Destination SMEs

Policies aiming at supporting SMEs lack some effectiveness and efficiency in the tourism sector in many European regions. With a more favourable environment, SMEs could grow faster and create more jobs. For tourist SMEs, it would require the creation of a management strategy of the territory, i.e. a Destination Management strategy. Tourist SMEs are part of a destination, an area with activities, accommodation, transportation systems etc. Destinations that are well managed are more likely to generate ‘wise growth’ in their visitor economy, and are more likely to maximise the benefits of that growth in the long term, and create additional income and jobs. When a territory is not organised as a tourist destination, it is very risky to develop any business in it. Creating favorable conditions for tourist SMEs means to encourage the territories to organize themselves as a tourist destination. The aim of the project is to improve policies of the partner regions (structural funds and regional policies), in order to increase the competitiveness of SMEs of the tourism sector which are beneficiaries of these policies. This objective can be reached by supporting the deployment of these programmes through the implementation of destination management policies.