The ECOTOURS initiative—officially titled Empowering local communities turning them into laboratories for co-development of circular and sustainable tourism ecosystems—is an innovative EU project funded by EISMEA SMP-COSME-2021-TOURSME. The project began on January 1, 2023, and ran through June 30, 2025.
Objectives
ECOTOURS addresses economic decline in rural and coastal EU regions by transforming them into hubs of circular, green, and sustainable tourism. It seeks to:
- Strengthen the capacity of tourism SMEs and community ecosystems.
- Foster collaboration among local stakeholders and support systems.
- Boost competitiveness, environmental performance, and economic resilience via circular tourism
What the Project Delivers
ECOTOURS provides a comprehensive toolkit for tourism stakeholders:
- Capacity-building program featuring peer-to-peer learning and shared best practices.
- A multidisciplinary support system for SMEs and communities.
- Open Educational Resources (OERs) on circular tourism, business development, and sustainability.
- Design of six integrated circular tourism itineraries in partner regions.
- A marketing strategy to promote circular cultural tourism.
- A dashboard with impact metrics covering economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
Countries & Partners
Partner communities include:
- Italy (Sicily: Enna, Agrigento, Trapani)
- Greece (Western Macedonia)
- France (Corsica, Bastia)
- Hungary (Csongrád County, Szeged)
- Spain (Galicia, Vigo)
- Cyprus (Nicosia)
The consortium is coordinated by PRISM Impresa Sociale (Italy), in collaboration with regional partners and universities across Europe.
Key Results So Far
- Nearly 100 tourism SMEs adopted circular principles and sustainability standards.
- Increased collaboration across tourism sectors and community ecosystems.
- SME training sessions on circularity and green certifications like Ecolabel and Biosphere.
- Launch of an Innovation Contest, digital itineraries platform, and peer-learning visits to Greece, Hungary, Corsica, and Hungary.
Project Highlights
- Final meeting in Kozani (April 8–10, 2025): partners shared results and launched a digital platform for personalized circular itineraries, visitor feedback, and eco-badges.
- Brussels event (May 28, 2025): hosted jointly with the TRACE project, it showcased tools, micro-credentials, and formed the foundation for a permanent Circular & Community-Based Tourism Innovation Association.
In summary
ECOTOURS supports sustainable travel by:
- Building SME resilience through circular economy tools and certifications.
- Energizing once-declining destinations with sustainable tourism models.
- Facilitating multi-stakeholder governance and EU-wide networking.
- Pioneering scalable, community-led tourism driven by eco-friendly principles.
Learn more and explore their resources at ecotours-project.eu.