On 20 October 2025, the Web3Tour Final Event, supported by Together for Tourism (T4T), brought together innovators, SMEs, and tourism experts from across Europe to explore how digital tools, creativity, and collaboration are shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for cultural tourism. The online gathering marked the successful conclusion of the Creative Europe-funded Web3Tour project, celebrating ideas and partnerships that drive positive change in the tourism sector. More than 120 participants registered for the event to exchange experiences and discover inspiring examples of innovation in action.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Jedrt Mikelj from Arctur, who reflected on the project’s journey and its contribution to Europe’s green and digital transition. This was followed by a round table discussion titled “Building Smarter, Greener Tourism”, moderated by Urška Starc Peceny, CIO at Arctur and Tourism 4.0 Lead. The discussion brought together Dolores Ordóñez (Managing Director, AnySolution), Alexandru Stan (Innovation manager, IN2 Digital Innovations), and Eirini Papadopoulou (Lead Partner, Web3Tour / Envolve Entrepreneurship). The panel explored how innovation, data, and collaboration can help tourism become more resilient, sustainable, and people-centred, highlighting practical examples from European initiatives that link culture, technology, and community engagement.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of five outstanding SMEs that showcased forward-looking practices in digitalisation, inclusion, and sustainability. Heristate (Slovenia), presented by Dr. Maja Jerala, was the winning SME of the Web3Tour Accelerator programme and demonstrated how digital tools can connect artisans, museums, and travellers in new and meaningful ways. The other guest presenters shared inspiring stories of innovation from across Europe: Dinko Pešić, Director of Zlatna Greda Ltd. Tourist Agency (Croatia), presented their long-standing work in ecotourism and environmental education within the Amazon of Europe region; Cristina Căluianu, Director of AccessibleEU Romania / Sano Touring, spoke about making travel truly inclusive for people with disabilities; Eleonora Censorii, Founder and CEO of Destination Everywhere Accessible Travel (Belgium), introduced WheelTribe.eu, a new platform promoting inclusive tourism experiences across Europe; and Hana Hanžek-Turnšek, Co-founder of YouSea Institute and Maristra (Slovenia), presented the Sea Oasis Piran project, which combines underwater exploration, marine conservation, and regenerative tourism to reconnect visitors with the sea.

In closing, Eirini Papadopoulou reflected on the project’s achievements and the importance of keeping collaboration alive beyond the project’s end. With the final event marking the conclusion of this Creative Europe journey, the Web3Tour consortium proudly looks back on two years of cooperation between SMEs, innovators, and cultural organisations across Europe — proving that the future of tourism lies in shared knowledge, sustainability, and a human touch.