“THERMAL HERITAGE: AN EUROPEAN TRACK ” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“THERMAL HERITAGE: AN EUROPEAN TRACK “

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Natural sciences; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

Thermal tourism has its own market segment directed not only to those who pursue solely thermal treatments but also for those seeking illness prevention, physical improvement and spiritual balance or even for those eager of cultural and wellness programs.
During the last years, thermal tourism has improved, requiring an appropriate approach which has to combine properly three aspect: wellness, social and cultural.
To respond to this demand the tourism sector needs to improve and adapt the pre-existing skills and competencies of entrepreneurs, professionals and SPAs (Salus Per Aquam) operators.
Since thermal tourism combines water treatments with social and cultural activities, it is addressed to promote also the local heritage of thermal towns.
In order to do so, we aim to develop new and reinforce existing European professional networks, increasing their capacity to operate at a transnational level, sharing and confronting ideas, practices and methods in thermal water safeguard sector.
Moreover, thermal tourism is an ancient practice that has always identified thermal towns enlightening the connection that lies between territory and local economy that can be improved thanks to the exchange of good practices among European thermal tourism actors.

In writing stage the partners institution established the following aims:
-To strengthen the recruitment and professional development of VET educators (e.g. trainers, tutors, mentors, coaches, thermal and SPAs professionals and operators, tour operators).
-To valorize the thermal culture heritage in Europe rediscovering the historical tradition of European thermal cities and promotion of the European thermal towns’ heritage.
-To raise awareness on the importance of the thermal water European cultural heritage through education, lifelong learning, continuous training, including actions to support news and pre-existing skills development, social inclusion, critical thinking and youth engagement.
-To promote the European thermal tourism to combine welfare, health, tradition, education and labour market creating new working opportunities.
-To give better prospects for VET educators, professionals and thermal touristic providers through intercultural approaches and local heritage valorization.
-To support the VET sector in the spreading of the local thermal heritage combined with tourism, sport and leisure time to guarantee health and wellness of European citizens.

Our main objectives are:
− to show partner countries’ thermal towns presenting what they have in common;
− to encourage the further development of thermal towns safeguarding their cultural and architectural heritage;
− to promote a lasting network among thermal towns which belong to partner countries;
− to encourage the development of researches, analyses, studies and statistics in the thermal sector, especially concerning the history, art, and culture heritage;
− to develop a new cooperation’s strategy into the European thermal tourism sector.

“Thermal Heritage: an European Track” project aims also to produce the following tangible learning outcomes:
– Analysis of the state of art of thermal tourism in Europe starting from pre-existing good practices developed by European Institutions.
– The joint study program: Thermal Heritage : a track of Europe in e-booklet format.
– The elaboration of strategic cooperation among partner institutions plan according to our project results.
– The creation of a e-catalogue about thermal route in each partner country.
– A good practices collection of work-based setting in each partner country.
– The opening of a virtual collaborative space among project partners’ institution to guarantee the life-lasting of the project results and exchanged experiences.

Methodology: it will be 1 training course in Bulgaria, 3 project meetings in Italy, Spain, Turkey, seminars, workshops, study visits, dissemination, evaluation and follow up activities.

The impact: increasing staff and learners personal and professional competencies, developing of communication and intercultural skills (critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, communication skills in other foreign language), enhancing competencies for VET providers to implement international strategies in the thermal tourism sector, team working abilities improvement in multicultural contexts.

In a long term perspective, through the creation of a new VET thermal track network among partners’ organizations we will guarantee the evolving of our work, adding in our network other thermal companies which are not part of our partnership.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 59765 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stowarzyszenie “VESUVIO” & Country: PL

Project Partners

• LUETEC
• Fundacja Integracji Spolecznej FIS
• Antalya Muratpasa Azize Kahraman Halk Egitimi Merkezi ve ASO Mudurlugu
• Association “To Preserve The Woman”
• FORMACION Y ASESORES EN SELECCION Y EMPLEO, SL