Sustoura Accelerator: Driving Innovation in Sustainable Tourism

The Sustoura Accelerator was a pan-European initiative aimed at fostering innovation in sustainable tourism across five countries. Designed as a hybrid program, it combined virtual labs and mentoring with onsite sessions in two countries. Participants explored sustainability-driven business ideas, leveraging service design and Lean Startup methods to build viable solutions for their ventures.

Program Designer: Developed and implemented a comprehensive program structure, integrating service design and Lean Startup methodologies.

Platform Developer: Designed and managed the creation of a custom digital platform with phase-specific landing pages for storing content, submitting deliverables, and tracking progress.

Facilitator: Led interactive labs, mentoring sessions, and hybrid workshops, ensuring participant engagement and learning.

Project Manager: Oversaw all aspects of project execution, including stakeholder coordination, travel arrangements for onsite meetings, and tight timelines during the critical initial phases.

Content Creator: Designed all program content, including presentations, exercises, and resources tailored to participant needs.

Stakeholder Coordination: Initial uncertainty delayed the project start, requiring a high-pressure execution phase.

Participant Retention: Diverse time zones and participant commitments made consistent engagement a challenge.

Language Barriers: Varying levels of English proficiency impacted confidence and participation.

Hybrid Logistics: Balancing onsite events in Greece and Austria with virtual activities required meticulous planning.

Resource Accessibility: Participants needed centralized access to materials, deadlines, and deliverables to stay organized.

Centralized Digital Platform: Developed a phase-specific landing page system where participants could find all resources, submit deliverables, and review recordings.

Proactive Engagement Strategies: Regular check-ins, personalized follow-ups, and native-language mentoring increased participation and confidence.

Hybrid Program Management: Ensured seamless integration of onsite and online activities with a focus on logistics and participant experience.

Data-Driven Adjustments: Used attendance and evaluation data to adapt pacing, communication, and content delivery.

Strong Engagement: Achieved an 89% attendance rate in live sessions despite challenges, with female participants showing the highest engagement (8.22 sessions on average).

Participant Deliverables: Guided participants to create structured business models, MVPs, and pitches aligned with sustainable tourism goals.

Inclusive Environment: Adapted to language barriers, enabling active participation through tailored mentoring and flexible content.

Positive Feedback: 81% of participants rated program content as very useful, and 79% found it highly relevant to their business goals.

The Sustoura Accelerator demonstrated how strategic program design, hands-on management, and tailored engagement can overcome logistical and cultural barriers to deliver impactful outcomes in sustainable tourism.