On February 8 2022, the fifth SUSTOURISMO project meeting took place online due to Covid-19 restrictions. The meeting was the occasion for discussing the progress of project’s activities, focusing in particular on i) the presentation and analysis of the first data collected during the 2021 testing period in the ten pilot areas and on ii) ongoing strategic activities focussing on disseminated the main SUSTOURISMO lessons learnt. These analyses were the basis for defining how to improve and further promote the SUSTOURISMO tourist packages during the 2022 touristic season.

Dr Maria Morfoulaki, head of the Sustainable Mobility Laboratory of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas/Hellenic Institute of Transport (CERTH/HIT), welcomed all the participants and introduced the technical session and the main goals of the meeting. In particular, she focussed on the relation among the several different ongoing project’s activities and underlined the importance of a intensifying efforts in order to reach the ambitious SUSTOURISMO objectives. This first session, with the participation of the ADRION JS, ended with the project’s management presentation.
After the introductory and management parts, the technical activities started with the presentation of CERTH/HIT on the work package dedicated to stakeholder involvement and tourists’ needs mapping activities. This technical session was mainly dedicated on the update on the different Memorandum of Understandings signed in each pilot area in order to support the full implementation and promotion of the local SUSTOURISMO tourist packages. The support received since now is very large, involving both public authorities, private companies and touristic associations; a fundamental support for a fruitful collaboration on promoting new sustainable touristic solutions in the ADRION area. All these Memorandum of Understandings will be mapped and presented in a dedicated report.
Following the SUSTOURISMO Memorandum of Understandings presentation, the second part of the meeting was dedicated to the SUSTOURISMO App monitoring activities. The Institute of Transport and Logistics Foundation (ITL) presented the preliminary data collected through the SUSTOURISMO App during the 2021. In particular ITL focussed on the assessment of the KPIs related to the SUSTOURISMO App on the App stores (IOS and Android). This assessment allowed to collect data on the number of downloads/users. The preliminary data presented showed as the App was downloaded and installed several times. The most important indicator showed as in December 2021, 282 users registered to the SUSTOURISMO App and 154 tourist packages were activated at least one time. This is a good starting point while efforts should be strengthened in 2022 in all the pilot areas to reach the ambitious project’s objectives. The following presentation was presented by Prometni institut Ljubljana (PIL) and it focussed on criteria and related indicators regarding the app’s functionality such as reliability, responsiveness, effectiveness, the rewards’ system developed effectiveness, the effectiveness of cooperation schemes developed, the tourists’ level of participation, and gaps occurred, etc.

The third part of the meeting was dedicated on the different activities focussing on the preparation of a Roadmap for smart & sustainable tourism in the ADRION area based on the main SUSTOURISMO lessons learnt. As presented by CERTH/HIT, based on the SUSTOURISMO interventions the partners will build the strategy that should be followed beyond the duration of the project in order to pave the way to sustainable tourism in the ADRION region. In order to reach this objective, specific events will be organized in the following months. In particular ITL is working on the organization of the third local Round Tables session and CEI-ES is working on another capacity building webinar to be held within 2022. Potential merging of events (back – to – back events) was also discussed. Finally PIL presented the preliminary work related to SUSTOURISMO App effective business plan development. The focus will be on driving forces, marketing potential, as well as the actions that should be taken by interested businesses for the successful adoption of the SUSTOURISMO initiatives (app and touristic packages).
The final part of the meeting was coordinated by the Central European Initiative – Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) and it focussed on the presentation of the progress of the communication activities.
Follow SUSTOURISMO social media (Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook) to stay updated with all project’s news and activities, as well as with the innovative ideas on how to promote sustainable tourism and mobility in your territories!

This announcement has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The content of the announcement is the sole responsibility of SUSTOURISMO PP3 (Institute for Transport and Logistics) and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union and/or ADRION programme authorities.