On 12 & 13 March in Sofia, Bulgaria, the final event of DIGITOUR project gathered tourism & digital experts from 11 European countries to mark the end of the project and disseminate its results and outcomes, lessons learned throughout the project execution, as well as to discuss the potential for future collaboration and expansion of the activities and networks created.
During the first day (12 March), a retrospective of the project was made, emphasizing on the studies and analyses made in the scope of digital readyness of the tourism sector, as well as was reminded about all collected resources and materials that can be widely used. A very practical moments from the overall process of working with beneficiaries (tourism SMEs) were openly shared, where the audience heard the views of all involved – consortium partners and SMEs.
To remind, the main goal of the Project was to support the development of the tourism industry through digital tools and innovation, following two voucher schemes (Voucher 1 and Voucher 2).
What have been achieved during the project execution (nearly 30 months):
- 166 tourism SMEs participated in the Call for Proposals
- 759,32 € budget was spent to support Tourism SMEs
- 140 tourism SMEs from 14 countries were financially supported
- 105 projects on digital innovation were successfully implemented
- 20 Voucher II projects (collaborative vouchers) were supported
- 5 cross-border projects
- 85 Voucher 1 projects were supported
- 280 digital providers participated in the Open Call
- 28 national and international events were held to mobiles SMEs and inform about project activities
- 68 training courses and tools have been mapped and now available to wide audience
- 10 local and European/ international networks reached
- 5482 + participants registered at the events, organised in the frame of the project
- 9 public private partnerships established
Day 2 (13 March) was organised in the frame of Holiday & Spa Expo, where attendees had a chance to:
- Promote their organisations and brands at DIGITOUR Networking zone and
- Demonstrate the services and tools developed under Voucher 1 & Voucher 2 schemes. The success stories from Bulgaria, Italy and Serbia were presented on the stage and inspired for future collaboration.
In the frame of the conference programme, Mr. Alan Vella, Project Adviser (also of DIGITOUR), from the European Commission – European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), presented “EISMEA Support to the digital and green transition of Tourism SMEs”, and Svetlana Borisova, expert International Cooperation, Europe Direct Vratsa at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa, outlined the European Programs and Funding Opportunities in Tourism and Creative Industries.
With no doubt, the final event of DIGITOUR project, turned to be a platform for:
- Networking with international tourism professionals and audience
- Hearing practical tips how to strengthen brand identity and online presence
- Learning and getting access to latest digital trends (Chat bots and AI)
- Exchanging and sharing knowledge and experience with peers
- Being inspirate from the best stories and realised projects
- Presenting organisations, products, and offerings at DIGITOUR networking zone in the frame of Holiday & Spa Expo.
- Learning about available EU financial instruments in the tourism sector
- Knowing the capital of Bulgaria – Sofia!
All presented materials in the frame of the event are available online through the following link: https://digitour-project.eu/final-event-2024/#agenda-and-presentations
More information about DIGITOUR project, open resources, and Consortium partners, could be found through the link: https://digitour-project.eu/
DIGITOUR project (101038133)” is funded through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), entrusted by the European Commission, under the COSME Programme COS-TOURINN-2020-3-04.
