FU-TOURISM brings together stakeholders in Spain to discuss the future of sustainable rural tourism
- The European project will host a Birth of a Feather event in San Xoán de Río (Ourense) on how sustainable tourism can strengthen territorial resilience, support rural development and contribute to the green and digital transition of tourism SMEs.
Brussels, 16 July 2026. The European project FU-TOURISM (Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green and Digital Resilience) will hold the event “FU-TOURISM Spain: Sustainable Rural Tourism for a Resilient Territory” on 17 July in San Xoán de Río (Ourense, Spain).
The event will bring together public authorities, tourism professionals, experts, entrepreneurs and young people to discuss how sustainable tourism can contribute to rural revitalisation, create new economic opportunities, strengthen territorial cohesion and support the green and digital transition of the tourism sector.
Co-funded by the European Union through the Single Market Programme (SMP-COSME), FU-TOURISM supports tourism SMEs in becoming greener, more digital and more resilient through financial support, mentoring, training and international cooperation.
The discussion will focus on the role of tourism in addressing some of Europe’s key rural challenges, including depopulation, climate change, territorial management and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Participants will also explore how sustainable tourism can help redistribute visitor flows towards less crowded destinations, strengthen local communities and create new opportunities for tourism SMEs. In addition, the session will present European funding opportunities available to support sustainable tourism initiatives.
The event will feature a welcome message from Francisco Millán Mon, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on European Cultural Heritage, the Ways of Saint James and Other European Cultural Routes.
Speakers will also include José Miguel Pérez Blecua, Mayor of San Xoán de Río; Jesús Luna Torres, Director of the Vuelta al Mundo Association; Nachy López, Director of TurisLab; Emma González Diéguez, Manager of INORDE; and Adrián Noheda and Carolina Massera, EU Project Managers at the Finnova Foundation.
The session will follow the Birds of a Feather format, encouraging an open exchange of ideas, experiences and good practices among public authorities, tourism professionals, entrepreneurs, young people and other stakeholders. The objective is to foster dialogue on the main challenges and opportunities facing rural tourism while identifying innovative solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of tourism SMEs, promote territorial cohesion and enhance the resilience of rural communities.
The event will coincide with the visit to Galicia of the participants in the Vuelta al Mundo Programme, an educational initiative coordinated by the Autonomous University of Madrid and supported by the Finnova Foundation. During their stay, participants will take part in activities related to sustainable viticulture, reforestation, forest fire prevention, the Camino de Santiago, social entrepreneurship and sustainable territorial management, reinforcing the event’s educational and intergenerational dimension.
The event will take place on 17 July 2026, from 18:30h to 20h, at the Town Hall of San Xoán de Río (Ourense, Spain).
About FU-TOURISM
FU-TOURISM (Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green and Digital Resilience) is a European project co-funded by the European Union through the Single Market Programme (SMP-COSME). The project supports tourism SMEs in their transition towards greener, more digital and more resilient business models through funding, mentoring, training and international cooperation, helping to build a more competitive and sustainable European tourism ecosystem.
