Integrated peri-urban areas in the transition towards climate neutrality
Coordinators Horizon Europe (Mission Cities)
- All sectors
- Call for project
Sustainable tourism – circular benefits and challenges
- All sectors
- EU Open Calls
- Coordinators: Driving Urban Transition – Circular Urban Economies
- Allocated budget: Most projects are expected to have a total budget request of around €1–2 million.
- End of applications: 23 April 2026
- Project duration: 36 months
- Project submitted on: Open calls
Objective
Develop and implement circular, green, and inclusive tourism strategies that prevent or mitigate negative social, economic, and environmental impacts while enhancing quality of life and resilience in both established and emerging urban destinations.
Priorities
➡️ Develop innovative policies to balance sustainable tourism growth with housing affordability, addressing gentrification, rising costs, and equitable benefit distribution to support resilient, vibrant local communities.
➡️ Promote circular economy practices in tourism, reducing waste through refillable packaging, local recycling, and responsible consumption while fostering slow, eco-conscious models that protect cultural identity and local ecosystems.
➡️ Strengthen integration of local food systems with tourism, enhancing sustainable sourcing, supporting regional producers, and enabling community-driven entrepreneurship to boost social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Eligibility
Legal entities such as (but not limited to):
- research organisations (higher education institutions including universities, university colleges; research institutes or other entities with research undertakings),
- companies and commercial organisations,
- urban government authorities (such as local and regional government institutions, municipalities and municipal organisations, city authorities, urban public administrations, infrastructure and service providers),
- consumers and civil society representatives (e.g. local and community organisations, non-governmental organisations, not-for-profit organisations, advocacy and activist groups, citizens’ representatives, neighbourhood initiatives, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, etc.).
- From the culture and creative sectors (e.g. artists and designers).
Each proposal must be submitted by a consortium consisting of at least three eligible Applicants from at least three different participating countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden (funding agencies Formas and SWEA have confirmed their participation and will publish their National Annexes at a later date), Switzerland, Tunisia More confirmed countries will be added continuously up until the call opens on 1 September.)
At least two of the eligible Applicants must be from different EU Member States (MS) or Associated Country (AC)
Eligible activities
➡️ Evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, local governments and businesses.
➡️ Innovative models and strategies that can be piloted or implemented in tourism destinations.
➡️ Practical tools and frameworks for integrating circular urban economy principles into tourism.
➡️ Case studies and best practices from various tourism hotspots in Europe and globally.
➡️ Approaches to align tourism goals with the goals that benefit local community.
➡️ Policy recommendations that address tourism-driven gentrification in a neighbourhood.
