Island Sustainable Tourism Action through Resilient SMEs (I-STARS)
The I-STARS project is all about accompanying tourism businesses down their transition journey to sustainability & resilience in two steps:
equip them with skills & knowledge on sustainability and responsible business practices;
finance their sustainability transition journey through grants worth up to €5,600 per applicant.
Open Call for tourism enterprises is now open!
I-STARS has launched the Open Call for Grants for Tourism Businesses addressed to tourism businesses operating in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Sustainability is the present and the future of the tourism industry. Ensure the long-term success and resilience of your business in the face of evolving consumer demands, climate change, and global sustainability goals.
Apply NOW and become a pioneer of sustainability change.
Call Budget: €700,000
Max Grant per Project: €5,600
Deadline: 25 October 2023 - 17:00 CET
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – THE I-STARS GRANTS SCHEME FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES
Annex I: Application Form Template - Fill the Online application form here
Annex VI: NACE Eligible Applicants
Contact your local Call Helpdesk from below list:
Cyprus
Tel. +357-22889840,
Email: istarscyprus@gmail.com
Greece
Tel.+30 22710 41170
Email: istarsgreece@gmail.com
Ireland
Tel: +353 874275822,
Email: istarsireland@gmail.com
Italy
Tel: +39 3513064307,
Email: istarsitaly@gmail.com
Spain
Tel: +34 971710188,
Email: istarsspain@gmail.com
I-STARS Grants Scheme Information Sessions
About I-Stars
It is now evident more than ever that in a post pandemic world, island tourism should not follow the ‘business as usual’ paradigm, but rather the pandemic should lead to a more responsible and sustainable type of tourism.
The EU co-funded project entitled Island Sustainable Tourism Action through Resilient SMEs (I-STARS) is all about helping tourism enterprises take their transformation journey down the 2030 road to recovery and sustainability. To this end, tourism businesses from Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain, will be boosted in as far as their development and capacity in the area of sustainable innovations is concerned. This will be achieved through a capacity building program tailored for tourism Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as through a grant scheme of up to €5,600 for each business.
Duration: January 2023 – December 2025
Budget: Total project budget €1,255,481.87 - EU Contribution €1,199,933.6
It's All About Adapting.
Join the I-STARS journey towards resilience and sustainability.
Discover below all the I-STARS journey phases.
Designing the 2030 journey
The starting point for the design of any good tourism package is the research stage, what to include in it: specific itineraries, attractions & places of visits, tourism providers, etc. I-STARS will identify constraints of island tourism enterprises, skills gaps, collect best practices & tools, develop a pool of Sustainability Experts, create a self-assessment online monitoring tool.
Packing the 2030 journey suitcase
Before embarking on the I-STARS journey, tourism enterprises will be equipped with the most suitable and appropriate gear: they will familiarise themselves with the destination-Sustainability, what to expect and exactly what their journey will entail; their skills and knowledge will be developed, and their capacity will be boosted in the area of sustainable innovations. Register on I-STARS eLearning platform.
Join the 2030 journey
Tourism enterprises are invited to apply for the I-STARS Open Call for Grants. Once approved, they will be able to receive services, solutions, tools, certifications, offered by qualified Sustainability Experts. Through the grants, tourism businesses will be transformed into sustainable and resilient ones.
Deadline to apply 25th October 2023. Apply now!
Welcome on board!
Tourism enterprises awarded with the I-STARS Grants will be monitored throughout their journey towards sustainability. I-STARS will ensure that their journey is not bumpy, that it runs smoothly according to plan so that the passengers reach their destination of Sustainability. A set of monitoring tools have been developed by I-STARS to this end. Learn more.
Collaging the 2030 journey
Taking pictures and capturing moments go hand-in-hand during a journey. The I-STARS journey towards sustainability and resilience will be captured through a series of videos to spread the message that adopting sustainable business practices is doable and worthwhile. Shifting from ‘business as usual’ into ‘doing good business’ is feasible and brings measurable results of improvement. Embracing sustainability is not just the right thing to do; it's the only way forward that makes sense for profitability, local communities, and the environment.
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Designing the 2030 journey
The starting point for the design of any good tourism package is the research stage, what to include in it: specific itineraries, attractions & places of visits, tourism providers, etc. I-STARS will identify constraints of island tourism enterprises, skills gaps, collect best practices & tools, develop a pool of Sustainability Experts, create a self-assessment online monitoring tool.
-
Packing the 2030 journey suitcase
Before embarking on the I-STARS journey, tourism enterprises will be equipped with the most suitable and appropriate gear: they will familiarise themselves with the destination-Sustainability, what to expect and exactly what their journey will entail; their skills and knowledge will be developed, and their capacity will be boosted in the area of sustainable innovations. Register on I-STARS eLearning platform.
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Join the 2030 journey
Tourism enterprises are invited to apply for the I-STARS Open Call for Grants. Once approved, they will be able to receive services, solutions, tools, certifications, offered by qualified Sustainability Experts. Through the grants, tourism businesses will be transformed into sustainable and resilient ones.
Deadline to apply 25th October 2023. Apply now! -
Welcome on board!
Tourism enterprises awarded with the I-STARS Grants will be monitored throughout their journey towards sustainability. I-STARS will ensure that their journey is not bumpy, that it runs smoothly according to plan so that the passengers reach their destination of Sustainability. A set of monitoring tools have been developed by I-STARS to this end. Learn more.
-
Collaging the 2030 journey
Taking pictures and capturing moments go hand-in-hand during a journey. The I-STARS journey towards sustainability and resilience will be captured through a series of videos to spread the message that adopting sustainable business practices is doable and worthwhile. Shifting from ‘business as usual’ into ‘doing good business’ is feasible and brings measurable results of improvement. Embracing sustainability is not just the right thing to do; it's the only way forward that makes sense for profitability, local communities, and the environment.
E-Learning Platform
The I-STARS eLearning platform offers for free learning courses customised for tourism enterprises on the topics of:
- Energy management
- Waste Management
- Water management
- Food-waste management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Digital upskilling to record customer experience and feedback.
Boost your knowledge and skills on Sustainability now
Register Today
Monitoring Tool
Businesses understand numbers. Developing monitoring mechanisms allowing businesses in the tourism industry to understand and compare in numbers the impact their way of doing business has on the environment, society and economy, is essential to trigger the shift towards sustainability.
Take the test now.
Coming Soon
Library
The I-STARS Virtual Library gathers best practices, transferable tools and models for sustainable tourism, including certification schemes suitable for the tourism industry.
Coming Soon
I-STARS Sustainability Experts
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Are you thinking of applying for the I-STARS Open Call for Grants? Are you searching for an Expert to assist your business transition to sustainability through the I-STARS Grants?
I-STARS has developed a list of Sustainability Experts offering their services across a number of EU countries. You can consult the I-STARS Sustainability Experts Directory, or you can identify your own. If you identify an Expert not already in the Directory, please contact your Local Call Helpdesk who will evaluate whether that Expert is qualified to carry out the proposed work and join the Directory.
Please ensure you carefully read the Guidelines for Use of Directory prior to selecting from the list of service providers.
Disclaimer: I-STARS project consortium, the European Union, or EISMEA, do not give any warranty, either express or implied, as to the qualifications or suitability of any of the persons on the list of service providers, while they will not be liable for any loss and/or damage caused by a company’s decision to retain the services of such a service provider.
Partners
Quick Links
Find Us
Contact Details
38, Grivas Dhigenis Ave. &3
Deligiorgis Str.
PO Box 21455, 1509 Nicosia
Tel: +357 22889800
Fax: +357 22669048
Email: chamber@ccci.org.cy
