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Interreg Europe DETOCS final conference highlights policy improvements
The University of Malta is partner in the Interreg Europe Project "DETOCS: Decarbonising the Tourism Sector Beyond COvid-19 Support", under the leadership of Prof. In摹 Charles Yousif from the Institute for Sustainable Energy in collaboration with Prof. Anne Marie Thake from the Department of Policy, Politics and Governance and the support of In摹. Krista Rizzo, Research Support Officer II.
The final DETOCS partner meeting and conference has taken place at the Municipality of Middelburg, Netherlands between 14 and 15 October 2026, with all project partners represented, including the Ministry of Tourism, the policy partner of the project and other external stakeholders from the Energy and Water Agency and the Malta Tourism Authority.
Tobias van Gent, Alderman for International Affairs of the Municipality of Middelburg, welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of European cooperation for sustainable tourism. Fleur de Nooijer presented Middelburg’s experience with sustainable tourism, heritage conservation, circular approaches and the urban energy transition. Charo Camacho Cabello, representing the Interreg Europe Joint Secretariat, introduced the programme’s support for policy learning and highlighted the six policy improvements achieved through DETOCS.
Project results and regional experiences
Tea Poto膷nik, LEASP, introduced the project’s objectives, partnership and main achievements. Charles Yousif, University of Malta, presented the PESTEL and SWOT analyses of regional tourism decarbonisation challenges. Madeline Langlois, EIfI-Tech, outlined the policy changes inspired by DETOCS, while Ioannis Vourdoubas, MAICh, shared key insights from the Joint Thematic Guide. A partner panel moderated by Stefan H. Spitzer, EIfI-Tech, discussed regional experiences, barriers, transferable good practices and lessons from interregional cooperation.
Practical examples from tourism businesses. Mr. Brian Borg from the Ministry of Finance participated in the panel.
Erwin Veldman presented sustainability measures at the private wellness retreat Zeeuws Ontspannen. Tiny Maenhout shared her experience of converting an agricultural barn into a sustainable cooking school and bed and breakfast while preserving its original character, including the use of geothermal heat pumps. Both examples highlighted the challenges small businesses face in financing improvements and balancing energy performance with heritage preservation.
Participants exchanged experiences in three thematic groups covering energy efficiency, green investments and funding; policy, governance and stakeholder engagement; and awareness, skills and capacity building. Prof. Ing. Charles Yousif and Prof. Anne Marie Thake moderated two of these groups. Common challenges identified included financing investments, motivating stakeholders and improving energy efficiency in historic buildings. The feedback session highlighted shared challenges across regions, the value of exchanging practical examples and opportunities to apply DETOCS results beyond the project. Closing remarks emphasised continued cooperation and implementation of the lessons learned.
Posters were also presented for the different Policy Improvements. Malta's policy improvement consisted of a dynamic webpage providing information on funding/support opportunities in Malta, alongside energy efficiency and sustainability tips for the tourism sector. Inputs from stakeholders served to populate the website with active financial and training support schemes relevant to the tourism sector’s decarbonisation scope. The last year of the project is dedicated to monitoring the effectiveness of policy change in the different participating regions.
