We aimed to achieve both operational and structural objectives for the partner territories. First, to strengthen cooperation among local tourism ecosystem actors—particularly community organisations, producers, tourism operators, public authorities and training providers—in order to move beyond silo-based working approaches. In parallel, we sought to identify and capitalise on good practices in regenerative and circular tourism and to transform them into concrete, transferable tools. We also aimed to improve adults’ access to relevant learning pathways by developing open educational resources and a blended training programme designed to strengthen key competences, including immersive experience design, facilitation of participatory processes, sustainability, inclusion and digital promotion. Another core objective was to activate co-design spaces and community networks capable of creating and testing new tourism experiences or transforming existing offers into more sustainable and inclusive formats. Finally, we aimed to ensure the long-term exploitation of the project results through a structured dissemination strategy, a sustainability plan and practical recommendations addressed to practitioners and decision-makers.
As the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Côte d’Azur and coordinator of the project, we applied for AGORA to respond to a concrete need identified in our territories: despite a rich gastronomic and wine heritage, many rural and peri-urban areas struggle to structure a sustainable and coherent tourism offer. Local actors often work in a fragmented manner, with few shared tools, limited capacity for cooperation and restricted access to tailored training opportunities. At the same time, ecological and social transitions require a shift from a “consumptive” tourism model to a more regenerative approach, capable of creating value while protecting resources and strengthening local communities. AGORA addresses these challenges by combining adult learning, the exchange of European good practices and the co-design of immersive experiences linked to local products. As coordinator, our objective was to bring together a complementary partnership and to provide an operational framework enabling territories to develop transferable skills, methods and networks, thereby enhancing the resilience and attractiveness of local tourism ecosystems.