STEFAN: Sustainable Tourism: Eco-friendly Actions Network
2020-1-CZ01-KA202-078384
Duration: 2020.09.01-2022.08.31
Total grant: 182.309,00 EUR
Project summary: The main priority of the project STEFAN is to develop an innovative educational e-learning platform and create an educational material focusing on practical tasks and on new IT possibilities (applications, QR codes) which are currently very important in tourism sector in European countries. With the development of the educational material and e-learning platform, the partnership will be able to promote ecotourism as well as sustainable tourism in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Macedonia, and Slovenia. Moreover, the aim of the outputs of the project is to increase the number of tourism professionals, raise entrepreneurial skills and cooperation between educational companies, people who work in the tourism sector, and tourists themselves.
Development of sustainable tourism and ecotourism in partners countries would enhance the competitiveness of the European tourism industry and would pursue objectives, which European Commission set up already in the year 2004 by creating Tourism Sustainability Group that participated in the creation of reports that defined new European tourism policy, such as ‘Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism’. Since then, the importance of sustainable tourism development has been repeatedly stressed – for example in the political framework for tourism called ‘Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination’ or in the ‘European Charter for Sustainable Tourism’, which emphasizes that competitiveness is closely linked to the sustainable way. Considering the fact that tourism constitutes the third-largest economic activity in the EU, it is crucial that member states become more involved in sustainable tourism development.
The general aim of the project is to underline the importance of cooperation between tourism and ecology as well as to transfer an innovative training approach and the respective tools in the field of ecotourism which will be applicable in all partner countries. The project will increase the professional knowledge, the quality of the services, and provide a good example for other tourism sectors. Education with specific knowledge and promotion of local cooperation are the best ways how to increase ecotourism in the countries of the European Union.
The aim of the project STEFAN is to develop and provide training material including e-learning platform ensuring high-quality standards for education and training in the area of ecotourism and sustainable tourism. The main point of the developed e-learning platform is to educate a motivate stuff with practical professional knowledge. The project developing an e-learning platform including learning courses could ensure innovative training for people employed in the tourism sector. The development of the training material will increase the knowledge and the quality of the services provided by tourism sectors. Education with specific knowledge and promotion of local cooperation are the best ways how to increase ecotourism sector in the countries of the European Union.
During the project implementation, partners would like to reach and develop skills competences and professional knowledge of: entrepreneurs, future entrepreneurs who want to develop a business; young persons with tourism interests, local development promoters/agents, municipality technicians and stakeholders who, by the nature of their professional’s activities have to define policies and strategies connected to tourism sector; Technicians and professionals of tourism sector who would like to develop or increase their know-how and skills in this scope.
The partners involved in the project are from Czech Republic, Slovenia, Macedonia, Spain and Hungary.
The STEFAN project will increase new opportunities for employability, develop the existing small business already installed, and potentiate new ones to emerge; preserve local nature and culture, and promote the conservation of green areas. The project will also raise awareness of relevant stakeholders and local development associations about tourism potential of their regions and will facilitate to define policies and strategies as a motor of local development in a sustainable approach. The professional experiences of the partners and the involved educational institutions and the detailed research surveys during the project creation are guaranteeing the sustainability of the project.
