As European travel moves rapidly towards a data-driven future, a critical question remains: are local destinations and small tourism businesses equipped to make the leap?

To bridge this gap, the FACILITATE EU project officially activated the FACILITATE Community on 7 October 2026 during a dedicated session at the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS 2026) in Seville.

Co-funded by the European Union, this new pan-European network aims to connect tourism stakeholders, Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), technology providers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the expertise, tools and data governance frameworks needed to thrive in a digital economy.

The FACILITATE Community acts as a vital bridge connecting the tourism sector on the ground with major European developments, including the European Tourism Data Space (ETDS), the European Competence Centre, and the Pact for Skills.

FACILITATE builds directly upon and complements previous and ongoing European initiatives, including D3HUB, DEPLOYTOUR, PANTOUR and FuTourAlliance.

“The future of tourism in Europe will be data-driven, but tools are only as good as the sector’s capacity to use them,” said Dolores Ordóñez, Project Coordinator. “The FACILITATE Community ensures that destinations and SMEs are supported with practical guidelines and training opportunities.”

NECSTouR’s Managing Director John Fitzgibbon stated: “FACILITATE is a connecting project bringing together all of the EU funded data projects. It links the valuable work and lessons learned from other similar recently completed and ongoing EU data projects in the tourism sector and, through the establishment of the FACILITATE Community, carries the torch for what will come into the next Multiannual Financial Framework post 2027.”

Join the Community and Access Free Training

By completing the Stakeholder Needs Assessment Survey, tourism professionals across Europe can join the FACILITATE Community and benefit from:

• Practical guidelines for navigating and accessing tourism data spaces;
• Tailored capacity-building programmes, including a free online course designed specifically for DMOs and SMEs;
• In-person and online training activities.

Follow FACILITATE and stay updated on news, events and resources: website, LinkedIn & Zenodo Community

For more information, please contact:

Costanza Alesse, NECSTouR Project Manager | info@necstour.eu +32 2 721 7293

Dolores Ordóñez, Project Coordinator | dom@anysolution.eu | +34 619712 806

Myrsini Karamanli, Press Inquiries | myrsini.karamanli@s-f.com | +49 30166352-565

The FACILITATE project consortium brings together AnySolution, Breda University of Applied Sciences, DIH Tourism 4.0, NECSTouR the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism, Scholz and Friends, Turismo y Deporte de Andalucía, and associated partners Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação and Lapland University of Applied Sciences.