The AGM was held under the banner of the thematic conference, “Rethinking Tourism Communication – Storytelling & Conscious Marketing” – say that the Regional Tourism Minister, Ms. Barbara Mazzali presence’s and the President of the Region came to greet NECSTouR members. This timely theme reflected NECSTouR’s commitment to a more values-based and meaningful approach to destination promotion and visitor engagement, through new narratives based on destinations’ DNA and optimizing digital marketing tools and AI.

Central to the agenda were two highly successful Living Labs on climate action and data, reinforcing NECSTouR’s priority to equip regions with practical tools and shared knowledge to lead the transformation towards greener, more resilient, and evidence-driven tourism models.

A special highlight was the Regional Roundtable on Tourism Storytelling, where members shared bold narratives and initiatives positioning tourism as a form of soft power and cultural diplomacy. Among the standout contributions:

Normandy, France previewed their ambitious plans to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror – presented as “William the Connector” – highlighting the region’s historical ties with the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Southern Italy, and beyond, symbolising cross-cultural connectivity in Europe.

Kotka-Hamina, Finland showcased the success of Ulko-Tammio, their pioneering phone-free island that captured international media attention for offering a rare opportunity for visitors to enjoy wellbeing and a full digital detox.

Murcia, Spain shared insights on the Jubilee celebrations of Caravaca de la Cruz, one of Christianity’s five holy cities, and how Interreg Europe funding has helped support their development of slow, reflective tourism experiences in the region.

Sligo, Ireland introduced their Ideas Engine, a co-creative tool that empowers communities and visitors to enhance and personalise their experience along the iconic Wild Atlantic Way.

With such rich exchanges, the AGM in Milan reaffirmed the power of storytelling in shaping the future of sustainable tourism, and the growing role of regions in using tourism as a lever for identity, cohesion, and international influence.

The NECSTouR Governance Hub, now formally launched, promises to amplify this momentum – creating stronger structures for co-creation, advocacy, and leadership within the network, and reinforcing the capacity of regions to steer the transformation of tourism in Europe. Andreea Staicu, representing the European Commission, joined the General Assembly for a debate aligning regional and European tourism governance, as the European Commission prepares the new European Sustainable Tourism Strategy.