Towards smart rural tourism development in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Towards smart rural tourism development in Europe

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Rural development and urbanisation

Project Summary

In 2010, the European Union adopted the notion ‘smart’ in its new ten-year growth strategy Europe 2020 stating that Europe should become a smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy. The concepts of smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth are central behind the growth strategy Europe 2020 and are highlighted as key objectives and mutually reinforcing priorities to reach the stated growth targets. The objectives are also formulated to meet regional disparities within Europe and the lack of convergence between core and peripheral regions.
The 1st UNWTO World Conference on Smart Destinations“ held in early 2017, the year of sustainable tourism, the UNWTO secretary general T. Rifai underlined that Smart tourism is not a trend, but the future of tourism development and „smart destinations“ are key to sustainable development and contribute not only to advances in the tourism sector but also in societies at large“.

SMARTRURAL aims to ‘elevate the smart thinking mindset of students, academics and rural tourism communities/authorities, who, armed with cutting-edge knowledge, strong pedagogical tools and an smart thinking mindset and skills, will effectively be able to contribute to the transformation of students from an ‘traditional employee temperament’ to a ‘smart thinking initiator mentality’.

The SMARTRURAL team consists of 7 universities dynamically involved in tourism development activities in 7 EU countries (Lithuania, Turkey, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland). At a European level more than 20 000 people will be informed about the project based on an effective and joint dissemination strategy followed by all participating countries. By identifying and engaging key relevant stakeholders in SMARTRURAL project will assist in receiving important feedback and input.

SMARTRURAL main outputs and activities include:
• Examine best practices in smart rural tourism development and explore their training needs
• Develop an smart rural tourism development training Programme for tourism and rural fields students
• Pilot test the programme at EU level
• Finalise the programme and integrate it into MOOC
• Develop of the book of best practises on smart rural tourism inEurope
• Organise national dissemination events

SMARTRURAL impact:
1. Increase awareness and the right set of capabilities, knowledge and skills among tourism and rural fields students to make the right smart rural tourism decisions, and to enhance their interest in starting their own careers in rural tourism areas based on their fields of study.
2. Development of effective smart rural tourism development teaching techniques, enabling trainers to increase their students’ necessary skills, competences and knowledge in order to achieve fast growth and find solutions.
3. Provision of a complete smart rural tourism development training package for a number of stakeholders, such as rural tourism destinations, authorities, communities, universities.
4. Identification of gaps in current smart rural tourism development programmes (offered by universities, tourism consultants, etc.) through needs’ analysis. This process will help national and EU policy and decision makers as well as private institutions involved in this field to take corrective measures, to improve young people’s abilities to become more engaged into rural areas development in smarter way.

Project Website

http://smartrural.uwm.edu.pl/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 218453,2 Eur

Project Coordinator

ESKISEHIR OSMANGAZI UNIVERSITESI & Country: TR

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA PEGASO
• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
• VYTAUTO DIDZIOJO UNIVERSITETAS
• VYSOKA SKOLA EKONOMICKA V PRAZE
• UNIWERSYTET WARMINSKO MAZURSKI W OLSZTYNIE
• UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE