Eco tourism action plan: integrating innovative practices and best applications in EU with regard to EQF Erasmus Project

Project Title

Eco tourism action plan: integrating innovative practices and best applications in EU with regard to EQF

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

Improving the quality and variety of services in the eco-tourism for the purpose of prolonging the tourist season, entering new market segments and introduction of sustainable nature-oriented economic activities within local natural, cultural and social values with minimum impact on the environment in EU and Turkey are starting point of ECOACT.

ECOACT project proposal has had two main objectives;
1-to integrate innovative practices and best applications in EU with regard to EQF that provides vocational education and training the area of eco-tourism, which offers a good action plan, for staffs in already working ecotourism enterprises and not sufficiently educated guides in ecotourism and forest villagers and forest engineer in working rural/touristic areas.
2-to promote sustainable partnerships between private and public sectors to address the role of eco-tourism as a development tool, and the need for international organizations, governments and other stakeholders so that they can meet the challenge from an increasing growth in eco -tourism in EU and Turkey in terms of staff competences and tourists’ satisfaction.

By realizing two main objectives, ECOACT project have achieved 3 main results such as

-ECOACT Training handbook by EQF with regard to Black Sea region Eco Tourism,
– ECOACT Booklet and Best Practices (TR and EN)
-GreenTravelMap on DestiNet.eu for Black Sea Region in Turkey (4 preferred and explained in project application form),
-ECOACT IOS and ANDROID apps (limited edition).

ECOACT project proposal has had been formed of 7 partners from 5 different countries. ECOACT project has been executed by General Directorate of Forestry from Turkey, Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia from Spain, OGEMVAK from Turkey, ECOTRANS from Germany, ECO-Orlov from Czech Republic, Tercih Akademi from Turkey, KTRC from Slovenia.

The project has been composed of 6 work packages and project methodology is based on IO cycle management plan (IOs) and these work packages as follows;
O1- Project Management, Quality Assurance and Financial Management
O2- Need Assessment (Review and analyse existing European practice for Eco Tourism (TR, CZ, DE, SI and ES Samples)
O3- Adapt and develop Eco tourism training handbook and GreenTravelMap on DestiNet.eu for Turkey (Black Sea Region)
O4- Pilot and evaluate training course (4 cities in Black sea region in Turkey )
O5- Dissemination & Exploitation
O6- Android and IOS apps.

ECOACT project team has organized 4 transnational meetings and 1 short time staff training programme detailed as follows;
(Kick Off in Ankara, Turkey hosted by OGM Study Visit 1, Praha, Czech Republic hosted by Eco Orlov Workshop 1, Saarbrücken, Germany, hosted by ECOTRANS e.V. workshop and short time staff training programme, Solsona, Barcelona, Spain Workshop 2 and Final Meeting, Ljubljana, Slovenia, hosted by -KTRC .

The project has been mainly through the main products produced;
1-European Ecotourism Standards Turkey Practical Guide (TR and EN),
2-ECOACT Booklet and Best Practices(TR and EN)
3-GreenTravelMap on DestiNet.eu forTurkey web-site in DestiNet.eu
4- ECOACT Android and IOS apps (beta version)
5-ECOACT project web-site, social media accounts for dissemination, project partners’ web site,

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 121740,25 Eur

Project Coordinator

ORMAN GENEL MUDURLUGU & Country: TR

Project Partners

• KTRC Radece
• OGEMVAK ORMANCILIGI GELISTIRME VE ORMAN YANGINLARI ILE MUCADELE HIZMETLERINI DESTEKLEME VAKFI
• CONSORCI CENTRE DE CIENCIA I TECNOLOGIA FORESTAL DE CATALUNYA
• ECOTRANS E.V.
• Tercih Akademi
• Ekologicke centrum Orlov, o.p.s.