by the previous Programme to make joint action plans more effective.