The GreenTour project aimed to redefine youth education in green entrepreneurship and ecotourism, drawing inspiration from the GreenComp: European Sustainability Competence Framework. Our objective was to establish a new educational standard in these sectors by providing young entrepreneurs with a comprehensive framework to tap into the growing ecotourism industry. Over a two-year period, the partnership developed a multilingual website and launched several strategic activities, including the creation of the GreenTour Competence Framework. This framework outlines the key knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to succeed in the field of ecotourism. It is the result of extensive desk and field research meticulous comparative research reports, and careful refinement. In addition, an online course was launched to teach strategies for building sustainable green tourism businesses, and the consortium produced a handbook and a toolkit. A youth exchange in Guadeloupe allowed for practical testing of these educational materials. The project concluded with an international conference in Spain to share the results and best practices.
The partnership applied for the GreenTour project in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditional tourism, which highlighted the vulnerabilities of urban tourist centers and the potential of ecotourism in rural areas. This shift has increased the demand for sustainable travel options that make innovative and responsible use of local resources. GreenTour aims to lead this sector by providing educational resources and guidelines to help green entrepreneurs build environmentally friendly businesses. The need for this project aligns with the European sustainability competence framework, GreenComp, which seeks to promote a greener future. By equipping young entrepreneurs and youth workers with ecotourism skills, GreenTour fosters socio-economic growth in under-resourced rural areas. The project integrates these regions into a sustainable economic framework that supports both environmental conservation and economic development. GreenTour aims to establish a new educational standard in the fields of youth and green entrepreneurship by promoting eco-inclusive practices.