Development of a new cross-border sustainable and inclusive tourism destination: IstraECOinclusive

IstraECOinclusive is a 30-month Interreg Slovenia–Croatia project, co-funded under Priority 4.6 of the Interreg Slovenia–Croatia 2021–2027 Programme: 'Resilient and Sustainable Region'. Enhancing the Role of Culture and Sustainable Tourism in Economic Development, Social Inclusion, and Social Innovation. With a total budget of EUR 1,417,856, the project runs from 1 March 2026 to 31 August 2028.

Led by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), the project brings together the following partners from Slovenian and Croatian Istria: Sonček (the Cerebral Palsy Association of Slovenia), ROS.TOURIST (the Institute for Responsible Tourism), the Region of Istria, the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, the Municipality of Vrsar-Orsera and the Vrsar Tourist Board. Together, they aim to establish a new, sustainable, inclusive cross-border tourism destination that links Slovenian and Croatian Istria, setting an example for the wider area.

The project addresses shared territorial challenges on both sides of the border, such as limited sustainable tourism development, environmental and social pressures from mass tourism, insufficient cross-border cooperation and stakeholder training, and the need for greater social inclusion, particularly for older people and those with disabilities. A central feature of the project is the Parenzana route, which connects two green transition learning sites: Centre Sonček in Elerji, Slovenia and the Kontija Scientific and Educational Centre in Vrsar, Croatia. With new content on the green transition and improved accessibility, the Parenzana route will offer an experiential and interpretive experience that will also strengthen social awareness in the destination.

The project will focus on three main elements:
1.    Capacity building for sustainable and inclusive tourism: training tourism stakeholders in sustainable business practices and the green transition, paying particular attention to social inclusion in tourism.
2.    Destination development and pilot testing: establishing and testing IstraECOinclusive as a cross-border example of sustainable and inclusive tourism, including developing interpretive sites and upgrading the Parenzana route. 
3.    Joint management and long-term cooperation: developing a joint management model; setting up a cross-border consortium for destination development and management; and promoting the destination through shared activities and a final public cross-border event.

As the lead partner, ZRC SAZU will coordinate the project and support its strategic and research foundations. The institute contributes to developing the cross-border destination model and fostering cooperation among partners from the fields of research, public administration, tourism, and civil society. The project aims to benefit tourism providers, local communities, public authorities, educational and research organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), residents and visitors on both sides of the border, paying particular attention to people with disabilities, both as hosts and guests.

More information

Program Priority: A Resilient and Sustainable Region

Specific Objective 4.6: Strengthening the role of culture and sustainable tourism
in economic development, social inclusion, and social innovation

Project duration in months: 30 (March 2026–August 2028)

Project value: € 1,417,856.00

Project value for the partner ZRC SAZU: € 331,230.00

Project 80% co-financed by the EU. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg Slovenia-Croatia programme to the value of EUR 1,134,284.80.