FU-TOURISM to hold its Final Conference at the European Parliament
Brussels, 4 September 2026. The European project FU-TOURISM will hold its Final Event, “Shaping the Future of Sustainable and Competitive Tourism in Europe: Innovation and SMEs”, on 8 September at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event will bring together policymakers, tourism organisations, business representatives and SMEs to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing European tourism, from competitiveness and sustainability to digitalisation, regional development and new tourism business models.
Hosted by MEP Borja Giménez Larraz, and organised by Finnova, the event will provide a European forum to exchange perspectives on how tourism can remain a major driver of economic activity, employment and territorial development while responding to the green and digital transition and an increasingly competitive international environment.
MEP Nikolina Brnjac, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and member of the Steering Group of the Parliament’s Tourism Task Force, will deliver the opening remarks. Brnjac, who served as Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sport from 2020 to 2024, will set the scene for the discussion on the future of European tourism.
The event will then present the experience of FU-TOURISM, a European project supporting tourism SMEs in their transition towards greener, more digital and resilient business models. Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation, will address the project’s contribution to the green and digital transition of tourism SMEs and look at future EU funding opportunities for the sector.
The institutional and policy dimension of tourism competitiveness will be addressed by José Antonio Gil Celedonio, Industry and Tourism Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union, who will focus on national policies for the competitiveness of sustainable tourism.
The regional and local perspective will be provided by Dorota Tomalak, Deputy Head of Unit at the Secretariat of the European Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Natural Resources (NAT). Her intervention will examine EU regional policies for sustainable tourism and the role of Europe’s regions and cities in the development and management of tourism destinations.
The role of businesses and their representative organisations will also be part of the discussion. Frederico Martins, Head of Single Market at Eurochambres, will address how Chambers of Commerce can contribute to strengthening Europe’s tourism SMEs, while Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission, will focus on strengthening European tourism destinations.
The opportunities that tourism can offer rural areas and smaller communities will be addressed by Fabian Haybach, Policy Adviser for Sector, Regional and Rural Affairs at SMEunited, who will discuss the role of SMEs and rural areas within the future of European tourism.
The programme will also bring the experience of SMEs directly into the debate. Niki de Schryver, Founder and CEO of COSH!, and Karel Vanderheyden, Co-Founder of Camprea, will share their experiences as SMEs participating in FU-TOURISM and their approaches to innovation and new business opportunities.
Providing an international perspective, Bulut Bağcı, Founder and President of the World Tourism Forum Institute, will address global tourism trends, competitiveness and the future outlook for European tourism in a changing international environment.
Digital innovation and the emergence of new tourism business models will close the main discussion. George Mavros, Head of Government Affairs for the EU at Airbnb, and Carolin Wehrhahn, Head of EU Public Affairs at Booking.com, will share their perspectives on the role of digital platforms, innovation and evolving business models in Europe’s tourism ecosystem.
The event will conclude with closing remarks by MEP Borja Giménez Larraz.
Supporting tourism SMEs through FU-TOURISM
FU-TOURISM – Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green and Digital Resilience – is a European project funded under the Single Market Programme (SMP-COSME). With approximately €4 million in EU funding, the three-year initiative has supported tourism SMEs in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Poland and Spain through funding, mentoring, training and business support aimed at strengthening their green and digital transition, innovation capacity and resilience.
The Final Event will take place on 8 September 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00, at the European Parliament in Brussels (SPINELLI 3E2), with participation both in person and online.
