Workshop background

Bioeconomy and tourism have a lot of crossing points. Bioeconomy aims at the transition of the economy from fossil resources towards renewable ones. To implement such transition and to interlink various business sectors, new business models and value networks need to be established. One promise of bioeconomy is the empowerment of regions and thus regional development in line with job creation. The basis for bioeconomy is the sustainable production of renewable raw materials, and the bioeconomical thinking, in its term, can help protect the beauty of regions and add, besides of sustaining the nature, add value in tourism.

The Danube countries have a huge range of natural resources and beautiful landscapes and therefore high potential to develop sustainable tourism that reflects the idea of bioeconomy. To do so, tourism should be considered in a holistic approach, which brings together the best of the region, its people, nature and products. For example, regional value creation for agricultural operations is one of the corner stones where the development of tourism could potentially benefit, if agricultural operations are part of the tourism strategy. If properly connected, a lot of other opportunities lay within tourism, regional development and bioeconomy. Clusters as the representatives of many enterprises could play a key role in fostering innovative partnerships between the tourism sector and bioeconomy for the creation of new value chains, because they are sustainable partners and guarantee the upgradeability in the dimension industry, sciences and politics.

The workshop objective is to identify potentials of tourism in connection with bioeconomy in the Danube region. New cooperation between actors that are not yet connected shall be fostered for innovative partnerships.

Proposed Workshop participants

• EUSDR Priority Area coordinators
• Representatives of the projects within the DTP Priority Areas
• Local and regional public authorities (cities, ministries and others)
• Local and regional actors of business development
• Actors of the tourism sector
• Actors of the bioeconomy sector