Projects and Good Practices | ENAT

D.G.TOUR. Digital and Gamification Skills for Enhanced Tourism Experiences

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:00:44 GMT

A European cooperation project helping schools to develop digital, creative and inclusive approaches to tourism experiences.

D.G.TOUR is a European project which aims to enhance the creative and digital skills of teachers and students in IT and tourism-related subjects in secondary schools.

The project is developing new training content on the application of gamification, augmented reality and artificial intelligence to create engaging and memorable tourism experiences.

It also seeks to equip teachers and students with knowledge of accessibility in tourism, in order to encourage more inclusive gamified experiences for visitors with specific access needs.

The project started on 1 October 2025 and will run for 30 months.

Background and objectives

The project addresses the growing importance of digital tools in the way tourism experiences are designed, presented and shared. By linking school education with tourism, digital creativity and accessibility,

D.G.TOUR encourages teachers and learners to explore new ways of interpreting places, local heritage and visitor experiences. Its activities and results are intended to support innovative teaching methods, while also promoting awareness of accessibility and inclusion in tourism.

The main activities and outputs include training materials on gamification and accessible tourism, guidance on integrating accessibility into gamification processes, the development of a Gamification Toolkit and related user guidelines, as well as learning, testing and dissemination activities involving teachers, students and stakeholders.

D.G.TOUR is being implemented by six organisations from four European countries, bringing together schools, training providers, digital experts and accessibility specialists. The partnership includes Incipit Consulting, IIS “Cassata-Gattapone”, Aristotelio Secondary School, Economic College “Gheorghe Dragoș”, Mobile Idea and ENAT – the European Network for Accessible Tourism.

The project has already launched a number of activities, including the first partnership meeting in November 2025, dissemination through eTwinning, the presentation of the project at the World Summit on Accessible Tourism in Turin, and the completion of the first online transnational training activity in February 2026. These actions reflect the project’s aim of combining innovation in education with European cooperation and dissemination.

For ENAT, participation in D.G.TOUR represents an opportunity to contribute its expertise in accessible tourism to a project focused on the future of tourism learning and experience design. Through this cooperation, accessibility and inclusion can be more effectively integrated into digital and gamified apdataproaches to tourism education.

Project data

Financial support: Erasmus+
Grant Agreement No.: 2025-1-IT02-KA220-SCH-000351433
Duration: 1 October 2025 – 31 March 2028

Partners:

FUTOUR ALLIANCE - Future Tourism Skills Alliance for a Resilient and Innovative Europe

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:27:00 GMT

Funded under the EU Erasmus+ Blueprint framework aimed at transforming the European tourism sector through robust, future-focused skills development.

About the Project

Building on the legacy of projects like PANTOUR and TourX, FuTourAlliance brings together a broad multi-country partnership of industry, education, and policy actors to deliver a comprehensive upskilling and reskilling agenda.

The project addresses digital, green, and inclusive competencies, with a strong emphasis on AI, robotics, and new occupational profiles—driven by cutting-edge online micro-courses and work-based learning opportunities.

The initiative prioritises workforce resilience, social dialogue, and sustainability in response to sectoral challenges such as staff shortages, digital transition, and environmental imperatives.

It is structured around an integrated methodology combining intelligence gathering, curriculum innovation, and regional skills partnerships, seeking to create a truly pan-European impact by fostering high-quality training, skills accreditation, and sector cooperation across 13 countries, aiming to shape the tourism workforce.

Objectives

Το develop a Skills Strategy for the Tourism Sector (Destination Europe Sectoral Skills Strategy) for the upskilling & reskilling of the tourism workforce.
To bridge the existing gap in data coverage on skills gaps and mismatches underpinning the severe labour shortages affecting the sector.
To design new learning methodologies, ensuring high quality delivery, relevance of training interventions and EU level standards of recognition through microcredentials.
To strongly and extensively upskill and reskill tourism professionals to seize the socioeconomic potential of tourism demand and increase its resilience.
To update and upgrade occupational profiles in line with industry’s needs and trends as well as relevant EU frameworks (e.g. ESCO) for an innovative resilient and sustainable tourism industry.
To set up comparable and aligned skills partnerships at regional level in Europe, building upon the collaboration of educational providers & industry representatives under the coordination of the Tourism Large-Scale Partnership (LSP).
To design new business approaches building upon transformative technological processes, sustainable practices and examples of socially-responsible forms of tourism, by fostering knowledge exchange processes (large companies-SMEs).

Results

Expected Main Results:

Project Management Handbook
Quality Assurance Plan
Tourism Skills & Training Intelligence
Country-based reports and European Report
High-resolution system model for the Intelligence Platform
Online intelligence platform
Tourism Skills & Training Strategy
Synthesis & Benchmarking Report on Tourism Occupational Profiles
New Occupational Profiles (NOP) Handbook
Implementation Guide and Tourism Skills and Competencies Matrix
Microcredential Guidelines
Learning Material’s compendium
Position Paper on Portability of Skills
Country-based Training Methodologies
Blueprint report
Training Curricula
LSP report 2026/27/28/29 N/RSP turnkey solution with annual update
Annual report of N/RSP coordination
A Union for Skills-strategy document
Communication and dissemination plan
Final report on performed activities

Activities

Work Package 1: Project Management & Quality Assurance
Work Package 2: Tourism Skills & Training Intelligence
Work Package 3: Occupational Profiles and Curricula for Tourism Operators-Revision & Update
Work Package 4: Competence-based training materials for the upskilling and reskilling of tourism professionals
Work Package 5: Implementing the Blueprint-Pilot Training Implementation
Work Package 6: Building a Union of Skills for Tourism-LSP Governance for on-the ground impact
Work Package 7: Communication and dissemination

Partners

Funding Programme

ERASMUS-EDU-2025-PI-ALL-INNO

Duration: 01/01/2026-31/12/2029 (48 months)
Budget: 3.999.010,72 EUR
Project Number: 101246930
Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Portugal

PANTOUR: Pact for Next Tourism Generation Skills

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 18:51:00 GMT

PANTOUR is a follow-up project of NTG (Next Tourism Generation Skills Alliance). The consortium aims especially at designing innovative and cooperative solutions to address skills needs in the tourism ecosystem.

PANTOUR aims to produce the Sectoral Skills Intelligence Monitor, the Skills Lab, a Resource Books for Trainers, the implementation of the NSRGs, a Skills Strategy Plan for 2026-2036, among others.

With the exploitation of its outputs, PANTOUR seeks to benefit job seekers, unemployed and employed workers from the industry, employers and SMEs, dedicating a special attention in reskilling and upskilling the workforce on future skills needs after the Covid-19 impacts in the industry.

Public and private training institutions will benefit from new innovative content and teaching methods on core skills. The number of people benefiting from this proposal will be over 10 million that work across the tourism sector in Europe.

Project scheme

Pantour is a 4-year EU-funded project that seeks to boost innovation through cooperation to develop activities, strengthen partnerships and produce resources to implement the Blueprint for Sectoral Skills Development in Tourism in Europe. The project and its partners aim especially at designing innovative and cooperative solutions to address skills needs in the all the tourism ecosystem.

Project approach

The PANTOUR consortium builds on previous knowledge and tools produced by the Blueprint for Sectoral Skills project/NTG Alliance and will develop new tools and methodology to address strategic and sustainable approaches and cooperation between vocational education, training, higher education, enterprises of the tourism sector, looking to boost innovation in Europe.

Consortium

The consortium is a multi-disciplinary partnership which comprises 13 European partners: Industry Partners and Tourism Sector Representatives, Universities and Transnational partners.
The project is coordinated by CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE HOTELES Y ALOJAMIENTOS TURISTICOS, Spain.

Funding period: 2022 - 2026

ERASMUS+ Project Fact Sheet

Associated Partner

ENAT - European Network for Accessible Tourism is an Associated Partner of the PANTOUR Project.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

FEEL IT - A Pioneer Curriculum for Designing Tourism Experiences for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT

FEEL IT aims to create a training curriculum to give persons who are Deaf or hard of hearing the possibility to become travel agents.

Project Summary and Objectives

Being a Deaf or hard of hearing tourist can be very difficult, because of communication barriers and lack of consideration for their requirements in the design of tourism services.

In order to give them the opportunity to have touristic experiences tailored to their needs, the FEEL IT team is creating an online community where users can share knowledge and give or receive feedback for their trip.

FEEL IT will also create a VR game that lets hearing persons have the chance to understand how it feels to be a visitor with hearing impairments.

Making tourism inclusive is a small but vital part of the pathway to an inclusive world.

Objectives

Offer a better understanding of the requirements of tourists with hearing impairments as a valuable share of the tourism market (referring to physical access, accommodation, food, activities, attractions and transport).
Create employment opportunities for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing to work as travel agents, creating accessible vacations for their peers.
Train travel agents in how to serve Deaf customers and customers with hearing impairments. Staff who are well-trained with a ‘can-do’ attitude are important in improving travel enjoyment for these groups of customers.
Create a European online community of Deaf and hard of hearing people that will advise peers to on how organize their trips in the countries they wish to visit.

Project Partners

University of West Attica, Greece (Coordinator)
Phoenix Post-secondary Institute, Romania
Omegatech, Greece
European Network for Accessible Tourism, Belgium
CEIPES, Italy
Institute of Entrepreneurship and Development, Greece
CYCERT, Cyprus

Resources

Visit the FEEL IT Website

Join and engage with the FEEL IT Online Community in English, Greek, Italian and Romanian languages.

Enrol to take the FEEL IT open e-Learning courses - for Travel Agents, learners who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and anyone who is interested in improving services for these tourirsts.

Courses are available as video lessons with sign language and subtitles in Greek, Italian and Romanian.
Courses are available in English language as slides and text (- not British Sign Language or International Sign).
All courses are free of charge.
A certificate is offered by the Cyprus Cerfication Company to candidates who take a final exam.

Follow FEEL IT Training on FaceBook

FEEL IT is financed by the EU ERASMUS+ Programme: Cooperation Partnerships (Key Action 2). Agreement number: 2021-1-EL01-KA220-VET-000028082

EU disclaimer:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Nature Access to All

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:13:31 GMT

The Project focuses on facilitating accessible and sustainable tourism in the Central Baltic regions, by improving access to nature tourism infrastructure, products and information, thus contributing to the increase of the number of tourists.

Project Summary

The Project focuses on facilitating accessible and sustainable tourism in the Central Baltic regions, by improving access to nature tourism infrastructure, products and information, thus benefiting to the increase of the number of tourists, inter alia:

improving access to 14 nature tourism destinations in Kurzeme (Lat via), West-Estonia and Finland;
compiling a Guidebook of accessible nature sites and developing a chain of accessible destinations to promote the Central Balic region as a single tourism destination;
enhancing the Mapeirons.lv website to cover also the accessible nature trails and objects in Estonia and Finland;
paying special attention to tourism-related products and solutions for people with disabilities (tactile objects, information in Braille script, audio and video solutions, information signs, senses-based solutions etc.).

In Kurzeme, Latvia, it is foreseen to develop 7 nature trails, adapting them to people with disabilities, at Lake Būšnieku, Liepāja Horse Island, Skrunda, Alsunga, Kazdanga and Kalēti Forest Park, i.a. installing dry accessible toilets, ramps, improving resting areas etc.

Target groups

Local and foreign travellers
Tourism entrepreneurs and service providers
Local municipalities and nature parks
Non-governmental sector uniting people with disabilities

Project Partners

The Project is implemented by the Lead Partner – Kurzeme planning region in cooperation with 4 partners from Estonia and Finland:

MTÜ Lääne-Eesti Turism (NGO West-Estonia Tourism), www.westestonia.ee
Metsähallitus (Parks & Wildlife Finland), www.metsa.fi
Keskkonnaamet (Estonian Environmental Board), www.keskkonnaamet.ee
Pärnu City Government, Estonia www.parnu.ee

Chests of senses for nature interpretation

As part of the Nature accessibility project, the NatAc project partner – Estonian Environmental Board – created a new and innovative educational tool, which helps to interpret nature for people with disabilities, particularly – the visually impaired.

The educational tool is easy and handy for nature education specialists or guides or the person itself to go to nature and, using the chest of senses, getting to know the three ecosystems (forest, bog, coast) and the characteristic features of animals and plants in each of them, by using different senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell. In the various pockets of the senses’ bags, there are different plants, stones, fossils, plaster animal foot-prints and eggs and many other stuff, which allows to understand flora and fauna through the five key senses. There are also numerous tactile cards in each bag characterising each of the ecosystems with tangible photos of animals and plants, as well as QR codes with animal and bird sounds.

Five of such bags, developed based on the Estonian methodology, were this year produced also in Latvia – three of them are available at the Nature House of Lake Liepāja Zirgu Island, one – at Kalēti Parish Council and one – at Kazdanga Tourism Information Point.

Chests of senses shall definately be exciting also for kids and schoolchildren, therefore, if you are interested in hiking a nice trail and learning about nature in an engaging and playfyl manner, feel free to contact us or the Nature House of Lake Liepāja Zirgu Island, Kalēti Parish Council or Kazdanga Tourism Information Point and ask for an excursion!

Chests of senses have been made with support of the Central Baltic Programme 2014-2020 as part of the project CB786 “Nature Access to All” (NatAc).
Information provided by: Alise Lūse, Project Manager
Email: alise.luse@kurzemesregions.lv

ONAT4All

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 17:52:00 GMT

ONAT4All is an important step towards achieving a more inclusive society by ensuring access and equal opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in outdoors and adventure tourism.

The project aims to contribute to improve knowledge, competences and skills in defining accessible tourism products, services and processes of the Tourism guides/public and private organizations, SMEs active in nature/adventure tourism and outdoor activities; C-VET providers and VET providers in tourism; Chambers of commerce; and DMO.

Its representatives will have more opportunities to participate in tailor-made learning paths in accessible tourism, and they will open their businesses to other customers, attracting internal and international flows, with economic benefits too.

The project will promote the commitment of local, regional and national authorities responsible for the provision of education and training for SMEs in tourism value chain to support the objectives of this project, fostering the specialization of educators and trainers working in tourism sector and consequently improving the provision of services dedicated to PWDs to make them able to fully enjoy tourism opportunities.

The project is funded by the EU ERASMUS+ Programme: Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training.

Project Information

Visit the ONAT4All Project Website

Download the ONAT4All ERASMUS+ Project Card from the Downloads section.

TRIPS Project - TRansport Innovation for Persons with disabilities needs Satisfaction

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 11:35:23 GMT

The project aims at making public transport more accessible for persons with disabilities, elderly voyagers and really everyone.

Today, eighty million European citizens face long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment.

The goal of TRIPS is to design, describe and demonstrate practical steps to empower people with mobility challenges to play a central role in the design of inclusive digital mobility solutions.

By ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the EU and all Member States have committed to respect the rights of people with disabilities, including the right to mobility and independent living. In practice however, these rights have not yet been implemented in large parts of the EU and many of today’s transport systems remain inaccessible. As a consequence, people are disabled from accessing job opportunities, education, social and leisure activities and other services. This limits lifestyle choices, reinforces exclusion from local communities, and ultimately blocks people from participating in society as full and independent citizens.

The consortium brings together pan- European networks of users (ENIL), transport organisations (UITP), assistive technology experts (AAATE) and municipalities to engage in open innovation on mobility. They are supported by design methodology experts (TUE), systems integration experts (TB) and privacy experts (TRI). Building on this expertise, TRIPS will deliver and deploy a Co-design- for-All methodology in 7 pilot cities – Lisbon, Zagreb, Bologna, Cagliari, Brussels, Sofia, Stockholm.

Our team

Our team brings together 7 groups of persons with disabilities located in 7 European cities and 11 institutional partners spread across 10 countries. The local teams work together to design, describe and demonstrate practical steps to empower people with mobility challenges to play a central role in the design of inclusive digital mobility solutions. Our work is guided by the overall aim to make public transport more accessible for people with disabilities and elderly travellers.

Institutional partners

Together with the 7 groups of persons with disabilities described above, the TRIPS consortium is constituted by 11 institutional partners spread across 10 countries. This consortium brings together organisations for disability (ENIL), transport (UITP), accessibility and assistive technologies (AAATE) design (TUE), expertise in strategy and change management (TB), strategic technology development and user-centred design (DLR), as well as policy and regulatory advice on technologies (TRI). In addition, we are working with local partners in the transport ecosystem (ZAGREB, CTM SPA, CARRIS, SRM) to develop and test methods and mobility solution models as well as derive lessons-learned with respect to change management and process innovation in the cities of Bologna, Brussels, Cagliari, Lisbon, Sofia, Stockholm and Zagreb.

Project Information on CORDIS

Grant agreement ID: 875588

Start date: 1 February 2020

End date: 31 January 2023

Funded under: Horizon 2020 SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost: € 2 831 175

EU contribution € 2 831 175

Coordinated by: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN, Netherlands

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Under Grant Agreement no. 875588

Read more at the TRIPS Project Website

SENIOR ECO-NECT. Supporting European ecosystems dedicated to silver and ageing economy

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 09:18:00 GMT

Supporting the emergence and the development of European ecosystems dedicated to silver and ageing economy. Funded by the EC HORIZON EUROPE Programme.

The overall objective of Senior Eco-Nect project is to prepare a joint action plan to support the emergence and the development of European ECOsystems dedicated to silver and ageing ECOnomy as well as ensuring the inclusivity and interconNECTivity between all the key innovation stakeholders of the sector and cross-sectors.

More precisely, the Senior Eco-Nect project aims to:

Support the emergence, growth, efficiency, and interconnection of at least 4 European ecosystems dedicated to silver economy.
Unlock the full potential of silver economy sector by integrating key transversal areas targeting the ageing population beyond the scope of health and care.
Ensure inclusiveness and interconnectivity between the key innovation players from across the quadruple helix around the sector of silver economy at the local, regional, national, and European level and beyond.
Increase the efficiency and innovation potential of silver economy innovators and projects by addressing key challenges and exploiting the opportunities offered by silver economy.
Encouraging synergies and complementarities between Senior Eco-Nect Joint Action Plan and the innovation programmes of public authorities.

Project leader, Eurasanté is in charge of the communication activities, the preparation of the joint Action Plan and the management of the project.
Duration : 24 months (01/07/2022 – 30/06/2024)
Budget : €500k

Partners :

Eurasanté (France) – Coordinator
Munster Technological University (Ireland)
SIS EGIZ / SIH EEIG (Slovenia)
CSG (Spain)
EPSI (Belgium) Membership-based networking organisation of Universities, Research Institutes, Clusters, Associations, Federations, Industries and SMEs which focuses on innovation in the area of physical activity/sport, related to Leisure, transport, education, tourism, environment, construction and health in Europe.
ENAT (Belgium) Non-profit association promoting accessible tourism in the EU and worldwide.

Visit the Senior Eco-Nect website

CulTourData - Supporting data-driven innovation for tourism SMEs in European Capital of Culture

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 13:17:00 GMT

CulTourData aims to enhance data-driven cultural tourism across Europe. The project targets tourism SMEs in the European Capitals of Culture and helps them to use data analytics as part of their business strategy and create a business approach that combines tourism, culture, creativity and digital technology.

Develop a data-driven approach beyond the right website, tool or application, helping them grasp the importance of making data and analytics part of the tourism business strategies, offers and products, of their organizational processes and culture, if they want to be competitive, sustainable and attractive;
Build the link between tourism destinations and tourism SMEs; the project focus on European Capitals of Culture and stretches the year event over a long- lasting period – from about ten years before the bid to a very long legacy – and actively involves tourism SMEs in the co-creation of the event, so as to spur sustainable tourism and sustainable development;
Create a multidisciplinary business approach that leverages synergies between tourism, culture, creativity and digital technology;
Experience a challenging funnel-like support scheme that includes capacity building, mentoring and learning, along with a collaborative creativity-oriented matchmaking, other than opportunities for financial support;
Immerse themselves into a fun, evidence-based assessment process that combines communication, impact evaluation and self-assessment.

Open Call for artists, innovators and data specialists

(September 2022). CulTourData has issued an Open Calls with grants of 7,000 EURO for artists, innovators and data specialists.

We are building the first database in Europe to bring together artists, innovators and experts to use data intelligently to support cultural tourism projects in European Capitals of Culture.

Tourism SMEs will be invited to sign up for training, networking and matchmaking with artists and data experts in pilot projects. We will show you how data can be used for the business development of all tourism segments, leveraging the expected visitor flows of the Capitals of Culture.

Grants will be offered on the basis of competitive bids in 2023.

Read more and sign-up now at dedicated Call webpage:

CulTourData Call for Artists, Innovators and Data Specialists

Open Call for Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (Tourism SMEs)

(October 2022) The Call is open for tourism SMEs to join the CulTourData training, with Open Workshops, Inspiration Workshops and "Bootcamp" to explore the possibilities of working with data and artists to enhance and promote business offerings to tourists in Cultural Capitals.

SMEs will also be able to apply for grants of 7,000 EURO to support projects with artists, innovators and data specialists.

SMES: sign up now for the CulTourData Training and Funding opportunities.

Actions

CulTourData will build on the TraCEs – Cultour is Capital action (COSME Programme, 2018-2020) by strengthening the arrangement of a multidisciplinary ecosystem involving players in tourism, CC and digital fields.

The project will enhance data-driven, accessible and transformative cultural tourism across Europe by organizing a two-fold support scheme that targets both tourism SMEs and European Capitals of Culture. It is articulated in:

ECoC-led Ecosystem – Supporting cooperation, capacity building and knowledge transfer among ECoCs (past, present and upcoming)

ECoCs Watch – Boosting and learning how to create a data-driven culture among ECoCs, especially future Capitals, by organizing a system of market intelligence that will help collect and analyze, then provide open access to, a broad amount of information, data, analysis, best practices and lessons learned, enhancing skills and strategies when these using data for tourism development and working at ECoCs’ legacy

Transformative Bootcamp – Building on information and insights from the EcoC Watch to improve the business environment for tourism SMEs.

Partnership

The public-private partnership is made up of 8 partners, representing 7 countries. It includes different entity profiles, among Cultural Capitals SMEs, Tourism and CCIs Clusters, a Public Tourism Agency, a Business Incubator, a Public Business Support Organization/Public Authority, a University and the European Network for Accessible Tourism non-profit association.

CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE, Italy
Basilicata Creativa, Italy
STICHTING INCUBATOR, Netherlands
INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE LEIRIA, Portugal
Economic Development Corporation, City of Chemnitz, Germany
ASOCIACION AEI CLUSTER DE TURISMO DE EXTREMADURA, Spain
EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR ACCESSIBLE TOURISM ASBL, Belgium
KOSICE Turizmus, Slovakia

Each partner is linked to one European Capital of Culture (ECoC) - Matera 2019, Leeuwarden 2018, Chemnitz 2025, Košice 2013, Lieira 2027 and Extremadura 2030.

The rationale for selecting and arranging this combination of organisations is based on:

diverse range of ECoC case histories built or to be built,
capacity to reach target groups and direct links with tourism SMEs,
diverse range of geographies and backgrounds, skills and expertise,
experience of cooperation in other EU projects, with opportunities for exploiting a diverse range of outputs.

The CulTourData Website is hosted by www.CultourisCapital.eu and is a "sister" project to Traces

Visit the Cultour is Capital Social Wall

Sign up for our Newsletters

Read more about CultourData and other EU COSME funded projects on Boosting Tourism in the Digital Era (11 March 2022).

Download the project description in PDF format from this page.

DIVETOUR - Digital Competencies and Tools for Enhanced VET on Tourism and Accessibility

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:37:00 GMT

A project focused on innovative training products for vocational and educational training on accessible tourism.

A project focused on innovative training products for Vocational and Educational Training (VET) on accessible tourism.

Objectives

to create synergies and knowledge sharing between all stakeholders in a training community platform,
to develop game based solutions for young tourism entrepreneurs and students,
to explore virtual reality and artificial intelligence applied to tourism training and accessible tourism services.

Funded by the Erasmus+ programme, VET sector, DIVETOUR aims to create and test innovative methodologies and tools to train the tourism sector students and professionals to face its present challenges, in a perspective of active and inclusive collaboration that will involve all those who, from different points of view, deal with accessible tourism.

Addressing individuals and organisations operating in different sectors - Vocational Education and Training, labour market, research and development - the project will implement specific tools for learning, for the experimentation of innovative technologies within enterprises, and also tools to stimulate dialogue among different operators in the sector, whether they are student trainers or economic operators.

Specifically, the project plans to implementation:

An online platform - Open Learning Community: a space for dialogue and confrontation among VET sector, companies and experts, which, through sharing experiences, activating forums and organizing dedicated webinars, will allow the growth of a virtual community of people and organizations for the promotion and development of the concept of accessibility in the tourism sector and as a response to the new challenges that Covid 19 has posed to all of us.
A game-based app to foster awareness among young people on the ethical and economic relevance of accessible tourism and to learn about the opportunities and challenges of accessible tourism by playing, including also specific customer care strategies.
A conversation simulator (chatbot) for tourism sector operators: to interact with users through digital devices only and to improve the quality of information and communication in relation to issues such as inclusiveness and accessibility.

Project partners

Panevezys Labour Market Training Centre, VET provider, Lithuania.

ENAT, The European Network for Accessible Tourism non-profit association, Belgium

HOTREC the European umbrella association of Hotels Restaurants & Cafes, Belgium

Bluebook srl, communication agency, Italy

Incipit Consulting, tourism consultancy and research, Italy

Wattajob srl , private company specialized in innovative training and IT, Italy.

Premiki, social enterprise, the first accessible tourism operator of Slovenia.

Eshob - Private foundation, private tourism school Hospitality and Catering of Barcelona, Spain.

Project Implementation Period

December 2021 to November 2023 (24 Months).

Agreement n° 2021-1-LT01-KA220-VET-000032925

Further information

Download the DIVETOUR infographic in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Premiki Social Enterprise is an Associate Member of ENAT.

ACCESSTOUR. Accessible Tourism for Inclusion and Value Creation in Rural Areas of Norway

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 15:18:00 GMT

A new research project led by Nordland Research Institute will help tourism providers in rural areas to realise the potential that lies in making destinations more accessible to all.

Children on a rope walk between silver birch trees. Photo Nordlandsforskning.

A new research project led by Nordland Research Institute will help tourism providers in rural areas to realise the potential that lies in making destinations more accessible to all.

Older people, people with disabilities, families with young children. These are different examples of people who may have a greater need for accommodation than others - whether it concerns travellers or those who live in a place.

Visitors to tourism destinations in the rural areas will encounter challenges of many kinds. Are there adapted transport options to and from the destination? Are there adapted accommodation and restaurants? What about experiences both indoors and outdoors? Are the facilities adapted for children and families with children? Is there sufficient information about the offers, and is the information also available for the visually impaired?

The potential for improving accessibility and information is consistently great. Tourism that is adapted for everyone can contribute to more people choosing the adapted destinations.

"We often travel with family and friends, and the one who has the greatest need for facilitation will largely determine the choice of destination", says researcher at Nordland Research Karin Marie Antonsen, who is project manager for the new research project ACCESSTOUR.

"The purpose is to increase knowledge about how we can develop sustainable local communities and accessible tourism destinations in rural areas. The project will investigate the potential that lies in the facilitation of tourism for such destinations.

ACCESSTOUR will help increase accessibility for visitors from outside, but also for locals with different functional abilities. If this is successful, value creation will be able to increase both for the tourism industry and the local community.

The market is large. "In Norway, 15 percent of the population live with a disability, be it mobility impairment, impaired vision or hearing or psychosocial disabilities", writes Handikapnytt.

"Many of those planning a holiday need adapted facilities and experiences. The project will develop and test tools for mapping and evaluating the level of accessibility to destinations and businesses in the tourism industry", says Antonsen.

"We will also explore how technology can contribute to increased accessibility".

Result of collaboration over time

ACCESSTOUR is a research project that will both contribute to increased value creation for tourism and new knowledge. The project is a result of previous research projects and collaborations. With a desire to develop Storheia in Hadsel municipality as an accessible outdoor area, Hadsel municipality and Egga Development contacted Nordland Research already in 2020.

In the autumn of 2020, Nordland Research Institute was awarded pre-project funding from NFR to assess the basis for a major main project. The project has taken shape both through ideas, themes, challenges and knowledge gaps that were highlighted at project workshops in Vesterålen in the autumn of 2020, and on preliminary findings in the project Experiences for all, which has now been completed.

"ACCESSTOUR is largely based on cooperation and co-creation between many different interests and actors", says Antonsen.

"In addition to the many Norwegian partners from research, tourism, the public sector and organisations, we are pleased to have included "ENAT" - the European Network for Accessible Tourism. ENAT has extensive expertise both through research and user experiences. They will probably have a lot to teach us", says Antonsen.

Project page in Norwegian: ACCESSTOUR

ACCESSTOUR Videos on YouTube (2022).

1. Interview with Karin Marie Antonsen, Nordland Research Institute (2 min 32)

2. Interview with Ivor Ambrose, ENAT (2 min: 17)

3. Interview with Cato Lei, FFO - Funksjonshemmedes fellesorganisasjon (2 min:17)

Below: Some of the ACCESSTOUR team members at the Kick-off meeting, Beitostølen, 28 September 2021. (Photo: ENAT)

Financial support: Norges Forskningsråd (NFR - Norwegian Research Council)
Project Coordinator: Nordland Research Institute
Duration: 2021-2024
R & D partners: Nordland Research Institute, Beitostølen helsesportsenter, SINTEF digital, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge, ENAT
Destination partners: Visit Vesterålen, Destination Lofoten, Visit Telemark, Beitostølen Utvikling
Enterprises: Whale Safari, Museum Nord, Hotell Richard With, Nyksund Chamber of Commerce, Røa, Nyvågar, Reinefjorden sjøhus, Telemark næringshage, Tromsø Accessible Tours, Telemarkskanalen Regionalpark
Public Sector: Hadsel kommune, Øystre Slidre kommune, Nordland fylkeskommune
Organisations: FFO - Funksjonshemmedes fellesorganisasjon
Others: Egga utvikling, Norsk Turistutvikling

Visit the Project website: ACCESSTOUR (in Norwegian)

New European Bauhaus

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:52:00 GMT

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative of the European Commission Joint Research Unit. It connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces. It calls on all Europeans to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls. ENAT is an Official Partner of NEB.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative of the European Commission Joint Research Unit. It connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces.

Launched by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in September 2020, it calls on all Europeans to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls.

ENAT is pleased to be an Official Partner of NEB since March 2021.

The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary movement in the making.

It’s a platform for experimentation and connection, fostering collaboration across thinkers and doers who want to design our future ways of living together.

It’s a bridge between the world of science and technology and the world of art and culture.
It’s an invitation to change perspective and to look at our green and digital challenges as opportunities to transform our lives for the better.
It’s a fresh approach to finding innovative solutions to complex societal problems together through co-creation. The initiative aims to shape our thinking, behaviours, and markets around new ways of living and building, including by influencing public procurement.

The New European Bauhaus will:

Bring citizens, experts, businesses, and Institutions together and facilitate conversations about making tomorrow’s living spaces more affordable and accessible.
Mobilise designers, architects, engineers, scientists, students, and creative minds across disciplines to reimagine sustainable living in Europe and beyond.
Strive to improve the quality of our living experience. It will highlight the value of simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials without compromising the need for comfort and attractiveness in our daily lives.
Provide financial support to innovative ideas and products through ad-hoc calls for proposals and through coordinated programs included in the Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

Download the New European Bauhaus brochure in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

At the dedicated website, information is available in additional languages of the European Union.

ENAT's Work Programme

ENAT's work programme for the New European Bauhaus will be shared on this page in due course.

Latest News

Read the report of the European Commission on the Workshop held on 23 April 2021 on our ENAT Forum page.

Download from the right-hand panel: EC Communication, COM (2021) 573 Final on the New European Bauhaus, published 15 September 2021.

Visit the New European Bauhuas initiative

RESTAT - Recognition Of Skills To Transform Accessible Tourism

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 28 May 2020 12:31:47 GMT

The project, funded by EU ERASMUS+, aims to address the scarcity of available VET training courses by offering a holistic, package solution to render Tourism workers and professionals competent, ready to offer diverse tailor-made services to tourists with special needs, and notably, to subsequently act as the true promoters of Accessible Tourism.

RESTAT will gather a multidisciplinary partnership consisting of 6 partners from five countries under the lead of Municipality of Tusa and will develop four principal Outputs:

A Practical Skills and Employment Context Mapping research study (IO1) to identify a set of desirable AT skills most likely to be accumulated on-the-job, plus a set of Prospective Job Mobility Opportunities for professionals with skills in AT. It will establish the compass for successive outputs.
A Skills Endorsing Tool (IO2) to objectively evaluate, recognize and even classify the level of skills tourism workers have regarding AT through successful completion of a series of testing devices.
An Upskilling Course (IO3) with 04 Specific Training module of intermediate level, useful for both tourism workers and managers in rendering their services more professional, well-planned, entertaining and tailor-made to different special needs.
A Career Guidance Tool (IO4) to boost Employability and Job Mobility of Tourism Professionals point them to the most suitable career options basing on both of their validated skills and personal characteristics.

Applying a holistic approach, all four Intellectual Outputs (IO) will be linked to each other in an organic manner, i.e. the development of the next Output shall depend on and continue from the findings and result of the previous one.

IO1 will follow the Delphi method when conducting questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, using a panel of experts and peer-review to allow more converging final answers.

IO2 will use a rich, ample battery of modular tests of various formats using interactive graphics that ensure a front-end, user-friendly experience in order to produce an objective assessment integrable to other skills passports.

IO3 will employ a MOOC-like format, including multiple forms (texts, videos, webinars lectures, virtual groups, exercises, and tests) for each training module.

IO4 will provide an innovative profiling software that combines skills and personality in giving the right career guidance advice. In addition, each output development will strictly follow the EQAVET circle to allow test, revision, and improvement.

Regarding Target groups of participants, RESTAT shall strive to involve the following four groups in both implementation and dissemination activities:

A – Tourism managers and VET providers aspiring to increase services and quality;

B – Tourism workers and professionals (including seasonal ones);

C – Central and Local authorities seeking strategic development options;

D – Employers, job agencies and advocacy groups.

In the long run, RESTAT aims to make AT a vibrant economic sector in smaller towns’ context with the well-prepared workforce to enforce sustainable development, responsible tourism and the social value of equal opportunity.

It also aspires to contribute to Europe’s harmonization schemes for recognizing, validating and better-utilizing workers’ skills and qualifications.

Partners

The Municipality of Tusa, Italy
New Horizons, Italy
ECTE, Greece
Foundation Universitat Jaume I Empresa, Spain
Handy Club Ostrava, Czech Republic
Rogepa, Romania

Further information

RESTAT Website

Open Innovation Lab 2.0. Eyemmersive™ - A Digital Market Place for Immersive Tourism

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 13:16:00 GMT

Under the INVITE project funding scheme for SMEs, Eyemmersive (EYEM) proposes to create a Digital Market Place for Immersive Tourism based on VR technologies. The service concept provides a new source of income for professional tourist guides in destinations around the globe, delivering Eyemmersive™ local tourism content to extend the reach of tourism operators and provide a promotional opportunity towards independent travellers.

Under the INVITE project funding scheme for SMEs, Eyemmersive (EYEM) proposes to create a Digital Market Place for Immersive Tourism based on VR technologies.

The service concept will provide a new source of income for professional tourist guides in destinations around the globe, delivering Eyemmersive™ local tourism content to extend the reach of tourism operators and provide a promotional opportunity towards independent travellers.

The EYEM project, led by Kerckhoffs Ltd, UK, will bring ‘live travel experiences’ to non-tourists and aspiring tourists. Emerging technologies using virtual / augmented reality (VR/AR) and high definition 360-degree streaming will play an important role in the future of the tourism industry and empowering interactive live on-demand immersive travel experiences.

We see a potential opportunity for a digital, peer-to-peer style platform where immersive-tourism-experience seekers and travel-guides could meet to make a memorable immersive journey. The availability of economical 360-degree camera equipment and VR headsets offer an exciting opportunity for people to experience live immersive tourism.

This Innovation and Internationalisation Project aims to identify the parameters for engaging and working with European Tourist Guides who are experienced in the area of inclusive tourism for persons with disabilities and seniors, and who wish to collaborate in the delivery of Virtual Tourism experiences, using the EYEM platform.

Kerckhoffs is a Full Member of ENAT – The European Network for Accessible Tourism non-profit association, which is the internationally recognised specialist network on inclusive tourism. We will use the INVITE funding to finance our collaboration with ENAT experts, to fine-tune our business model and to identify the appropriate conditions for recruiting and training tourist guides to use the recording equipment and provide the narration for the VR service, taking into account such issues as contractual obligations, privacy and data protection.

The project will explore research and development questions, as well as carry out pilot testing of 360-degree video recording with professional tourist guides.

Contact

Dr. Selvakumar Ramachandran, Managing Director, Kerckhoffs Ltd. Email: sr@kerckhoffs.co.uk

Kerckhoffs Ltd. is a Full Member of ENAT

IN-TOUR - INclusive TOURism Professions. European Curricula For Accessible Tourism Manager And Frontline Staff

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 18:56:00 GMT

The IN-Tour project aims to cover a gap in the training system in Europe related to Accessible Tourism. With a wide range of partners who are experienced in accessible tourism, accessibility, training and education fields, the project will develop blended learning Vocational Training Courses for a postgraduate Inclusive Tourism Manager profile (ITM) and an undergraduate Inclusive Tourism Frontline Staff (ITFS) profile, involving 3 Universities providing VET.

Studies conducted by the European Commission have highlighted a significant gap in the supply of Accessible Tourism services, estimating that at least an additional 1.2 million tourism enterprises will be needed to provide accessible services in order to meet future demand.

The In-Tour project aims to cover the need for quality education and training on Accessible Tourism for hospitality Managers and Frontline Staff, in particular by:

defining an occupational profile (according to ESCO definition) for Inclusive Tourism Manager and Inclusive Tourism Frontline Staff.
specifying the skill gaps by connecting directly the demand with representatives of tourism industries and entrepreneurs and by analysing the good practices already developed
defining the European Curricula in the accessible tourism sector, at EQF 6 level and EQF 4 level;
designing a flexible and modular training path for both professional profiles: Tourism Managers and Tourism Frontline Staff
delivering the curricula in pilot courses in different countries.

The Curricula will be defined in a flexible and modular way in order to provide a general reference European model which could be implemented in each EU Member State. The Curricula will be tested though the local pilots and will include periods of work-based learning.

Watch our video made for ERASMUSDAYS 2020, 15 to 17 October 2020

Approach

The IN-TOUR project takes place within the overall framework for cooperation in education and training ET 2020 and will focus on “graduates VET” for the Inclusive Tourism Manager profile (ITM) and “undergraduates VET” for the Inclusive Tourism Frontline Staff (ITFS), involving 3 Universities providing VET.

Starting from the definition of two Occupational Profiles, IN-TOUR will design two EU Curricula based on modules and learning-outcomes in order to support their “localization”, i.e. to be established in different EU countries by adapting the courses to the context. Moreover the curricula designed following the ECVET principle can be designed locally at different EQF levels.

The IN-TOUR project will evaluate the flexibility of the Curricula by designing 5 pilot courses in 3 different countries, as follows:

ITFS course at EQF level 5 will be implemented in Germany and Greece. The German pilot will address a minimum of 20 students for 300h and will provide a Lifelong Learning Certificate and will credit 20-30 ECTS. The Greek pilot will address a minimum of 20 students for 260h and will provide a Certificate of Postgraduate Training and will credit 20-30 ECTS. The credits will be fixed according with the design of the courses and the LO addressed.

ITM course at EQF levels 6 and 7 will be implemented in Germany, Greece and Italy. The German pilot at EQF 6 level will address a minimum of 20 students for 300 hours and will provide a Lifelong Learning Certificate equivalent to 1 semester in a Bachelor’s Degree program and will credit 20-30 ECTS. The Greek pilot (EQF6) will address a minimum of 20 students for 260 hours and will provide a Certificate of Postgraduate Training Lifelong Learning Certificate and will credit 20-30 ECTS. The Italian pilot will address a minimum of 20 students and will be realised to reach EQF7 level, the course envisages a 370 hour training for 60 ECTS credits. Students will receive a certification of Master Universitario di Primo Livello.

The training will include classroom lessons, distance learning and work-based learning (blended learning). The specific content, methods and resources will be arranged during the activities of Work Package 3 and 4, while the evaluation of curriculum, tools and participants’ learning will be carried out through the activities of Work Package 6.

Project Data

Erasmus+ Programme: KA2 – Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices Sector Skills Alliances (SSA)
Lot 2: SSA for Design and Delivery of VET
Call for proposals: EAC/A03/2018
Project number: 612643-EPP-1-2019-1-IT-EPPKA2-SSA

Start: January 2020

Finish: December 2022

Coordinator

AISM – Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla Onlus Italy

Partners

SI4LIFE scrl Italy
Università degli Studi di Genova Italy
Fondazione per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Italy
Hellenic Open University Greece
EPIMELITIRIO ILIAS (Chamber of Ilia), Greece
Akademie für berufliche Bildung gGmbH Germany
Fachhochschule Dresden (University of Applied Sciences), Germany
FUNKA NU AB Sweden
Camara Oficial de Comercio e Industria de Valladolid (Chamber of Valladolid), Spain
CRITERIA-05 S.L. Spain
EASPD - European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities Belgium
IAAPA - International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Belgium
ENAT - European Network for Accessible Tourism Belgium

Project Website: https://in-tour.eu

Contact

Project Manager: Mr. Marco Pizzio, Head of Accessible Tourism, AISM. Email: marco.pizzio@aism.it