In recent months we have seen how students around all Europe and the world have called weekly strikes to protest against climate change and the lack of specific actions against climate change. VET Students do not want to be mere spectators of policies to combat climate change, but to be themselves agents of change, and for that we must equip them with knowledge and tools. The transmission of knowledge is fundamental, and therefore we also need that VET teachers are trained in the skills and knowledge that their students are demanding. The main topic of this project is the Cross-Sector Tourism Networks for Sustainable Tourism (CSTN). As a strategy, this is a novel philosophy of grouping small tourism entrepreneurs in a sustainable destination and act as an umbrella environment to help entrepreneurs. During this project, the following Intellectual Outputs will be produced: - IO1: Online course with the management tools of CSTN. - IO2: Digital manual for sustainable tourist destinations and EcoBrand. - IO3: APP for the establishment of the CSTN. The course, along with the other IO of this project, will seek the incorporation into touristic market of new micro, small and medium enterprises, while boosting existing ones. The generation of CSTN has a double mission; to value unexplored territories that receive a reduced number of tourists and provide sustainable management tools for those territories that receive a high number of tourists in certain periods. It seeks to generate entrepreneurship opportunities for young people through a model of sustainable and deseasonalized tourism; which allows to generate stable and quality jobs even in rural areas. This project will: ● Train VET teachers in elearning methodologies, sustainability and innovative methodologies for tourism management. (IO1) ● Train VET students in sustainability and entrepreneurship. (IO1) ● Create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and support networks for new entrepreneurs and support to the tourism entities that are already operating. (IO2 and IO3). ● Encourage the implementation of sustainable practices in tourism companies. (IO2) The main target groups of this project are: ● VET teachers ● VET students ● Entrepreneurs and small tourism companies interested in tourism networks and sustainability. Due to the importance of Greenland in the world climate change, it will be a key element to foster conscience in VET students about the importance to fight against climate change.
TOURNET had provided a solution for each need detected. S1: Creating training activities to develop teaching staff competences (including use of curriculum and teaching materials, on-line tutoring for e-learning). S2: Creating a training course, manual and app to put into practice what they have learnt on the course. The training and tools offered in this project complement the training that VET students receive in other courses. S3: Enhance entrepreneurship opportunities in areas of low tourist intensity and opportunities to enhance and affirm unexplored destinations, by using the project results. S4 We have provided to the students tools in order to help them to become active agents in the sustainability area. This project has achieved: Train VET teachers in e-learning methodologies, sustainability and innovative methodologies for tourism management. (IO1) Train VET students in sustainability and entrepreneurship. (IO1) Create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and support networks for new entrepreneurs and support to the tourism entities that are already operating. (IO2 and IO3). Encourage the implementation of sustainable practices in tourism companies. (IO2)
The project addresses the following problems and needs of project target groups (VET teachers, VET students, entrepreneurs). Problem 1: Training needs of VET teachers: New/enhanced competences needed by teaching staff for training implementation of sustainability, tourism courses and business management courses. P2: Training needs of VET students: The professional training curricula are not updated frequently, new trends and technologies are not incorporated until they are mature technologies, which makes new entrepreneurs less competitive. The vocational curricula of the participating countries does not include sustainability or "Green skills “in any course. P3: Lack of entrepreneurial initiatives and business opportunities in zones with low number of tourists. P4: Lack of sustainable practices in tourist business already in operation. P5: Student’s demonstrations about climate change show a huge concern about global warming.