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Project Description

Digital Innovation for Blue Enterprises & Social Tourism (DIBEST) aims to support tourism microenterprises in the Atlantic coastal region by adopting digital innovations. This will enable them to increase their competitiveness, market access, and environmental sustainability. The project focuses on family-run and multigenerational businesses, aiming to improve the economy and society of the peripheral region.

Project Information

Project Duration: 03.07.2023 - 03.07.2026
Funded By: Interreg Atlantic Area
Project Coordinator: Western Development Commission

Project Partners

DIBEST Partners map

Project Actions

The DIBEST project encompasses a range of work packages designed to holistically support tourism microenterprises:

  • Capacity Building: Establishing a knowledge base, identifying best practices, and conducting a training needs analysis.
  • Developing Supports: Crafting tailored support mechanisms for tourism microenterprises to enhance their operational efficiency and market reach.
  • Transnational Network: Building a transnational network of business partners and tourism organisations to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
  • Technology Adoption & Scale-up: Creating a programme for knowledge transfer and assistance to facilitate technology adoption and scaling of business operations.
  • Communication Strategy: Implementing a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure the adoption, demonstration, transferability, and sustainability of the project’s initiatives.

Project Results

The DIBEST project aims to create a lasting impact by establishing a repository of knowledge that will be disseminated on various platforms. This repository will be accessible to tourism practitioners throughout Europe and higher education institutions. The project will support a network of Blue Economy microenterprises across 4 countries, using a triple helix model involving business partners, higher education institutions, and tourism federations. The project will also explore synergies with other EU initiatives and projects, aiming to apply best practices and learnings to coastal regions across the participating countries.

Project Funders

Interreg Atlantic Area Logo

Project Contacts

The lead project partner for DIBEST is the Western Development Commission.

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