
Icelandic and Irish SMEs recognition
Two of the European tourism SMEs supported by the EU CE4RT project (co-financed under the Single Market Programme and implemented by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)) recently gained wide recognition in their national territories.
The Icelandic SME GJ Travel, which received EU financial support in the framework of the project, has been awarded the Icelandic Incentive Award for Responsible Tourism in an award ceremony on 15 January 2025 presented by Iceland President Halla Tomasdottir.
Thanks to the coaching for which GJ Travel used their EU funding, the company developed their sustainability policy, with an action plan that included the Regenerative Tourism Tours, a new tourism product focused on regenerative tourism. In this context, the awarded prize is a recognition of the company’s dedication to minimising carbon footprints, supporting local communities, and ensuring guest and employee safety – which is recognised as a benchmark for other tourism actors in Iceland.
For more information, you can also check out the CE4RT LinkedIn post about the recognition awarded to GJ Travel
Another beneficiary of the EU financial support via the CE4RT project, the Irish SME Wildlands was recently shortlisted for the Irish Green Awards 2025, prestigious national awards that recognise the extraordinary contribution and commitment that organisations make towards growing a greener future, whose award ceremony will take place in February.
The company, based around the west coast of Ireland and specialised in outdoor activities, decided to use the received EU funding to develop a strategy and plan to minimise the impact that its operations have on the environment – including by encouraging its guests to engage in their surroundings.
For more information, you can also check out the Wildlands Galway LinkedIn post about being shortlisted for the awards
More information about the CE4RT Project
Co-funded by the Single Market Programme, the concluding Circular Economy for Regenerative Tourism (CE4RT) project is a trans-national collaborative project supporting a network of tourism SMEs across five partner European hubs (covering Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Iceland, Finland) in the areas of Sustainable Practice, the Circular Economy and Regenerative Tourism. The project aims to provide tourism SMEs with the tools to implement regenerative practices as a long-term strategy within their region and to contribute to the continued resilience, viability and competitiveness of the industry.
The Final Conference
The International Regenerative Tourism Conference, concluding event of the CE4RT project, took place on 19 and 20 November in Dingle, Ireland.
The conference welcomed over 180 delegates from 8 countries, which included SMEs, tourism professionals, academics, destination management organisations, national tourism bodies, local authorities and community groups. The event represented a great opportunity for participants to network and take stock of the lessons learnt and achievements of the project.
Details
- Publication date
- 30 January 2025
- Author
- European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency