- The DIBEST project hosted its sixth transnational meeting in Kerry from 20 to 24 April 2026.
- Delegates from Spain France Ireland and Portugal visited Killarney Cahersiveen Valentia Island Portmagee Sneem and Kenmare.
- The Western Development Commission leads the project and hosts the event with Munster Technological University and the RDI Hub.
- A two-day Workshop on Wheels brought participants to coastal communities including Valentia Island and Sneem.
- The project supports micro enterprises in coastal regions through digital tools and sustainable tourism practices.
- The RDI Hub positions Kerry as a living lab for blue economy innovation
The DIBEST project (Digital Innovation for Blue Enterprises & Social Tourism) plans to host its sixth transnational meeting and micro enterprise event in Kerry from 20 to 24 April 2026 and brings together partners from Spain France Ireland and Portugal. Led by Ireland’s Western Development Commission, it supports tourism firms in Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal over three years with a budget exceeding €2m.
Delegates will travel across Killarney, Cahersiveen, Valentia Island, Portmagee, Sneem and Kenmare for collaboration site visits and peer learning on sustainable socially responsible tourism in coastal and blue economy regions.
The Western Development Commission leads the project as the Irish host works with Munster Technological University and the RDI Hub. The event includes a two-day Workshop on Wheels that takes participants into coastal communities for focus groups and exchanges with micro enterprises and stakeholders. Participants visit Valentia Island Portmagee Sneem and Parknasilla to explore local heritage maritime assets and digital innovation in resilient coastal tourism.
DIBEST receives co-funding from the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund and supports micro enterprises in adopting digital tools for sustainable tourism models. The week concludes with the final partner meeting in Killarney..
Ian Brannigan shared the western development commission is proud to support the DIBEST project in helping regional tourism micro enterprises access new opportunities through transnational collaboration. DIBEST strengthens the capacity of coastal enterprises to grow sustainably promotes Atlantic regions internationally and reflects the WDC mission to support enterprise development and regional leadership across the west of Ireland.
Mary Rose Stafford shared this project has been very rewarding for mtu as it allowed us to collaborate with tourism micro enterprises across our partnerships on digital skills and innovation. The final project event has provided us with the opportunity to welcome 50 delegates to Kerry to showcase Irish hospitality at its best. The three-day event includes visits to other tourism businesses to learn from their best practices and to learn from each other. MTU are immersed in supporting tourism development and the DIBEST project has helped us have real impact on these businesses.
Fergal Brosnan shared welcoming European partners to Kerry highlights the region role as a living lab for innovation in the blue economy. Dibest aligns strongly with the rdi hub mission to support enterprises through collaboration innovation mentoring and international knowledge exchange.
