Chalkida, 27–28 September 2025 — The Smart Agritourism Challenge is coming to the Euboea Chamber of Commerce (12 Eleftheriou Venizelou, Chalkida) for a two-day, hybrid event designed to spark practical innovation in rural tourism. Across talks, hands-on workshops, and team pitching sessions, participants will explore how data, AI, and smart tools can elevate visitor experiences while strengthening local producer networks and place-based value chains. The event is held under the auspices of the Region of Central Greece and the Euboea Chamber of Commerce, within the European project PoliRuralPlus.

A collaborative format with real-world outcomes

Day one - The programme opens on Saturday with a concise sequence of keynotes and a panel that frames agritourism’s current challenges and opportunities—including local identity, sustainability, and digital user experience—followed by team formation and a short facilitation block to establish roles and working norms. Speakers include representatives from Open Farm, academia, technology companies, and field practitioners in agrifood and tourism.

Day two - On Sunday, participants dive into mentor-supported workshops to shape, test, and present ideas addressing real-life agritourism use cases—from smart visitor journeys to product storytelling and farm-to-table experiences enhanced by digital tools. The day culminates in team pitches, feedback from experts, and the announcement of distinctions. Certificates of attendance will be issued to all participants.

Who it’s for

Producers, tourism and hospitality professionals, students, developers, and early-stage founders with an interest in rural innovation are encouraged to join. The format is intentionally interdisciplinary: teams mix sector knowledge with technical, business, and creative skills to generate concepts that can be piloted in Central Greece and, ultimately, adapted elsewhere.

Why it matters now

PoliRuralPlus focuses on data-informed, participatory approaches to rural development across multiple European regions. In Central Greece, the Smart Agritourism Challenge acts as the pilot’s flagship activity—linking agrifood and tourism through practical experimentation and knowledge exchange. By combining talks (to align on policy and market context) with workshops (to prototype solutions) and pitches (to stress-test ideas with stakeholders), the event is designed to move concepts closer to implementation. Partners such as the Agricultural University of Athens, Neuropublic, and GAIA Epicheirein contribute domain expertise and networks to support teams during and after the event.

Participants can expect:

  • Hands-on learning in diverse teams, guided by mentors and practitioners;
  • Exposure to tools and methods (from AI to user-experience techniques) that translate into actual products and services;
  • Networking with producers, young scientists, and tourism professionals, opening pathways to collaboration and market access;
  • Recognition and certificates, plus visibility for standout ideas.

Programme highlights (at a glance)

  • Sat 27/9, 17:00–20:00: Welcome; keynote on PoliRuralPlus and Open Farm’s role; expert talks on agritourism trends and the rural visitor experience; a case presentation; a panel on “Tourism & Technology”; team creation and facilitation.
  • Sun 28/9, 11:00–14:00: Sustainability-driven business framing; Workshop A (ideation & mentoring); Workshop B (refinement & pitch prep); team presentations; feedback; announcement of distinctions; closing.

The event is open to the public and hybrid, with both in-person attendance in Chalkida and livestream access for remote participants.

Call to action

Reserve your spot and get all practical details here:
👉 https://openfarm.gr/smart-agritourism-challenge/

This challenge is organised as a part of the PoliRuralPlus Mobilise Call, co-funded by European Union.