The EUtopia project aimed to facilitate the exchange of best practices among three European organizations : Marseille Solutions (France), OuiShare (Spain), and Lazzarelle (Italy) to promote regenerative tourism. It sought to demonstrate how tourism could generate positive social and environmental impact while improving quality of life and strengthening local communities. By involving residents, tourists, and stakeholders, the project positioned tourism as a driver of sustainable development, cultural preservation, and community empowerment. EUtopia aligned with the priority of civic engagement by empowering communities as active actors in tourism, fostering inclusive and participatory approaches. It also aimed to strengthen the competences of adult education staff and tourism professionals through training, peer learning, and knowledge exchange. Additionally, the project supported the creation of local learning spaces and collaborative networks, encouraging long-term cooperation. Overall, it aimed to build sustainable, transferable models of tourism that could benefit communities and support ongoing European collaboration.
Overtourism in Marseille, Naples, and Barcelona had become a critical challenge, negatively affecting local communities, economies, and the environment. With millions of visitors each year, these cities experienced increasing pressure on housing, public services, and ecosystems. Rising short-term rentals contributed to housing shortages, environmental degradation intensified due to mass tourism and cruise activity, and local infrastructures struggled to cope with seasonal peaks. Social tensions also grew, reflecting residents’ dissatisfaction with unsustainable tourism models. The EUtopia project was designed to address these urgent needs by promoting regenerative and community-based tourism approaches. It aimed to rebalance tourism by empowering local stakeholders, reducing negative impacts, and fostering more sustainable practices. The project also responded to the needs of participating organisations by strengthening their capacity to tackle overtourism through shared knowledge, training, and collaboration at European level. At the same time, it addressed the needs of target groups,staff, local communities, tourism actors, and the wider public,by providing skills, tools, and spaces for co-creation.