Final Conference in the Netherlands within the DETOCS Project
On 14-15th of October 2026, the final conference of the DETOCS Project (Decarbonising the Tourism Industry Post Covid-19 Support) took place in Middelburg, the Netherlands. The event combined reflective policy learning with practical insights from innovative local energy initiatives, providing partners a unique opportunity to present project outcomes and challenges encountered in decarbonising tourism across Europe.
The event began with a welcome speech from the host organisation, “International Affairs”, Municipality of Middelburg, highlighting Middelburg’s commitment to sustainable tourism and the value of European cooperation for climate-neutral tourism initiatives.
A representative of a local municipal initiative, “For Citizen and Entrepreneurial Middelburg”, presented experiences and lessons learned from Middelburg on sustainable tourism, heritage conservation and urban energy transition, including the role of local governments in promoting climate-neutral tourism.
A member of Interreg Europe’s Joint Secretariat showcased an overview of the programme and its support for policy learning in sustainable tourism.
The meeting continued by outlining the DETOCS project objectives, partnership and cooperation framework, highlighting the project’s key achievements and how interregional exchange has supported policy learning.
The project partners held a session where three members of the consortium collaborated on a joint presentation titled “From Interregional Exchange to Policy Improvements.” This session demonstrated how DETOCS combined regional analysis, interregional learning and practical good practices to develop actionable policy recommendations.
A panel discussion was organised on regional experiences in decarbonising tourism, reflecting on partners’ experience and sharing recommendations for other European regions, focusing on key barriers, interregional knowledge exchange and policy improvement.
The event concluded with breakout sessions dedicated to lessons learned and next steps in tourism decarbonization. Breakout group discussions highlighted key challenges faced across partner regions and how they were addressed within the DETOCS project. Partners were divided into three groups to cover three main relevant topics: Energy Efficiency, Green Investments & Funding; Policy, Governance & Stakeholder Engagement; and Awareness, Skills & Capacity Building. Representatives from each group presented main insights and recommendations on how DETOCS results can inform policy action and replication across European regions.
The conference created an opportunity to emphasise continued cooperation and implementation of policy learning to support climate-neutral tourism in Europe.
