Building resilient tourism across Mediterranean routes
DETOUR is a EU-funded project under SMP COSME Programme, dedicated to developing sustainable and resilient tourism ecosystems along rural and historical routes in the Mediterranean. With a €2 million budget over three years (1 November 2024 – 31 October 2027), DETOUR brings together eight international partners to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector in growing, innovating, and remaining competitive — by leveraging funding opportunities, digital tools, and a shared commitment to slow and responsible travel.
📍Call for SMEs Training from 8 September to 30 November 2025.
ℹ️Find all the information on the Training page.
Purpose and Impact of DETOUR
Capacity Building
Targeted training for tourism professionals through the “Train the Trainers” programme.
SMEs Training and Mentoring
Training and mentoring to help tourism SMEs innovate, grow sustainably, and adopt slow, responsible travel practices.
Acceleration Programme
The Acceleration Programme aims to fast-track innovation by providing resources and mentorship to support project growth and scalability.
Latest News and Events
DETOUR featured at BIT Milan: new opportunities for Tourism SMEs along the Via Francigena
On 17 February, the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways (EAVF) took part in BIT Milano to highlight tourism innovation and opportunities linked to the Via Francigena.
During the fair, EAVF Director Luca Bruschi presented the DETOUR project as a best practice supporting tourism SMEs through funding, training, and digital tools.
A central milestone was the launch of the DETOUR SME training programme, ahead of the project call expected in March–April 2026.
The programme connects professionals and businesses across four pilot areas, offering tailored training and mentoring focused on green and digital transitions.
SMEs along the Via Francigena—such as accommodation, tour operators, cultural hubs, and outdoor providers—are encouraged to apply for support and expert guidance.
Throughout 2026, DETOUR will work with key Italian regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Tuscany, Lazio) to strengthen slow tourism, service quality, and sustainable local development.
RURAL TOURISM RENAISSANCE
Rural tourism is increasingly boosting Europe’s local economies, often more than cities, and demand is shifting toward authentic, sustainable experiences.
DETOUR supports this trend by promoting four remote trail areas (Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye) and their natural/cultural heritage.
So far, 50 SMEs are in training and 42 experts have been certified to build a Europe-wide network for sustainable tourism.
Data show rural tourism-related jobs rose (+3.6% since 2000) and Airbnb reports strong rural growth (2019–2024), helping reduce seasonality year-round.
Key challenges for local businesses along the trails
In February, the Detour project enters a key implementation phase with the launch of targeted training for tourism businesses operating along long-distance trails. The initiative aims to strengthen competitiveness and foster innovation in rural and inland destinations facing infrastructural and logistical constraints. A survey of 800 SMEs across Italy, Türkiye, Greece and Bulgaria highlights shared challenges, including staff shortages, seasonality, limited marketing capacity and uneven adoption of digital tools. At the same time, growing demand for authentic and adventure-based travel creates opportunities to diversify local tourism offers. Aligning training activities with business needs, evolving market trends and community perspectives is essential to support sustainable and resilient trail-based tourism development.
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