YouthTRAILS “Ecotourism network for young travellers in Europe”
RETHINKING YOUTH TRAVEL WITH YOUTHTRAILS
In the YouthTRAILS project, mobility is more than just moving from one place to another. It’s a transformative experience — an opportunity for young people to travel consciously, connect with local communities, and actively contribute to climate action and sustainable development.We align with and reimagine DiscoverEU, the EU initiative that allows 18-year-olds to explore Europe mostly by rail. While DiscoverEU opens the door to mobility, YouthTRAILS adds a sustainable purpose, guiding young travellers beyond city capitals and into remote, rural, and ecotourism-rich areas where youth organisations and green changemakers are active.
OUR VISION FOR GREEN MOBILITY
Unlike traditional projects that focus solely on the eco-friendliness of transport, YouthTRAILS redefines green mobility as a youth-driven social and environmental movement.
We believe mobility should:
- Foster real interaction between young travellers and local youth groups.
- Promote ecotourism as a tool for climate action.
- Equip youth workers with tools to connect youth, local assets, and tourism.
- Inspire young people to become active storytellers of sustainable regions.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Many young travellers skip rural or wild areas during DiscoverEU experiences simply because they don’t know about them — or how to engage with local communities.
YouthTRAILS addresses this gap by:
- Developing interpretation youth maps co-created by local youth.
- Building a European Youth Network for Ecotourism Education and Practice.
- Empowering youth workers as facilitators of responsible travel.
- Launching the YEL! (YouthTRAILS Ecotourism Label) to help travellers identify youth-friendly, eco-conscious destinations.
YOUTH MOBILITY FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Our goal isn’t just greener travel — it’s building a movement.
- We connect youth mobility to activism, giving it social purpose.
- We empower remote communities by linking them to young European travellers.
- We turn youth workers into changemakers, capable of influencing mobility trends and creating spaces for participation, sustainability, and innovation.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project No: 2024-1-IS01-KA220-YOU-000246411