It has a budget of €10 billion.

Under the Interreg Europe programme, the project activities are co-financed by the Interreg Fund at either 70% or 80% depending on the legal status of the project partner.

Public or public equivalent bodies have an 80% co-financing rate while private not for profit bodies have a 70% co-financing rate.

The remaining 30% or 20% co-financing must be provided by the partners themselves and it may come from the partners’ own budget or from other sources.

Public authorities

• National, regional, local public authorities;
• Other relevant bodies responsible for developing and/ or implementing regional development policies;
• Authorities responsible for developing and/ or implementing the Investment for jobs and growth programmes.

Organisations relevant for regional development policies

• Business support organisations (development agencies, innovation agencies, chambers of commerce, clusters, etc.);
• Environmental organisations (environmental agencies, energy agencies, NGOs, etc.);
• Education and research institutions (universities, research centres, etc.).

• Cross border, Turning Border Obstacles into Opportunities (64 programmes)

• EU Programmes: 49 programmes within the EU focus on turning border obstacles into opportunities between EU Member States;
• Interreg IPA: 10 programmes operate at the EU’s border with IPA countries, mainly supporting the EU’s enlargement policy;
• Interreg NEXT: 5 programmes are implemented at the EU’s external eastern and southern borders. Four cross-border programmes encourage cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova.

• Transnational, Supporting Larger Scale Initiatives (13 programmes)

• Continuation: 13 transnational cooperation programmes will continue in supporting large-scale cooperation activities in Europe and beyond;
• Direct Support: 4 of them (Interreg Baltic Sea Region, Interreg Danube Region, Interreg IPA Adrion, and Interreg Alpine Space programme) will directly back Macro Regional Strategies covering their respective geographical areas. 80% of their thematic concentration should align with a Macro Regional Strategy.

• Interregional, Enhancing Cohesion Policy Effectiveness (4 programmes)

• Outermost Regions, the recognition (5 regions)

Cooperation has to be at the heart of each project. In order to be eligible, projects must contribute to at least three out of the following four cooperation criteria.

• Joint development (compulsory) – i.e. partners have to be involved in an integrated way in developing ideas, priorities and actions in the project development process;
• Joint implementation (compulsory) – i.e. project activities must be carried out by partners in a cooperative way that ensures clear content-based links and be coordinated by the lead partner;
• Joint financing (compulsory) – i.e. the joint project budget shall be organised in line with activities carried out by each project partner. The LP is responsible for the administration and reporting towards the programme bodies as well as the distribution of the funds to the partners;
• Joint staffing – i.e. the project should not duplicate functions within the partnership. In particular, project management functions should be appointed only once at project level.

Within the Interreg program, there is a project called MONA dedicated to tourism in nature areas in North-West Europe (NWE). Thus, MONA will stimulate sustainable tourism in and around nature areas in NWE, which benefits nature, the environment, visitors, and the local economy.

MONA will do so by encouraging a modal shift through facilitating sustainable transport modes, providing inclusive routing to and within nature areas, and nudging visitors and stakeholders towards more sustainable behavior. These are the key solutions to manage visitor flows, reduce negative impacts, and stimulate inclusive access.

8 nature areas and 3 knowledge & dissemination partners work together to:

• Assess the impact of visitors & mobility on nature areas and develop strategies to reduce this impact;
• Jointly pilot solutions on the modal shift, routing, and nudging;
• Provide capacity building for stakeholders across NWE Nature areas, destination marketing organizations, tourism & mobility service providers, local and regional authorities and (potential) visitors of nature areas all benefit from the strategies and solutions for, and revenues of, sustainable tourism.

MONA develops and promotes a mindset around sustainable tourism, which is balanced, inclusive, and socially and environmentally sustainable. This is made possible by the project’s multidisciplinary approach, for which the transnational partnership and expertise is essential.

N/A

• Interregional cooperation projects
• Policy Learning Platform

It provides targeted support to help mobilise around €55 billion over the period 2021-2027: €19.2 billion in current prices, is expected to mobilise around EUR €25.4 billion in investments.

N/A

People and citizens, most vulnerable to the transition.
The Just Transition Mechanism will protect them by:
• Facilitating employment opportunities in new sectors and those in transition;
• Offering re-skilling opportunities;
• Improving energy-efficient housing;
• Investing to fight energy poverty;
• Facilitating access to clean, affordable and secure energy.

Companies and sectors, active in or comprising carbon-intensive industries.
The Just Transition Mechanism will protect them by:
• Supporting the transition to low-carbon technologies and economic diversification; based on climate-resilient investments and jobs;
• Creating attractive conditions for public and private investors;
• Providing easier access to loans and financial support;
• Investing in the creation of new firms, smes and start-ups;
• Investing in research and innovation activities.

Member States and regions, with high dependence on fossil fuel and carbon-intensive industries.
The Just Transition Mechanism will protect them by:
• Supporting the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient activities;
• Creating new jobs in the green economy;
• Investing in public and sustainable transport;
• Providing technical assistance;
• Investing in renewable energy sources;
• Improving digital connectivity;
• Providing affordable loans to local public authorities;
• Improving energy infrastructure, district heating and transportation networks.

To be eligible for JTF funding, investments in the following activities and themes must be supported:

• Retraining of workers and inclusion of jobseekers;
• SMEs and the creation of new businesses that diversify the economy of a territory;
• Renewable energies and energy efficiency of buildings;
• Renovation and modernisation of district heating networks;
• Clean mobility;
• Digital technology;
• Circular economy, including waste management.

The scope of support includes, inter alia:

• Investments in microenterprises;
• Sustainable tourism, sustainable transport;
• Digital innovation;
• Training workers and jobseekers.

All investments contribute to the achievement of the objectives detailed in the Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs). In addition, the supported activities focus on internal economic growth in key sectors in relation to the affected smart specialisation strategies.

The Just Transition Fund aims to reduce the social and economic costs resulting from the transition to an EU climate-neutral economy by supporting a diversification of economic activity, creating new business opportunities and helping people adapt in a changing labour market. To tourism SMEs, the fund can provide investments in fixed capital or immaterial assets.

Not yet available.

• Just Transition funding sources
• Regulation on the JTF

The InvestEU guarantee amounts to €26.2 billion, with provisioning from the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Next Generation EU resources. The overall investment to be mobilised on this basis is estimated at more than €372 billion.

The funding amounts can vary depending on the specific type of project and the activities involved.

Implementing partners can also provide financing directly to final recipients (e.g. businesses, NGOs, etc.) or indirectly through private or public financial intermediaries who can then provide support to the final recipients.

Different financial intermediaries and final beneficiaries will be targeted according to the policy windows and depending on the criteria set to the different financial instruments designed by the implementing partners.

Financial intermediaries or implementing partners of the InvestEU must invest in project promoters that are natural or legal persons established in an EU country or in eligible third countries (depends on the agreement they have with the EU to access funding programmes), including:

• Private entities;
• Public-sector entities and public-sector type entities;
• Mixed entities, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and private companies with a public purpose;
• Non-profit organisations.

The programme aims to contribute to key EU policy objectives, such as supporting sustainable recovery, innovation and job creation in the European Union. For this reason, the InvestEU Fund targets investments in four different policy windows: social investment and skills; sustainable infrastructure; research, innovation and digitisation; and small and medium-sized enterprises.  

Particularly of interest to social investors is the “social investment and skills window”, with a budget of €2.8 billion of the EU guarantee. This window aims to deliver on the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights by supporting:

• Microfinance and social enterprises;
• Social impact and innovation;
• Education, training and skills;
• Social infrastructure and services (including health and educational infrastructure, and social and student housing).

The InvestEU eligibility criteria is defined in the InvestEU regulation and in the investment guidelines.

Moreover, valid investment projects under InvestEU must:

• Address market failures or investment gaps; 
• Need EU backing in order to get off the ground;
• Projects must be economically viable;
• Achieve a multiplier effect and where possible crowd-in private investment;
• Help meet EU policy objectives. 

The tourism sector came under unprecedented pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact was especially challenging for SMEs and family businesses. The InvestEU programme promotes investments to strengthen tourism’s competitiveness, sustainability, and value chains. It facilitates sustainable, innovative and digital measures which could help reduce the sector’s climate and environmental footprint.

• Project Title: Argentina Residenza (loan from the Banca del Mezzogiorno – MedioCredito Centrale, Italy)

Hospitality Sector

As part of a recent renovation of the Argentina Residenza Style Hotel, EU funding contributed to the construction of a new wing. A multi-purpose room was built to both act as a lounge and for breakfast to be served. New multimedia and hardware were also installed there. In addition, and 3 new suites with circular whirlpool baths were added. These renovations even created jobs, as the team expanded with five new employees.

EU contribution: N/A (loan)

• Project Title: Il Mondo di Bua (loan from the Banca del Mezzogiorno, Italy)

Food and Drink 

The owner of the restaurant Il Mondo di Bua decided to restructure the building’s electrical, hydraulic and heating infrastructure, as energy consumption was the largest expense. With EU funding, Il Mondo di Bua replaced the traditional lamps with LED lighting, installed a photovoltaic system (solar cells) for electricity, and introduced a more energy-efficient oven and multi-fuel boiler. These changes allowed for higher energy and environmental efficiency. The company now saves approximately €60,000 in energy costs and 34,000 kg in CO² emissions per year.

EU contribution: N/A (loan)

• More information on InvestEU
• What is the InvestEU Programme?
• FAQ
• How to get financing
• Find your local funding intermediary via the map

Horizon Europe has a budget of around €95.5 billion for 2021-27 (in current prices). This includes €5.4 billion from NextGenerationEU to boost the economic recovery and make the EU more resilient for the future, as well as an additional reinforcement of €4 billion.

The funding amounts can vary depending on the specific type of project and the activities involved.

For Horizon Europe Cluster “Culture, creativity and inclusive society”:

• Universities and research institutes; 
• Local, regional and national public administrations; 
• Museums, cultural institutions and the cultural tourism industry; 
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the field of digital technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality; 
• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the field of migration and radicalization.

For Horizon Europe Cluster “Civil security for society”:

• Universities and research institutes, especially in the areas of cybersecurity, security R&I, information and communication technologies, Artificial Intelligence, social sciences and humanities; 
• Industry and SMEs in the fields of cybersecurity, security R&I, ICT, Artificial Intelligence; 
• European standardisation organisations; 
• Ministries, national & local authorities; 
• Law enforcement agencies, border and custom authorities, crisis management security authorities, civil protection authorities; 
• Emergency services, hospital, medical centres; 
• First responders NGOs; 
• Critical infrastructure. 

For Horizon Europe Cluster “Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment”:

• Universities and research institutes;  
• Civil society organisations including NGOs and consumer associations;  
• Public administration including legislators and implementing authorities;  
• Industry and SMEs;  
• End-users, including but not limited to farmers, foresters, advisors, municipalities, water utilities, citizens’ associations, professional associations.  

For Horizon Europe “Reforming European R&I”: 

• Universities, research centres; 
• NGOs, governmental organisations, civilian volunteer organisations, civil society organisations; 
• Citizens associations. 

Horizon Europe activities include:

• Fueling the EU’s scientific and technological excellence through the European Research Council; funding fellowships and researchers’ mobility;
• Supporting world-class research infrastructures;
• Tackling our biggest societal challenges, including the green and digital transitions and the sustainable development goals;
• Supporting policymaking with independent scientific evidence and technical support;
• Boosting the EU’s innovation uptake, competitiveness and jobs through the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Within cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society – research and innovation activities are offered to meet the EU’s goals and priorities for enhancing democratic governance and citizen participation. Safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage, and responding to and shaping social, economic, technological and cultural transformations are also conducted.

Developing new approaches, concepts and practices for sustainable, accessible and inclusive cultural tourism are among the research activities planned for this cluster. These opportunities will continue. Those already provided through the previous framework programme Horizon 2020 will be further developed.

Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness – supports research on societal challenges and reinforces technological and industrial capacities through clusters. It sets EU missions with ambitious goals tackling some of our biggest problems. Pillar 2 also includes activities pursued by the Joint Research Centre, which supports EU and national policymakers with independent scientific evidence and technical support.

• Project Title: SmartCulTour

Sustainable cultural tourism policies can significantly support the development of European regions. Cultural tourism, especially in rural areas as well as urban peripheries, can emerge as a factor of economic growth.

The EU-funded SmartCulTour project (Smart Cultural Tourism as a Driver of Sustainable Development of European Regions) intends to redefine the concept of cultural tourism. The objective is to provide European regions with strategies to engage stakeholders in co-creating smart cultural tourism practices.

Running from 2020 until 2023, the project will develop a decision support system to extensively monitor the target regions, combining traditional and non-traditional data sources. Inclusive desk research will determine which sustainable cultural tourism policies could have a positive impact. Proposals for local projects will then be made.  Each project will then be tested in six living labs.

EU contribution: €2,980,000.50

• Project Title: TExTOUR

TExTOUR (social innovation and TEchnologies for sustainable growth through participative cultural TOURism) (brings together 18 experts, entrepreneurs and partners from business, civil society and government to co-design, validate and upscale policies and strategies to boost socio-economic territorial development through cultural tourism.

TExTOUR uses ICT and social innovation tools to work with 8 cultural tourism pilot projects in lesser known areas. They collaborate to design methodologies for developing cultural tourism (CT) strategies in these areas.

Each pilot sets up lab communities, composed of a wide range of stakeholders who bring their own skillset to help develop CT. Stakeholders are guided through in CT labs on how to implement, monitor and secure approval of ad hoc strategies for cultural tourism.

The project started in 2020 and will run until 2024. It develops procedures, services and tools and carries out proposed activities. The results of these activities are then used to prepare a modular and scalable EU action plan for developing cultural tourism.

In parallel, a technological platform has been designed and tested to assess CT policies and strategies envisaged by public and private stakeholders. It provides data analytics-as-a-service, as well as other assessment services. Content curation and validation processes are also built in.

EU contribution: €3,950,468.75

• Project Title: Crosscult

CrossCult (empowering the reuse of digital cultural heritage in context-aware crosscuts of European history) aims to boost the development of new businesses by using digital cultural assets to reinterpret European history.

This project created cross-border perspectives by connecting digital historical resources and creating new ones through public participation. CrossCult brought together computer scientists, researchers in the humanities, historians, and private companies from seven European countries.

EU contribution: €3,503,358 (2016-19)

• Project Title: POLARIS

Siberia, Lapland, Patagonia and regions with similar features are destined to experience changes due to global warming and globalisation. Their fragile ecosystems could be easily damaged by mass tourism and an uncontrolled development strategy.

This project provided an analysis of how to protect and promote territories and heritage. It also provided training for local officials and postgraduate degrees on tourism, geography and policies. These initiatives aimed to improve know-how and promote practices on how to make use of this heritage in a sustainable way.

EU contribution: €327,900 (2013-17)

• Horizon Europe website 
• Find calls for proposals 
• Research and innovation – legal texts

The ESF+ has a total budget of over €99 billion.

N/A

The intended audience comprises social investors, EU public and private organisations, non-governmental organisations, EU citizens, young people, children, and people from vulnerable groups.

Grants, procurements and financial instruments.

1. Further support youth employment: The tourism ecosystem employs a higher share of young people compared to the overall economy. Young people in or entering the labour market have been disproportionately hit by the crisis. EU countries with a large number of people aged 15 – 29 that are not in employment, education or training should invest at least 12.5% of their ESF+ resources in this key area. All other EU countries must allocate an appropriate amount of their ESF+ resources to targeted actions to support youth employment measures.
2. Accompany the green and digital transitions: The ESF+ makes a strong contribution to the green and digital transitions by driving investment in jobs and skilling opportunities so that workers can thrive in a climate-neutral, more digital and inclusive society.

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is a key financial programme for investing in people. It provides much-needed resources to EU countries to help societies and economies recover after the coronavirus crisis. The ESF+ finances the implementation of the principles from the European Pillar of Social Rights.

• Project Title: Duaal Traject Grootkeuken & Catering / Dual learning industrial kitchen and catering

This project fits into a larger framework of an experiment in dual learning development and could be implemented in various sectors. The main goal is to professionalise the hotel and food service sector, and strengthen cooperation between education and the hospitality sector.

EU contribution: €60,000

• Project Title: Digital Leadership Culture

The pandemic has had a significant impact on Danish tourism. After the lockdown ended and restrictions were eased, visitors returned – but in far fewer numbers, and with new habits, needs and expectations. This project aims to strengthen the digital competences of managers and key employees in 420 Danish SMEs. With this new expertise, businesses will be better able to safeguard their long-term survival.

EU contribution: €5,083,722

• Home | European Social Fund Plus (europa.eu)
• Cohesion Open Data Platform
• ESF+ on Funding & tender opportunities
• Find calls for proposals

The total budget for 2021-2027 is €6.108 billion.

The maximum co-financing rate is 70%, with the exception of 100% for compensation in the outermost regions to cover additional costs.

In particular the small coastal fishing enterprise.

The EMFAF supports innovative projects that contribute to the sustainable exploitation and management of aquatic and maritime resources.

In particular, it facilitates:

• The transition to sustainable and low-carbon fishing;
• The protection of marine biodiversity and ecosystems;
• The supply of quality and healthy seafood to European consumers;
• The socio-economic attractiveness and the generational renewal of the fishing sector, in particular as regards small-scale coastal fisheries;
• The development of a sustainable and competitive aquaculture contributing to food security;
• The improvement of skills and working conditions in the fishing and aquaculture sectors;
• The economic and social vitality of coastal communities;
• Innovation in the sustainable blue economy;
• Maritime security towards a safe maritime space;
• International cooperation towards healthy, safe and sustainably managed oceans.

One of the fund’s priorities focuses on enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas. The EMFAF also aims to foster the development of fishing and aquaculture communities.

These priorities are the most relevant for the tourism ecosystem, as they support community-led local development and could cover projects such as eco and pesca-tourism, local gastronomy in fish and seafood restaurants, accommodation, tourist trails and diving. The EMFAF also supports local partnerships in coastal tourism.

This fund supports actions and investments to protect aquatic biodiversity and to sustainable and low-impact fishing and aquaculture activities. It also:

• Promotes the supply of quality and healthy seafood products for European consumers;
• Supports the development of a sustainable blue economy in coastal communities;
• Contributes to maritime surveillance and international cooperation on ocean governance.

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) co-finances projects alongside national funding streams. Each EU country receives a share of the total budget in relation to the size of its fishing industry. In accordance with the rules of this fund, EU countries draw up their national programmes, specifying how they intend to spend the money depending on their needs. The relevance of EMFAF to the tourism ecosystem might therefore differ from one EU country to the other.

• Project Title: North East Meltemi

Meltemi is a project financed under the “Nautical Routes for Europe” call. The objective of the MELTEMI project was to bring together Greek and Turkish Aegean coastlines that were less known or less accessible. To help local economies, the project strived to promote those islands, their communities of artisans, their gastronomical tradition, unique cultures and beaches created for sailing, surfing and kiteboarding. MELTEMI also organised beach clean-ups and published recommendations on how to adapt sailing tours for people with disabilities to make sure historical and natural treasure are accessible to all.

EU contribution: €284,900 

• Project Title: Mar das Illas

The project helps new start-up businesses that give fishers’ earnings a boost, while also ensuring the continuity of traditional fishing practices and diversification into pesca-tourism. Mar das Illas also tried to increase the visibility and local awareness of the natural environment and its conservation.

EU contribution: €85,229 

• Project Title: Discovery of shellfish farming in the Pays d’Auray

The Pays d’Auray has been shaped by fishing and shellfish farming. These sectors are influenced by residential demand. As a result, a private-public partnership was created to develop a targeted tourism offer for the discovery of fishing and shellfish farming. For instance, visits to shellfish farming sites were organised.

• Programme website
• EMFAF on Funding & tenders
• Find calls for proposals
• Open data platform
• Cohesion Open Data Platform
• EMFAF programmes per country
• Regulation on the EMFAF

The EGF has an annual budget of €210 million for 2021-2027. It can fund from 60% to 85% of the cost of projects designed to help workers made redundant find another job or set up their own businesses.

It can fund from 60% to 85% of the cost of projects designed to help workers made redundant find another job or set up their own businesses.

Individual workers made redundant can benefit from EGF projects. This includes self-employed, temporary and fixed-term workers.

The EGF does not provide support to help companies stay in business, modernise or restructure.

The EGF adds to existing job market assistance services by providing personalised measures for the unemployed.

The EGF can co-finance measures such as:

• Help with looking for a job;
• Career advice;
• Education, training and re-training;
• Mentoring and coaching;
• Entrepreneurship and business creation.

It can also provide training or subsistence allowances or similar support, including allowances for careers, mobility and relocation allowances, and employers’ recruitment incentives.

The EGF does not co-finance social protection measures such as pensions or unemployment benefits.

The EGF has no tourism specific component. However, it is open to various sectors and can support workers dismissed by tourism businesses or self-employed individuals (previously) active in the tourism industry. It does so through supporting measures that help train displaced workers, upgrade their skills, or help them start businesses.

Moreover, it can support measures in tourism, such as vocational training courses for displaced workers according to their needs, apprenticeships to learn new professional skills and practical knowledge directly on-the-job, and business start-up subsidies with follow-up support.

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), launched in 2007, helps people find new jobs through further education or training or helps them start their own business. Originally created to support workers who lost their jobs because of large-scale restructuring triggered by systemic globalisation changes, its scope was broadened over the years.

The EGF now helps workers let go during larger scale restructuring events, no matter the cause. At the request of the EU country concerned, the EGF co-finances job search support, career advice, further training, retraining, coaching and entrepreneurship, and to a certain extent, allowances that enable participants to take part in the measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put tourism-dependent businesses across the EU in an unprecedented situation. The EGF can help workers and self-employed people in European countries who lost their job.

• Project: EGF/2014/003 ES Aragon

The crisis severely affected employment in the region of Aragón, Spain. The unemployment rate in the region has increased rapidly. The food and beverage service sector was traditionally considered a safety net at times of scarce employment, as jobs in the food and beverage sector were easy to find, mainly since these jobs have demanding work schedules that are difficult to reconcile with family life.

Yet, even the food and drink service sector suffered because of the financial and economic crisis, resulting in redundancies that harmed the regional economy. Given the relevance of tourism-related food and beverage activities in Spain, the EGF’s impact on the beneficiaries was considered sustainable since staff could probably be re-hired to a certain degree.

EU contribution: €960,000

• Project: EGF/2014/018 EL Attica Broadcasting

Intensive counselling helped several people pivot to fields outside of journalism and broadcasting. Since this sector is in serious decline in the Attica region of Greece, many people were willing to change careers and participate in marketing, tourism activities, cooking, cosmetics, or other training.

One of the measures for the tourism sector covered by this fund was training, retraining and vocational training. It consists of vocational training courses for workers that fit their needs, identified during occupational consultancy, in areas and sectors with development prospects corresponding to labour market needs. The two types of training are offered either as continuous vocational programmes or specialised training or educational programmes.

EU contribution: €5,046,000

• Project: EGF/2020/002 EE/Estonia Tourism

The mass redundancies in the Estonian tourism industry affected all of industry and the national economy. Tourism contributes to national economic growth and competitiveness and is an important source of employment. As the redundancies happened during the same timeline and involved workers with similar backgrounds in highly intertwined sectors that all fall under tourism, addressing them with one EGF application reduces administrative burden and leverages cooperation.

EU contribution: €4,474,480

• European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers
• How to apply