Tourism: Empowering communities to strengthen local economic development Erasmus Project

Project Title

Tourism: Empowering communities to strengthen local economic development

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

The project “Tourism: Empowering migrant communities to strengthen local economic development ” (TOURISM LED) will harness the cultural and heritage resources of migrant communities in partner regions for tourism led social and economic development. It will do this by sharing best practice examples between partner regions through civic engagement and bottom-up participation through community organisations and migrant networks to generate ideas that can be adapted to support entrepreneurship, employment and the economy in the tourism sector at a local level.

The outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19 presents Europe with a major and evolving challenge compounding the threat of migrant integration and socio-economic marginalisation. Tourism is currently one of the most affected sectors and The World Tourism Organization and the World Health Organization met in April 2020 to consider a coordinated response to COVID-19.

Tourism is the 3rd largest sector of the EU economy generating 10.3 % of its GDP and employs 27 million people (11.7% of all EU jobs). https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/policy-overview_en). Tourism provides for cost-effective job creation with low barriers to entry and can stimulate localised self-supporting the service and creative sectors. Tourism is also the largest employer of young people, migrants, part-time workers and women. It is the main entry point to the labour market and provides job opportunities to people who want to re-enter the labour market.

A key concern across Europe is the integration of MIGRANT groups into local communities which are themselves confronted with their own socio-economic challenges. MIGRANT ISSUES include the perception that they are an added burden to the local economy rather than having the capacity to add economic opportunities. The project will promote migrants as a positive force of cultural diversity and develop ‘know-how’ regarding how local and migrant communities can work together to develop tourist entrepreneurial opportunities for mutual, sustainable social and economic benefit and a sense of place for all.

The TOURISM LED project will provide an opportunity for addressing the interaction between two sectors not as yet addressed, namely migration integration and tourism.

Objectives:
• to share best practice/ ‘ideas bank’ between partner regions and develop methodologies and curricula to generate ideas and ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING on how tangible and particularly intangible cultural heritage can be used to generate business and income in partner regions in co-production with local MIGRANT communities. MIGRANTS are viewed as key assets to create shared opportunities for economic benefit through inter-related localised tourism development.
• to explore tools and models on how to develop bottom-up CIVIC ENGAGEMENT through community networks with local and MIGRANT communities and through positive integration of migrants to build sustainable business opportunities.

The TOURISM LED project will work to support MIGRANTS through bottom-up CIVIC ENGAGEMENT with community groups, NGOs and volunteers. The project will encourage the establishment of networks that enable the local and MIGRANT communities to share opportunities and resources to work for mutual benefit related to localised tourism development. Sharing ideas for ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING through peer EDUCATION will use motivational strategies to provide access to upskilling and key competencies to inspire tourism entrepreneurship such as guiding, exhibitions, events etc.

PROJECT OUTPUTS/RESULTS
• STATE OF THE ART REPORT: Survey to analyse the situation of local tourism post COVID-19 in each partner region explore the employment/business opportunities for migrants in the tourism sector and to identify skills gap and training needs.
• ONLINE HANDBOOK: A handbook with examples of best practice/ ‘ideas bank’ on how social, cultural and historical heritage has been used to generate tourism business. Training curriculum and methodology: to provide didactic guidelines for the training course materials.
• COMMUNITY NETWORK TOOL BOX: with tools and models to guide community leaders, activities and business support agencies on how to develop networks with local and migrant communities. Through positive integration of migrants the project will build sustainable business opportunities to show how civil society can harness the social and economic capital inherent within migrant communities particularly through their enhanced participation in the field of cultural tourism and the attendant economic opportunities it generates.
• LEARNING PLATFORM

The TOURISM LED project will focus on a local level with the view that building local economic capacity will impact at regional, national and European levels through widespread dissemination. Supporting local tourism will boost skills and employability which is one of the Erasmus+ programme overall objectives and can also impact more widely on the environment.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 123470 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stiftelsen Minerva & Country: SE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA TA MALTA
• KADINHANI KAYMAKAMLIGI
• Fundacja Wspierania Wiezi Lokalnych “Linking Foundation”
• The Rural Centre
• GENISTA RESEARCH FOUNDATION