The SUSDEST-NET project is funded by the EU Black Sea Basin Fund INTERREG NEXT and covers Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Turkey.
The Black Sea basin is facing environmental degradation, over-dependence on tourism and fragmented management, resulting in unsustainable resource utilization and uneven regional development. The project is being implemented with the aim of developing sustainable tourism based on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles.
For this purpose, tourism destination management committees will be established, monitoring tools based on artificial intelligence and collaborative platforms will be used, which transform destinations into competitive, sustainable and environmentally responsible areas throughout the region.
According to the Capital City Hall, the total budget of the project is more than 1.4 million euros and is structured as follows:
– EUR 1.3 million (90%) is the contribution of the European Union.
– 141.6 thousand euros (10%) – partners’ contributions.
The financial participation of the Chisinau Municipality for the realization of the project activities amounts to 223,2 thousand euros, of which:
– EUR 200,9 thousand will be reimbursed to the municipal budget by the project manager – Municipality of Kavala (Hellenic Republic) from EU funds after each reporting period of implementation;
– EUR 22.3 thousand – the municipality’s own non-refundable contribution (amounting to 10% of the total allocated budget).
The project was officially launched on November 4, 2025 and will run until 2028. It will develop a common policy and strategy for sustainable tourism, providing a harmonized framework to guide related practices.
The initiative aims to transform the named tourist destinations into sustainable, competitive and attractive areas, supporting the Blue Economy and raising the profile of the Black Sea region as a whole, as well as each sub-region in particular. This will contribute to attracting responsible tourists, stimulating local economies and preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Black Sea region.
