627 tour operators and travel agencies were selected to participate in the SUSTOUR technical support programme. A project funded under the EU's COSME programme. to improve their sustainability performance. From Greece, 43 travel agencies were selected to participate in SUSTOUR.

A call for applications for SMEs was published in early March 2022. The aim was to select at least 175 tour operators and travel agencies. Aim to benefit from a comprehensive technical support programme, which will help them improve their sustainability performance. More than 730 applications were received. After evaluation by an independent committee, 627 SMEs from 35 countries have been selected and enrolled in the support programme. The technical support program will provide a combination of:

• innovative online trainings
• multi-day face-to-face training in a classroom
• intensive guidance (group and individual)
• as well as peer-reviewed teaching – all provided and led by selected experts in sustainable tourism

Businesses were given the opportunity to choose between receiving support for Travelife certification or support in improving specific areas, such as managing their coal, plastics and supply chain, or certifying their shore excursions. Various events will be organised, in conjunction with European trade fairs, to allow selected travel companies to exchange experiences and best practices, and to reward those companies that achieve certification through the SUSTOUR project.

Naut Kusters, director of ECEAT and head of the SUSTOUR project

"We are pleased to see so much interest from tour operators and travel agencies across Europe to find out how to make their business and supply chain more sustainable. We decided to accept three times more companies in the support program than originally planned for to allow the maximum possible number of businesses to benefit from the project."