Project Summary

Goal

The European Commission Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) launched a study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on tourism regions and propose policy recommendations on how to make tourism regions more resilient in the next years. A consortium led by Spatial Foresight, in cooperation with NECSTouR and t33 and AnySolution is conducting this study. 

The tourist sector is vital to the economy in many European regions and it one of the sectors mostly heavily affected by COVID-19, both in the short-term and in the medium to long-term. This study assess how various types of tourist regions are affected by COVID-19 and what future developments in the tourism sector might bring for them. The study combines the territorial diversity and economic importance of the tourism sector (and its prospective) with the territorial diverse impacts of COVID19 and policy responses to the pandemic and recovery measures.

There is also a time dimension to it, as the impacts of their territoriality differ between what we have seen during spring 2020 (lockdown phase), summer/winter 2020 (holiday season with travel restrictions) and what expect to see in the short-term (2021/2) and medium term (post 2022).

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Role of NECSTouR

  • Support to identification of relevant documents and data sets on types of tourist regions, tourist trends, COVID-19 impacts on the tourism sector and tourist regions, policy measures to mitigate crises (e.g. COVID-19) in the tourism sector
  • Support to developing and disseminating on online survey
  • Support in the identification of policy initiatives and selection of possible case studies
  • Participation in digital focus groups related to the case studies
  • Contribution to the development of policy recommendations and conclusions related to EU Cohesion Policy
Picture from Jonathan Gallegos on Unsplash
Taxonomy Latest Updates


News and Best Practices

NECSTouR president presents our strategic actions on data monitoring during Panoramed event on costal and maritime tourism

NECSTouR President Dr. Manuel Alejandro Cardenete, deputy-minister from Andalucía Region, presented the Tourism of Tomorrow Lab and data-oriented projects in the Mediterranean area during PANORAMED high-level event on coastal and maritime tourism. It was the first public event unveiling our Handbook on How to use EU recovery funds and ERDF 2021-2027 for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean region.

DG REGIO Study: Regional impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the tourist sector

The study launched by the European Commission Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) was piloted by Spatial Foresight in cooperation with NECSTouR and t33 and AnySolution. The study assesses how different tourist regions are affected by COVID-19 and potential future developments.

Meeting the Challenges of a More Sustainable, Resilient and Competitive Tourism Future at the NECSTouR AGM 2021

NECSTouR celebrated its Annual General Meeting 2021, hosted by the Tirol Region from 21 to 24 September in Alpbach.

39 official tourism organisations from across Europe met to agree the way ahead for a more responsible approach to tourism.

During the annual meeting – the first to be held in a hybrid format since the pandemic – members elected a new Executive Committee to strategically guide the work of the network over the next three years.

REPORT: Interreg Europe Workshop on competitive and sustainable tourism

On Tuesday 21 September 2021, the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform hosted an on-line thematic workshop on competitive and sustainable tourism. The main take-away was the keynote from the European Commission on Transition Pathway, their solution to support a more resilient, sustainable, and digital Tourism ecosystem.

Summary of Forecathon preparing the DG REGIO Study on the Covid impact on Tourism

NECSTouR is pleased to share with its members the key findings from the Forecathon organised on the 24th June 2021 in the context of the European Commission’s study on the regional economic impact of the COVID crisis on the tourist sector in the EU.


23 researchers and experts participated in the online Forecathon, including a series of NECSTouR members and partners dwelling on future-wise policy pointers for a sustainable recovery of tourist destinations.

Call for contribution to the DG REGIO Study on COVID-19 Impact on Tourism

Following a Call for Tender, NECSTouR is engaged in a partnership devoted to conduct a study on regional tourism on behalf of the European Commission. NECSTouR members are invited to participate in this survey on how the tourism sector can be made more resilient in the future.