EDEN, European Destinations of Excellence

Call for proposal


The Call for Proposal 36/G/ENT/CIP/12/B/N02S04 for Accessible Tourism has been published in the framework of the European Destination for Excellence (EDEN) Initiative. The broad aim of the EDEN Initiative is to draw attention to the value, diversity and shared characteristics of European tourist destinations and to promote destinations where the economic growth objective is pursued in such a way as to ensure the social, cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism.

The general objectives of the EDEN Initiative are:
• To enhance visibility of the emerging European tourist destinations of excellence, especially the lesser
known,
• To create awareness of Europe\'s tourist diversity and quality,
• To promote all European countries and regions,
• To help decongestion, combat seasonality, rebalance the tourist flows towards the non-traditional
destinations,
• To award sustainable forms of tourism,
• To create a platform for the exchange of good practices at European level,
• To promote networking between awarded destinations which could persuade other destinations to adopt
sustainable tourism development models.

The priority of the current Call for Proposals of the EDEN Initiative is to support eligible countries’ National Administrations in charge of tourism, or other public bodies for the purpose of the selection of one EDEN destination of excellence, in order to reward those destinations which have developed a tourism offer based on an overall approach to accessibility for tourists regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age.

The target groups for the results of this EDEN Initiative’s call for proposal are:
• “Non traditional” tourism destinations (the visitor density rating from “low” to “very low” in comparison with the national average);
• Tourism destinations that manage their own tourism offer in a way to ensure social, cultural an environmental sustainability;
• Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.

Eligible participants within this EDEN Initiative’s call for proposal are National Administration in charge of tourism established in one of the following countries:
• EU Member States
• EFTA countries which are members of the European Economic Area (EEA) in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement: Norway, Liechtenstein
• candidate countries: Croatia, Iceland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey;
• other countries from the Western Balkans, in accordance with the provisions to be determined with those countries following the establishment of Framework Agreements concerning their participation in Community programmes: Albania, Montenegro and Serbia;
If the responsibility for the tourism sector is decentralized, then the proposal may be submitted by the competent regional administration. Only one application per country is admissible

The eligible actions that can be funded within this EDEN Initiative’s call for proposal are only projects that are strictly non profit-making and/or whose immediate objective is non-commercial.

The maximum budget allocated from the CIP financing decision for this EDEN Initiative’s call for proposal is 750.000 €.  The Maximum EU co-financing rate of eligible costs is 75 % and the Maximum European Union co-financing ceiling per project is 50.000 €.

The deadline for submitting proposals in the framework of the current Call for Proposals of the EDEN Initiative is 30/04/2012.

Further information on the current Call for Proposals of the EDEN Initiative is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=5791&lang=en&title=36%2FG%2FENT%2FCIP%2F12%2FB%2FN02S04%20%2D%20European%20Destinations%20of%20Excellence%20%E2%80%93%20Accessible%20tourism