The main objectives of the project (directly aligned to the three selected Erasmus+ priorities – “Environment and fight against climate change”; “Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity” and “Adapting vocational education and training to labour market needs”) are outlined below: O1 Upskill tourism professionals and students on green and digital skills towards sustainable and resilient tourism operation O2 Help tourism professionals understand the environmental impact of their choices O3 Support businesses & authorities in the development/promotion of sustainable destinations. O4 Increase the interest and motivation of local tourism stakeholders on sustainability related issues O5 Raise awareness of the advantages of sustainable tourism for businesses, the community and the environment. O6 Raise awareness among the general public on the negative impacts of climate change thus contributing to behavioural change and more responsible consumer choices O7 Offer concrete examples/practices on sustainability related measures in hotels O8 Increase the uptake of existing relevant digital tools that promote sustainability
Tourism is one of the major industries of the EU and so, a significant sector to be aligned with the European Green Deal (making Europe climate neutral in 2050). Also, it was one of the most heavily affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in need of a “restart” on more sustainable and resilient foundations. In the case of Greece and Italy, tourism plays a very important role in their economy. When it comes to the targeted regions (Korinthia and Messina) which share similarities in both the environmental context and culture neither the stakeholders nor the general public seem to have increased awareness and knowledge on sustainability topics, despite the fact that both regions have great potential in this field. Moreover, since most tourism businesses are micro-enterprises, they lack the resources/capacity to invest in capacity building. So, local tourism actors and professionals need to be empowered and motivated to proceed with adaptations and initiatives that can contribute to a more sustainable operational model. They also need practical, hand-on examples and guidelines on how to implement cost-effective sustainability related measures. Those needs were addressed by the implementation of the project activities