LookUP

Supporting Tourism SMEs Triple Transition by Uncovering the value of the sky as a destination

The LookUP project, funded by the European Union’s programme for the competitivity of SMEs (Single Market Programme), aims to strengthen the sustainability, digitalisation and resilience (triple transition) of SMEs in the tourism sector focused on skywatching activities.

The impact of COVID-19 on tourism

Tourism has been one of the sectors most acutely, and pervasively, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel bans, lockdowns, and safety concerns all contributed to curtailing the growth and development of the tourism ecosystem across the EU. In order to mitigate the impact of the current pandemic and any future one, tourism SMEs must improve their resilience and sustainability performance, whilst boosting their awareness, development and capacity in the area of sustainable innovations.

The sky as asset for resilience, sustainability and digitalisation

The LookUP project is an invitation to re-discover the value of the sky as a destination, making this universal natural resource a critical asset for the sustainable, digital, and resilient transformation of the tourism sectors (triple transition). Uncovering and re-discovering the vault allows boosting interconnected ecosystems, operating with natural, cultural, and scientific heritage, embracing the values of ecology, biodiversity protection, reduction of light pollution and responsible energy consumption, strictly linked to astrotourism, birdwatching and northern light observation. The main objective of LookUP project is to equip SMEs, operating in these ecosystems with improved skills and capacity, innovation uptake and data management, and sharing to harness digitalisation for sustainability and resilience.

Seven partners from five countries

LookUP is implemented by a partnership of 7 partners from 5 countries: Barrabés.biz (Spain), Asociatia Judeteana de Turism Sibiu (Romania) Naturpolis LTD (Finland), Dirección General de Turismo de Extremadura (Spain), Znanstvenoraziskovalni Center Slovenske Akademije Znanosti in Umetnosti (Slovenia), Quantitas SRL (Italy) and B.Link Barcelona Strategic Projects.

As leader of WP3, B.Link oversees the design, implementation and evaluation of a program aimed at supporting the sustainable transformation for tourism SMEs. This role includes creating the programme framework, defining its governance structure, eligibility criteria, activities, funding, and services. This involves preparing the open call and establishing the award criteria and grant amounts.

Additionally, in collaboration with local project partners, B.Link supports the outreach campaign to attract tourism SMEs across target regions, encouraging participation in the transformation program. Through this leadership in WP3, B.Link advances the project’s goal of fostering sustainability within the tourism sector, drawing on extensive expertise within the COSME/SMP framework.