INTERSMARTS International Conference in Istanbul Showcases Practical Solutions for Sustainable Tourism and Blue Growth in theBlack Sea Basin

Istanbul, Türkiye — On 13 November 2025, the INTERSMARTS project
(BSB00332) successfully held the international conference “Advencing
Sustainable Tourism and Blue Growth in the Black Sea Basin” at
DotsHub (Yıldız), Beşiktaş, Istanbul, bringing together stakeholders from
public authorities, academia, tourism businesses and the innovation
ecosystem.
The discussions focused on actionable pathways to accelerate sustainability
and innovation uptake in tourism services across the Black Sea Basin,
including cross-border cooperation, access to funding instruments, and
solutions-driven engagement among institutions, businesses and research
organisations.
Key highlights included:
 Presentation of the INTERSMARTS Network and the INTERSMARTS
Platform, with emphasis on practical tools that support tourism
stakeholders in adopting innovative and sustainable practices.
 A session on EU and international funding opportunities for
sustainable tourism initiatives, outlining implementation perspectives
and enabling conditions.
 Keynote address by Fani Efthymiadou (Boğaziçi University) on
Zero-Waste Management as a pillar for balancing growth with
environmental responsibility.
 Exchanges on startup-driven sustainability, multi-stakeholder
collaboration models, and best practice cases from INTERSMARTS
partner countries.
Next steps
Following the conference, INTERSMARTS will continue supporting
stakeholders through its platform and network activities, fostering knowledge
exchange and practical adoption of sustainable tourism innovations across
the Black Sea Basin.