The aim of the project is to improve the quality and suitability of knowledge and skills of tourism (and related) major students’ in 4 universities. These will be done by development, testing and implementation of innovative training on usage of ICT in sustainable tourism development. What is more the universities curricula will be adjusted to meet the current labor market requirements by XII 2021. The achievement of the aim will also introduce the real changes on the university level (subjects’ topics, educational methods and techniques) by adjusting educational content (projects’ outcomes, syllabuses etc.) to job market current requirements. The project’s activities undertaken will also significantly improve teaching quality of every single student (new skills and competences, innovative tools for career development, increased students’ consciousness concerning the sustainable tourism development). The main participants of the project are 45 tourism science students that will take part in International Summer Schools run by partner universities (3 editions x 5 students x 3partners) and 20 universities teaching staff members (5 staff members x 4 partners) who will participate in International Academy of ICT for sustainable development. The seminars that will disseminate project results will be attended by 200 people including higher education sector (students, graduates, universities teaching staff members), government and self-government administration representatives, NGO, media and tourism experts. The most important project’s results are the following: • Course "ICT as a tool for development and promotion of sustainable tourism development" • Casebook "Treasury of knowledge" • A set of 8 e-learning courses for the course • Educational board game on sustainable tourism development • Student's Guidebook and Teacher Toolkit • Scientific publications All the project’s results will be in English version (part of the deliverables will be translated to native languages of partners) and will be made available as an Open Educational Resources, what will enable the project to have a wider and more significant effect on target audience. As a result of project’s realization universities educational offer will be extended by new innovative training course "ICT as a tool for development and promotion of sustainable tourism development" which will be the reference model for further development of curricula. All the project’s results may be used by the universities in Europe and all over the world. The project will also create solid base for international cooperation and exchange of experience in the field of creating sustainable tourism between universities from Poland, Switzerland, Germany and Serbia.
The aim of the project was modernization of the offer of 4 universities through the development, testing and implementation of an innovative course "ICT as a tool for the development and promotion of sustainable tourism development" aimed at students of tourism-related majors shaping skills in the use of ICT in the promotion and development of sustainable tourism, as well as the adaptation of study programs to the current requirements of the labor market. Implementation of the goal introduced real changes at the level of the university (topics of classes, educational methods, offer), significantly increasing the quality of education at the level of the student (new competencies, tools to support the work, increased awareness of sustainable tourism development) and at the level of the socio-economic environment. The introduction of the new educational program will translate into an increase in student competence in the use of ICT to promote and preserve natural and cultural heritage in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, and thus increase employability in university graduates and future tourism employees. The project has also laid a solid foundation for international cooperation and exchange of experiences.
Tourism is a sector that accounts for 10% of global GDP, 7% of global trade and creates 1 in 10 jobs. With the development of tourism, it is possible to achieve synergies between the development of economic, cultural, and recreational functions. Therefore, it is necessary to stimulate the development of tourism in the direction of creating innovative tourism products and introducing innovations in the system of organization of tourism services, with the use of e-services. The combination and synergy of activities related to the application of ICT in tourism with its sustainable development, is now becoming a determinant of future tourism development. From this perspective, it is extremely important to properly educate future tourism personnel. The analysis showed that the issue of sustainable development in Polish schools and universities is not sufficiently exposed and modern technologies are not sufficiently used. This problem was also present at partner universities. The project responds to the aforementioned needs and deficits.