People Powered Tourism

Discover how communities across the Danube Region are reshaping local tourism through people-powered, experience-based, and sustainable solutions.

Connecting people, places and purpose

Across the Danube Region, 14 project partners from 10 countries are joining forces to put people at the centre of tourism. With the support of 12 Associated Partners, we’re rethinking how tourism can work for communities — not just for visitors. 

 To empower local communities — including marginalised groups — in under-visited urban neighbourhoods and remote rural areas to rediscover and revitalise their cultural and natural heritage. Through social innovation, we co-design sustainable, experience-based and transformative tourism services that support the growth of a locally driven visitor economy and create tangible socio-economic benefits. 

Our Vision: New Tourism for Real Impact

The project embraces the concept of the visitor economy, a fresh approach to tourism that values people, stories, and lived experience just as much as destinations and attractions. At its heart are human connections, authentic encounters, and tailored experiences — the elements that make travel meaningful.

Instead of asking “What can visitors see?”, we ask:
"What impact can tourism have — for both visitors and local communities?"

We're tackling some of the most pressing challenges in modern tourism:

Sustainability – Balancing environmental, economic, and social impacts.
Overtourism – Alleviating pressure from overcrowded hotspots by strengthening lesser-known places.
Community involvement – Empowering local people to unlock and shape the potential of their own heritage.
Ecotourism – Building up the rapidly growing nature-based tourism sector with forward-looking, sustainable solutions.

What We Deliver 

PPT Toolbox – Practical tools to support communities in designing tourism services with real local value.
PPT Guidebook – A hands-on guide for developing sustainable, nature-based tourism services.
Danube Visitor Economy Platform – An online hub for tourism providers, policymakers and innovators to exchange knowledge and access best practices.
Visitor Economy Roadmaps – 10 co-created action plans to guide local tourism transformation based on visitor economy principles.

This project is about more than tourism. It’s about sustainable local change, community pride, and a new way to connect with places — for both visitors and residents. By shining a light on hidden gems and supporting grassroots initiatives, we're building a stronger, more social Danube Region.

Let’s rethink tourism — together.