Press ReleaseEuropean tourism SMEs showcase innovative solutions at the FU-TOURISM 5.0 Demo Day
Press Release

European tourism SMEs showcase innovative solutions at the FU-TOURISM 5.0 Demo Day

  • The event brought together 41 tourism SMEs from six European countries in a virtual marketplace of ideas designed to foster innovation, collaboration and knowledge exchange.
  • Participants presented projects ranging from digital platforms and sustainable mobility to cultural tourism, agri-tourism and smart destination management, highlighting the diversity of Europe’s tourism innovation ecosystem.

Brussels, 29 June 2025. FU-TOURISM 5.0 successfully held its Acceleration Programme Final Event – Demo Day, bringing together 41 tourism SMEs from Greece, Croatia, Spain, Belgium, Austria and Poland on June 24th  to showcase the projects developed throughout the acceleration programme and explore new opportunities for collaboration across Europe.

Designed as a “Marketplace of Ideas”, the event moved beyond the traditional competition format to create a collaborative environment where participating companies could exchange experiences, present innovative solutions and establish new partnerships. Rather than competing against one another, each SME was given the opportunity to pitch its project and engage with fellow entrepreneurs and tourism stakeholders.

The projects presented reflected the diversity of the FU-TOURISM ecosystem, covering areas such as digital tourism platforms, sustainable mobility, cultural tourism, agri-tourism, wellness experiences, smart destination management and other innovative solutions supporting the green and digital transition of the tourism sector.

A highlight of the event was the panel discussion on the opportunities that European programmes offer to tourism SMEs. George Kontaxis, Founder of Vivestia and beneficiary of EnvolveXL, shared his experience of how acceleration programmes can drive both business growth and strategic development for tourism start-ups. Akansha Krishnani, Strategy Innovation Designer, entrepreneur and Project Manager at ASOFUER (Fuerteventura), highlighted the importance of adapting innovation strategies to the specific needs of tourism destinations and underlined the key role played by business associations in supporting SMEs throughout the green and digital transitions.

To encourage collaboration beyond the event itself, participants were also invited to use the FU-TOURISM 5.0 Matchmaking Directory, a dedicated online platform featuring the profiles of all 41 participating companies. The directory enables beneficiaries to identify potential partners, connect directly with other SMEs and continue building collaborations after the Demo Day.

The event marked another important milestone for FU-TOURISM 5.0, celebrating the achievements of participating tourism SMEs while reinforcing the value of European cooperation in fostering innovation, sustainability and competitiveness across the tourism ecosystem.

About FU-TOURISM

FU-TOURISM is a European project funded under the Single Market Programme (SMP-COSME) that supports the green and digital transition of tourism SMEs through training, mentoring, innovation and business cooperation. Bringing together partners from seven European countries, the project promotes innovative solutions to strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the European tourism ecosystem.