This policy instrument aims to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs through innovation, openness and the development of new areas. The promotion of innovation in businesses is related to the creation of an innovation culture in the business world, entrepreneurs and citizens of Crete. The instrument supports the creation of clusters and regional networks focused on the enhancement of the competitiveness of the tourism-culture-environment-agri-food sectors.

The main features of this policy instrument are :

A. To promote business partnerships with research institutes;

B. To support innovation of enterprises through an integrated package of measures;

C. To support business through more competitive products in order to penetrate international markets

This instrument focuses on SMEs and entrepreneurship of the tourism sector, it aims to enhance tourism products and to promote tourism’s SMEs through the innovation, clustering and diversification of tourism products.

The instrument should be improved to increase the tourism potential and the capacity to diversify tourism products and tourism culture through the exchange of good practices and know–how in regard to the other partners' regional policies.

The Policy instrument is focusing on enhancing international competitiveness through marketing and other activities for tourism SMEs. It includes the following measures: support for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in exhibitions, conferences abroad, participation in trade missions and support for the product or merchant accreditation, certification, registration; advice and support for businesses of external markets and measures to attract foreign investment; national stand arrangement in international tourism exhibitions abroad as well as the tourism marketing activities implementation in Latvia and abroad.

The policy instrument is tightly linked to the Latvian Tourism Development Guidelines 2014-2020. The overall goal is to ensure the sustainable growth of the Latvian tourism sector by increasing the international competitiveness of tourism services in export markets in ways which meet the criteria for sustainable tourism product development, increase international tourist arrivals, reduce seasonal imbalance in tourism flows and extend the average length of stay. The strategic types of tourism are MICE and health tourism/wellness.

By improving the policy instrument and the policy documents related to it, it would be possible to rise the competitiveness of the tourism SMEs, focus on private and public partnership to deliver quality and explore new possibilities for developing tourism products with high added value managed in a sustainable way.

This policy instrument strives to create an innovative, creative and sustainable East-Flanders by ‘Stimulating tourism and recreation in a sustainable and professional way’. This “Strategic Policy Plan for Tourism” issues a yearly ‘Tourism Action Plan’ focusing on the relationship between tourism SMEs development and regional marketing.

The core objectives of the Plan are:

1. To develop sustainable, qualitative and innovative tourism products

2. To advise and stimulate tourism SME’s on creating new tourism products (cooperation between public and private actors)

3. To coordinate different local tourism initiatives on a regional level

4. To communicate and promote (known and less known) tourism destinations and initiatives in East-Flanders

5. To attract new business tourism (MICE)

6. To act as a knowledge and expertise center for all stakeholders

7. To stimulate new value creation through cooperation between tourism SMEs and other sectors such as sports (e.g. cycling), culture, local food sector, horticulture (flowers) and crafts.

Although East-Flanders is attracting more and more tourists, diversification is a major challenge. Leveraging tourism main attraction of historical cities and cycling to less known (often rural) areas and others sectors (local food, culture, crafts) can bring many opportunities. Economic discovery tourism is another underutilized asset to valorise our East-Flemish products of excellence in the food sector (beer, chocolate, hams).

The Regional Operational Programme of South Netherlands (OPZuid) - Specific objective 1B1 aims to strengthen open innovation through a greater participation of SMEs in national and international clusters. South Netherlands has a good starting position in terms of innovation, but it aims to become one of the 3 most innovative and competitive regions in Europe, which needs investing more in SMEs innovation. Specific objective 1B1 of OPZuid fosters crossovers among different sectors, cooperation among SMEs, industry and research, and cluster projects and programs to stimulate demand-driven open innovation of SMEs.

The instrument should be improved to raise the innovation levels of tourism SMEs. It should become more effective in supporting the clustering of tourism SMEs among them and with other sectors to innovate their products. Due to the success of tourism in the last decades, many tourism SME’s (especially bungalow parks, camping sites and medium sized family run hotels) did not innovate nor adapt their offer to a changed demand, and are not effective in promoting and communicating. Improving the instrument will help tourism SME’s exploit the new market trends through better marketing and promotion and boost their online presence and performance through more customised and experience-oriented tourism packages (Customer Journey Model).

The policy instrument (ROP Baleares Region, OT3) specific Priority PI.3D aims at supporting the capacity of the SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage them in innovation processes.

The Regional Operational Programme devotes 4.45% of the total resources to OT3. This objective is line with BRANDTour goals, as it can help the region to strengthen the promotion of tourism products in emerging markets and to increase image, visibility and presence on foreign markets of the Balearic Islands. The project can help tourist SMEs to develop products and services that encourage the tourist demand and positively contribute to the diversification of the tourist offer.