The idea of the ‘Transformative Tourism across European Capitals of Culture – Traces’ project is to encourage cultural tourism as the base for sustainable capital of culture after the title year. Capitals of Culture, in bond with creative industries, through innovations in tourism and change of perception, from classical towards the so-called ‘transformative tourism’, i.e. from simple tourist experience towards interactive tourism, are finding innovative ways to make visitors of the cities become participants-creators of the experience itself through the project.

The ‘Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture’ became part of the European network of partners (which are, among others, Matera 2019, Rijeka 2020, Košice 2013, Leeuwarden 2018, San Sebastian 2016, Ruhr 2010, University in Rijeka, Materahub, etc.), in the ‘Traces’ project, which makes it another ‘laboratory for innovations in tourism’.

The project is implemented within the COSME programme of the European Union, with the aim to support development of small and medium enterprises and strengthen their competitiveness and sustainability. The project offers creative, multi-layered and adaptable cultural tourism through European Capitals of Culture, which enables capitals of culture to use legacies of their activities.

The objectives of the project are: diversifying transnational tourist offer, promoting synergy between tourism and economy, providing strong European dimension, offering new and creative narratives for European Capitals of Culture, organising triple framework for planning (action plan, business plan and system indicators).