The event, "Shaping the Future of Sustainable and Competitive Tourism in Europe: Innovation and SMEs," was hosted by MEP Borja Giménez Larraz on 8 September 2026 in Brussels, bringing together policymakers, tourism organisations, businesses and SMEs to discuss the sector's future. Giménez Larraz framed tourism as an opportunity that needs careful management, balancing the needs of visitors and residents so tourism creates value for local communities, and stressed that better transport and digital connectivity in rural, island and peripheral regions can help keep those territories economically active. Discussions covered destination management, territorial cohesion, rural tourism, and the support tourism SMEs need to remain competitive through the green and digital transition, with contributions from MEPs, the European Committee of the Regions, Eurochambres, the European Travel Commission, SMEunited, and representatives from Airbnb and Booking.com.

The event also marked a milestone for FU-TOURISM itself, a three-year EU-funded project (Single Market Programme/COSME, around €4 million) supporting tourism SMEs' green and digital transition. Through its Acceleration Programme, the project selected 60 SMEs across Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Poland and Spain for financial support, mentoring, training and business advice.

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