Together for a More Sustainable Future of Tourism: Focus on Youth and Tourism Resilience to Climate Change
The meeting of the Thematic Steering Group for Pillar 4 – Sustainable Tourism, under the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), was held virtually on 11 April 2025 and brought together representatives from member states, the European Commission, and regional stakeholders to jointly shape a more sustainable future for tourism in the macro-region.
Held in the lead up to the milestone 10th EUSAIR Forum in Greece, the meeting focused on strengthening climate-resilient and sustainable tourism models and on preparing projects for funding under the second call of the IPA ADRION programme, launched on 15 April 2025.
A total of EUR 21.87 million is available under the Interreg IPA ADRION programme. Key focus areas include innovation, environmental protection, climate change, and the promotion of carbon-neutral mobility in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
It was agreed that following the EUSAIR Forum in May, TSG4 members will start to work on developing new flagship projects and thematic studies.
Representative of the European Commission presented operational conclusions from the latest EUSAIR Governing Board meeting and informed about the revised EUSAIR Action Plan, which is expected to be adopted in April 2025 and officially presented during the annual Forum in Greece.
Adnan Solak, the Youth Council member responsible for Pillar 4 of the Strategy, presented the work and engagement opportunities of the Youth Council. Slovenia and Montenegro shared examples of projects related to cultural heritage, tourism digitalisation, and hotel energy efficiency.
Three strategic EUSAIR projects: FACILITYPOINT, StEP, and SP4EUSAIR, designed to support the Strategy’s implementation, presented their activities. Representative of Pillar 4 from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport shared the outcomes of the workshop Accelerating Climate Change Adaptation in the Adriatic-Ionian Region, held on Corfu on 8–9 April 2025.
The 10th Annual EUSAIR Forum, scheduled for 6–7 May 2025 in Crete, Greece, was officially announced. This year’s theme of Pillar 4’s session is Cultural Tourism and the Mediterranean Diet as a Tool for Local Sustainable Development.
The next, 26th meeting of TSG4 will be held in late October or early November 2025.
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