On behalf of NECSTouR, Mrs Marina Delgado - Andalusia Region, Vice-Presidency of NECSTouR - has been invited by the European Commission to present to the Innovation Stakeholders from the South-Muntenia Region the role of NECSTouR in the European tourism policy and its initiative on Digitalisation and Safety for Tourism within the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation.

Focus Group on Tourism. This presentation occurred on the occasion of an "Entrepreneurial Discovery Focus Group on Tourism and Cultural Identity & Smart Localities" organised in Ploiesti (Romania) on 7th of March by the European Commission's Seville Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The event brought together representatives of various innovation stakeholders from the South-Muntenia Region, with the aim to identify possibilities for collaboration and develop joint projects, working in four working groups: Service innovation in tourism industry; Innovative solutions for the economic exploitation of built and cultural heritage; Integrated tourism, mixing/linking cultural, spa/wellness and active tourism opportunities/offers; Environment technologies for smart localities.

NECSTouR intervention. On her presentation, Mrs Delgado focused on NECSTouR activities and on how it provides the framework for the coordination of regional development programmes and research on sustainable and competitive tourism. It also provided an overall view on how NECSTouR works at forefront of European tourism policy, lobbying to strengthen the presence of regional destinations in the European arena.

S3 Platform. The presentation of the initiative "Digitalisation and Safety for Tourism" has also been highly appreciated, since it offered an example on how 5 NECSTouR Regions are cooperating on Tourism in the framework of the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry) by the European Commission to boost public/private investments for tourism and a possible cooperation with South-Muntenia Region might be foreseen.

Leading Regions. Andalusia Region is co-leading this "Digitalisation and Safety for Tourism" Initiative, together with Lapland who was also attending the event.