The Governing Council has taken note of the appointment of Andalucía at the helm of the presidency of the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR), assuming the presidency from March 10, 2025, to March 9, 2026, with Isla de Francia taking on the executive vice-presidency.
The Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR) is the leading European network of regions working to position tourism on the European political agenda. It brings together 49 European regions, along with 12 associated members and 26 academic institutions, to promote a more sustainable, digital, and innovative tourism. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation between regions and influence the tourism policies of the European Union, focusing on sustainability, smart management, and tourism governance.
Among other benefits, membership in NECSTouR provides access to European policy decisions, giving regions a voice in Europe, as well as to projects and funding, visibility, contact with international institutions, exchange of knowledge and experiences with other European regions. Thus, Andalucía plays a strategic role in NECSTouR, actively contributing to the development of policies and projects that promote sustainability, digitalization, and innovation in tourism management in Europe.
Since joining in 2014, Andalucía has been a leader in driving key initiatives, leading the development of the Tourism of Tomorrow Lab, a data-driven innovation lab that facilitates collaboration between regions to develop smart tourism management solutions. The success of the ToT Lab has been instrumental in the creation of the D3HUB project, aimed at laying the groundwork for the future European Competence Center for tourism data management. Andalucía is a key partner in this project, bringing its expertise in sustainability measurement and data use for strategic decision-making in tourism.
From the presidency, Andalucía will work to strengthen the network’s role in European tourism policy, promoting cooperation between regions and promoting the establishment of the aforementioned European Competence Center, ensuring its integration into EU sustainability and smart management strategies.
Furthermore, Andalucía, which previously held the presidency of NECSTouR from September 2021 to March 2023, has expressed interest in hosting the headquarters of said Center in Marbella (Málaga) at Andalucía Lab, one of the facilities of the Public Enterprise for Tourism and Sports Management. Through the Ministry of Tourism and Andalucía Exterior, Andalucía will assume the Presidency and Vice Presidency of NECSTouR, strengthening the community’s role in European tourism policy.