Innovation uptake and digitalisation in the tourism sector

The beneficiary’s action plan should include activities that improve their use of digital and smart technology, such as improving their data management in-house practices, embracing innovative tools based on artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), streamlining communication channels etc. Hence, the ultimate objective shall be to raise the improved competitiveness levels of these SMEs by offering more customized, efficient and effective tourism products whilst improving the quality of their services. The following table shows a detailed list of eligible activities for the SMEs’ Action Plan. Travel, registration and accommodation costs allowing active participation of tourism SMEs in support activities, such as training courses, workshops, study visits, coaching sessions, twinning, matchmaking, peer learning, knowledge sharing events etc.* Digital innovation and smart tourism investments , which may include: - Costs of advisory services and skills improvement, for example, in mapping specific digitalisation / innovation related needs to be addressed by an individual SME, as well as in receiving advisory services in specific areas -where the consortium team has expertise on-, such as Augmented and Virtual Reality, Crowd detection, Drone-based and Beacon-based sustainable tourism tools (see examples here ). - Costs in improving employees’ skills to digitalise the operations of SMEs, etc. - Compliance adaptations necessary to improve the possibility of cooperation with other actors of the value chain in the area of digitalisation, innovation, new technologies or smart tourism, including costs of standardisation. - Costs related to the adaptation of operational procedures, documentation, data collection etc. * It is important to underline that this set of activities should foster transnational and cross-border cooperation in digitalisation, innovation new technologies and smart tourism. It is key to stress the fact that investments in a physical infrastructure, which may include power, backup generators, surge control systems, connectivity (cabling), hardware and software are not eligible. Based on this list, the applicant SMEs will have to carefully come up with an action plan, describing what activities they would like to take part/enroll, and last this plan will be assessed by RESETTING evaluation committee and will decide whether funds can be granted or not. SMEs can present more than one proposal for the third call, but only the last one presented will be evaluated. SMEs that have already received funds in previous calls of the RESETTING project are not eligible. Furthermore, only one proposal/application per fiscal code will be considered.