EU Green Week is an annual opportunity dedicated to the EU environment policy. The ECO-CRUISING FU_TOUR had the great pleasure to be presented along with other EU co-funded projects such as EU WeMED_NaTOUR; EU DigiTOUR, EU ECO-TANDEM, DGI Tourism, and Guide Me Green. The projects are all striving to make the tourism industry a more sustainable sector, whether it is to improve digital competencies, green knowledge, or provide financial support and professional guidance.

EU ECO-CRUISING was promoted by the project manager Amal Muntaser to an audience that are mostly engaged in the tourism sector. The key of the event is to provide blue/green skills and knowledge, also the opportunities to boost the capacity. The keynote speakers are Ioannis Pappas from Green Evolution, Flavio Tagliabue from Startup Turismo, Patice Talaue from Green Destination, and Marika Mazzi Boém from X23.

So, a little throwback to the 7th of June…

The first keynote speaker Dr. Ioannis Pappas compared the threats from coastal tourism to different coastal tourism typologies cause; the creative relationship between the “tourism ecosystem”, Destination Managers, and Cruise Operators, and also highlighted the responsibility of Cruise tourism.

Amal Muntaser then took the floor and introduced the various projects that provide tourism SMEs opportunities of capacity building, financial support, and professional guidance! ECO-CRUISING FU_TOUR is one of the projects that provide a capacity building programme that aims to improve the blue economy and protect marine environments.

Besides the theoretical speeches, the interactive session was highly engaging and insightful. The key players in the tourism sector exchanged their experience and the most common obstacles they encountered when green transitioned their companies. The companies also brainstormed solutions.

After the interactive session, Flavio Tagliabue from Startup Turismo gave a speech focusing on Digital development in the tourism sector, giving a prime example by using AI technology to voice over, translating Italian to English in real-time. Afterwards, Patice Talaue from Green Destination talked about the green decisions enterprises are taking. There are barriers and gaps to going green. Education is one of the strongest bridges to the gap. The DGI Tourism was presented on how it is boosting sustainable thinking in vocational education and training in tourism.

Lastly, Marika Mazzi Boém, presented the creative thinking method: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. 

Talking about the innovative and efficient ways of creative and design thinking. Overpowering the conventional ways of problem-solving.