Empower tourism and destination management professionals & students towards developing and promoting tailored alternative tourism offers Provide valuable tools and materials to VET providers Increase their knowledge alternative tourism and Support them towards integrating current and future trends in their practice Develop tailored, flexible learning opportunities Raise awareness on the advantages of alternative tourism Upgrade alternative tourism offers in the project's regions
Tourism is one of the major industries in the EU and so, an important sector to be aligned with the European Green Deal and the aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. Its importance is highlighted in the recently published EC report “Transition Pathway for Tourism” (2022). Education plays an important role towards achieving those goals. The EU Pact for Skills in Tourism (2021), targets among others to: a) Increase the up/reskilling activities and participation by 40% for the employed workforce and b) Increase of training concepts with a focus an digital and green skills) Especially in the case of Malta, Greece and Italy, countries that share similarities in both the environmental context and culture, tourism plays a significant role in their economy, above the EU average. All three countries have been recently facing similar challenges. Alternative tourism is an umbrella term for all forms of travel opposed to mass tourism so it is important for tourism professionals in the Mediterranean because it is drawing people away from mass tourist destinations, reversing the dangers for the environment, while at the same time it provides a boost to the economy for these alternative tourism destinations.