As we approach the final months of the TWINNEDbySTARS project, we are thrilled to share the remarkable progress made since our last newsletter in September. This edition covers an action-packed period from October 2025 to March 2026, highlighting key achievements in capacity building, product development, international networking, and our growing community of sustainable marine ecotourism enterprises.

In October 2025, the TWINNEDbySTARS consortium gathered in Martinique for a pivotal steering committee meeting that brought together partners from all four regions. This activity provided an opportunity to review progress, coordinate activities, and plan the final phase of implementation.

The Martinique meeting included several key activities that demonstrated the tangible impact of our project:

The warm hospitality of our Martinique partners and the enthusiasm of local enterprises reinforced the project's mission to create a lasting network between island territories, enhancing their tourism attractiveness and international visibility through sustainable practices.

As we continue to develop our flagship TWINNEDbySTARS products, which are now on the market, we are concentrating on increasing their online visibility and stimulating interaction via their specialised websites and social media platforms.

ASA represents an innovative fusion of nautical tourism and astrotourism, offering visitors unique stargazing experiences at sea. This product capitalises on the exceptional dark skies and marine environments of four outermost regions in the Atlantic Region, creating a new niche in sustainable tourism.

These are the enterprises already offering experiences through the Atlantic Star Adventures platform.

Discover more at ASA’s website and social media channels:

AOBI connects what students learn in the classroom with real maritime jobs by providing certified, practical training opportunities at sea, focusing on the principles of the Blue Economy and ocean conservation, and linking students, professionals, and ocean-focused individuals of all ages with nautical companies in Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Martinique.

The training programme developed under Work Package 2 has been a cornerstone of the TWINNEDbySTARS project, equipping enterprises with essential skills for digital and ecological transition. The comprehensive training offered has reached an impressive number of participants across all four regions.

Our training programme addressed key priorities identified through co-creation workshops with enterprises:

@NauticOcean (Xavier Martínez and Gerard Martínez) | @PolarisMenorca (Javier Ares) | @SEOBirdLife (Javier Romero) | @academiaidearte (Naty Sánchez) | Raquel Vázquez (AI) | Asociación Astronómica Sabadell

Our certified training programme was delivered in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into Portuguese and French. Designed for maximum practical impact, the programme leveraged real-world scenarios to serve as a strategic guide for professional growth. To complement the learning experience, we have developed a comprehensive suite of supplementary materials, including technical guides, scripts, and exclusive interviews with experts.

TWINNEDbySTARS has actively participated in major international tourism and nautical industry fairs, showcasing our innovative products and expanding our network of contacts and potential collaborators.

As the world's largest boat and water sports trade fair, Boot Düsseldorf offered exceptional visibility for TWINNEDbySTARS from January 17–25 2026. One of the project products, AOBI, was launched and presented at the Blue Innovation Dock to an international audience of industry professionals, boat manufacturers, and tourism operators.

At FITUR, one of the world's most important tourism trade fairs ran from January 21-25, 2026, when TWINNEDbySTARS showcased the unique tourism offerings of ASA for the European outermost regions. Our presence highlighted the sustainable and innovative nature of our marine ecotourism products, attracting interest from tour operators, travel agencies, and destination marketing organisations in navigation with astronomy experiences.

Our consortium participated in one of Europe's premier underwater and marine tourism events celebrated from 8-11 January, 2026, connecting with diving operators, marine conservation organisations, and adventure tourism professionals. This fair provided an excellent platform to promote both ASA and AOBI products to the European market.

The TWINNEDbySTARS project has spotlighted its innovative eco-tourism platform at Portugal's Nauticampo fair in Lisbon. Members of the European initiative showcased ASA to boating enthusiasts and industry stakeholders from 11-15 March 2026.

We are pleased to announce our participation in the International Maritime Fair (FIMAR) 2026, taking place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We will continue promoting TWINNEDbySTARS products and the exceptional tourism potential of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Martinique—this year’s featured guest territory.

These international fairs are essential for establishing TWINNEDbySTARS products in global markets, creating business opportunities for participating enterprises, and positioning our Outermost Regions as leaders in sustainable marine ecotourism innovation.

On 1 October, the second practical session of the Marine Starguide course was held in the Canary Islands, with the participation of KR7 Ecotours (Madeira) and Serea Excursiones (El Hierro).

The Starlight Foundation has granted Nautic Ocean, partner of the TWINNEDbySTARS project, the 2025 International Starlight Award in the Astrotourism category.

On 5 November, the TWINNEDbySTARS project took part in the recording of the television programme “Puerta de Embarque”, a space dedicated to showcasing initiatives connected to the sea, island destinations and the nautical sector. 

The Funchal marina welcomed, on 9 November, the Atlantic Star Adventures, a new tourism product that combines sailing, astronomical observation, and the discovery of the natural heritage of the European Outermost Regions. 

On 14 November, Marina del Sur in Las Galletas (Tenerife) welcomed the arrival of Atlantic Star Adventures. They took part in a whale watching activity with hydrophones and a tour of the eastern coast of the island, together with Misael Morales, director of BIOSEAN and also part of the Atlantic Onboard Internships' product.

During the Atlantic Star Adventure's stopover in Gran Canaria on November 15, participants enjoyed an immersive experience focused on marine biodiversity and responsible sailing. The activity included sea trips for stargazing, as well as a presentation on marine ecosystems and promoting environmentally friendly tourism.