In January 2026, ReStart officially launched, a new European project that brings together a strong European network of partners, all sharing the same ambition: to use tourism as a driver for ecological, economic and social development in North-Western Europe (NWE).
ReStart is funded through the Interreg EU Northwestern Europe program and will run for 3,5 years. The project, led by Tourism Flanders, aims to accelerate the shift toward sustainable and regenerative tourism practices. We will achieve this by focusing on a healthy balance between the visitor economy, climate action, and the impact of tourism on communities and their quality of life.
What is ReStart?
ReStart helps tourism authorities and their partners look beyond sustainability. It focuses on restoring and strengthening tourism destinations.
The project aligns closely with Travel to Tomorrow, the vision Tourism Flanders has used to shape tourism in recent years. It's a vision based on resilience, connectedness, and social value. With ReStart, this approach is now gaining significant European momentum, allowing our Flemish vision to grow into an international movement that makes a difference.
At the heart of this is the ReStart Compass: a practical guide that supports tourism authorities in embedding regenerative principles into policy, operations and daily decisions.
The Compass offers:
- a shared definition of regenerative tourism for the entire NWE region,
- concrete tools and resources to make policies and actions more sustainable and stronger,
- support to translate theory into practice, aimed at a green and social transition and social added value through tourism.
The project works around 3 pillars:
- tourism in balance
- climate adaptation and mitigation (adapting to and mitigating climate change, ed.)
- resident involvement and quality of life.
Together they form the basis for a tourism model that creates real added value for people and the planet.
Where does ReStart make the difference?
During the 3,5 year project period, ReStart will:
- testing and refining the ReStart Compass at eight pilot locations in Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands, tailored to local contexts.
- Supporting SMEs and governments in applying regenerative principles in their services, policies, and actions.
- train and support at least 54 tourism and tourism-related authorities in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands.
Who are the partners?
ReStart is led by Tourism Flanders. The consortium combines expertise in tourism development, sustainability, and policy innovation:
- Westtoer (Belgium)
- Breda University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
- Munster Technological University (Ireland)
- NECSTouR (Belgium)
- Municipality of Leeuwarden (Netherlands)
- Brittany Region (France)
- Synergy Littoral (France)
- City of Koblenz (Germany)
Together, this network of tourism regions, academic institutions and companies is building systemic change in tourism in North-Western Europe.
Next steps
The kick-off meeting was scheduled for early 2026. There, we met the partners and discussed the first operational steps.
The first version of the ReStart Compass will be released in mid-2026. This will form the basis for testing at the pilot locations.
The pilot project will be rolled out in Flanders in 2027. It focuses on supporting tourism entrepreneurs in the context of the energy transition.
More information: