North Aegean Region Strategic Goal 1 (“A smarter Europe”) and its ERDF Priorities 2 “Protection of the environment and resources of the Region - Adaptation to Climate Change - Prevention and risk management" and 4 "Strengthening Social Cohesion - Development of Social Infrastructure",  are in line with the concept of TOURBO project, based on supporting tourism SMEs in order to improve their energy efficiency strategies through digitalization and innovation. 

North Aegean Islands depend for their energy efficiency in Autonomous Electricity Production Stations to produce electricity using fuel oil. The use of alternative forms of energy like wind or solar energy is minimal and the islands have no connection to the solution of energy production on the mainland -because of the high distance-. This means that the cost of energy in the islands is high and even more with the recent energy crisis caused lately this cost is and will be much higher; and Tourism SMEs in the islands are suffering extremely high operating costs caused by the cost of electricity used. With the development of this action plan we intend to help tourism SMEs of the islands to create action plans in order to have a short term planning on how to deal with energy efficiency through innovation and digitalization actions. 

The pilot will benefit 6 tourism SMEs -to be selected through a call- during the test. Those SMEs will benefit from:

• Direct support for capacity building in regards of creating action plans for energy efficiency, sustainability, digitalisation and innovation that respects the natural, social, economic and cultural ecosystems in which they are located;
• Experts as Knowledge providers will be selected through a specific call in order to act as intermediary and organise activities for tourism SMEs, providing support to strengthen their capacities in implementing innovative approaches in energy efficiency.

The pilot budget includes 40,000€ of external services in benefit of the MSMEs.