The SMART-NBT project is creating a digital platform to strengthen sustainable nature-based tourism (NBT). The platform brings together information on tourism activities and ecosystem condition to serve tourists, businesses, and policymakers alike. It helps tourists plan activities, supports local businesses in promoting their services, guides authorities in marketing destinations, and enables environmental managers to prioritise conservation and restoration where it is most needed.

By establishing ecosystem condition baselines, SMART-NBT also contributes directly to biodiversity conservation and supports the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law. This is especially important in regions where national assessments are still limited.

Project objectives:

• Develop a digital platform that supports nature-based tourism by integrating satellite (Copernicus), drone (UAV), and ecosystem condition data.
• Identify and assess sites of nature-based tourism value using environmental indicators, crowdsourced data, and big data analytics.
• Support public and private stakeholders in promoting sustainable tourism services and improving tourism planning and marketing.
• Provide environmental authorities with tools to prioritise conservation and restoration efforts based on tourism pressure and ecological condition.
• Establish ecosystem condition baselines to support biodiversity conservation and meet EU Nature Restoration Law targets, especially in areas lacking comprehensive national ecosystem assessments.