The EduTourism project—“Showcasing Educational Tourism for the Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Heritage”—was implemented from June 2021 to May 2023. Its primary aim was to develop a comprehensive educational tourism product for young people aged 16 to 25, fostering connections between Crete and Cyprus through shared historical, cultural, and environmental narratives.

This initiative formed part of the Interreg V-A Greece–Cyprus 2014–2020 Cooperation Programme, co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of Greece and Cyprus. The project focused on the strategic planning of educational tourism routes, highlighting specific sites in both countries that reflect common cultural and environmental characteristics.

Key outcomes of the project included:

• A 20% increase in tourist arrivals in the targeted areas
• An extension of the tourist season by at least 30 days
• The creation of new jobs driven by increased tourism and the ongoing development and maintenance of project outputs

These results were achieved through various actions, such as:

• The development of an integrated educational tourism programme
• The launch of an online platform and mobile application
• The implementation of educational activities designed to engage young travellers.

#Educational tourism #Cultural preservation #Cross-regional cooperation #Sustainable travel #Community engagement