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
How can small enterprises address the effects of climate change?
Climate change is disrupting summer outdoor travel and impacting regional economies, leading the European Union to push for climate neutrality by 2050 through public engagement. European projects like Detour and KlimaAlps address these challenges by mapping climate-impacted trails and training youth guides to build environmental awareness. These initiatives help tourism businesses shift focus toward off-season travel using tailored services, flexible scheduling, and personalised travel tools.
Results of the DETOUR Call for Mini-Grants
The Call for Mini-Grants, open from 9 March to 1 June 2026, received 95 applications from four project countries – Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye – submitted by partnerships including SMEs, Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), and local stakeholders. The Detour Consortium is pleased to announce the results of the evaluation: a total of 33 initiatives will be funded across the four participating countries.
World Rural Development Day 2026: rural tourism as a driver for Mediterranean SMEs
On July 6, World Rural Development Day was celebrated. Established by the UN, the day serves to reaffirm the commitment to the 2030 Agenda and draw attention to the challenges facing rural areas – challenges that must be overcome to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental development. The same logic underpins the DETOUR project, which combines training for tourism SMEs with direct incentives for projects focusing on digitalisation, sustainability and innovation.
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