Berge mit Wald symbolisieren den Tourismus im ländlichen Raum

© istockphoto.com/JackJelly

In the context of the LIFT Transformation funding measure, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action makes available up to €1.5 million for sustainable projects in the tourism sector. The aim is to provide incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry to deal with the issues of the future from a practical perspective, taking account of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and develop forward-looking, practical solutions. The dissemination of the project approaches and results serves to strengthen the general performance and competitiveness of SMEs in the tourism sector in the short and medium term.

LIFT stands (in German) for "enhancing performance and promoting innovation in the tourism sector".

Federal Government Coordinator for Tourism Dieter Janecek said: "LIFT Transformation aims to activate the tourism industry’s sustainability potential in a targeted manner to make the sector fit for the future. We want to demonstrate that tourism can be part of the solution when it comes to mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. LIFT Transformation serves to promote and highlight model projects which help to make SMEs in the tourism sector sustainable and strengthen their performance and competitiveness."

The projects need to address specific, practical aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals that are relevant for the tourism industry, including climate action, responsible consumption and production, and decent work and economic growth; they need to be economically viable and at the same time identify new, creative ways. Furthermore, they need to be suitable to inspire tourism enterprises and encourage them to follow suit.

More information

The Federal Government Centre of Excellence for Tourism is responsible for and coordinates the competition for ideas. Project outlines can be submitted by 15 September 2023.
The funding announcement in the Federal Gazette (in German) can be found here.