Tourism and Sustainability. Two words which, just a few years ago, few people would have even considered combining in their thoughts, let alone putting into practice. However, over the last five years – and particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – more and more people, companies and organisations are turning their attention towards sustainability. This shift aims to bring about a paradigm shift away from the – until recently – misunderstood notion of development at the expense of the environment.
In this context, the co-funded project “Rural Tourism Innovation Partnership epaithros-JoinOut“ was designed to actively promote the concept of sustainable tourism in Greece. This project has been a constructive educational opportunity for both the members of the Rural Tourism Cluster and all of us here at IDEA, as we had the opportunity to design an e-learning platform on sustainable tourism. To begin with, let us explain what the “Rural Tourism Innovation Partnership epaithros-JoinOut” project is all about.
WHAT IS THE EPAITHROS – JOINOUT RURAL TOURISM CLUSTER?
The epaithros-JoinOut Rural Tourism Cluster, with ETAM S.A. as its managing body, is an innovative Greek collaboration aimed at enhancing the tourism offering whilst simultaneously improving the competitiveness and development of its member organisations. According to the project’s official website, the epaithros-JoinOut cluster comprises 12 members, consisting of tourism businesses, institutions, organisations, universities and research institutes.
The cluster was designed to support rural tourism in Greece, in line with EU and UN guidelines on sustainability.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM?
Sustainable tourism represents a sustainable approach within the tourism industry, which takes into account current environmental needs alongside the competitiveness of tourism businesses
THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION (UNWTO) DEFINES SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM AS ”Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”
The sustainable development of tourism and the competitiveness of the Greek tourism product are the two main objectives of the Rural Tourism Cluster epaithros-JolnOuT. These objectives involve a series of multifaceted actions, one of which was carried out by IDEA.
IDEA’S ROLE IN THE PROJECT
As part of the Rural Tourism Cluster epaithros-JoinOuT, IDEA, as a training and consultancy organisation, undertook the task of providing online training to entrepreneurs and staff within the Rural Tourism Cluster.
IDEA’S TRAINING MATERIAL
The training material prepared by IDEA was organised around the following seven alternative forms of tourism:
- Agritourism
- Ecotourism – Geotourism,
- Culinary and Wine Tourism,
- Sports Tourism,
- Cultural Tourism,
- Medical Tourism,
- Nautical and Scuba Diving Tourism.
The main aim of the training was to develop the tourism industry and promote Greece’s rich countryside and culture in line with the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) relating to tourism.
In addition to the main focus of the training (alternative forms of tourism and the activities it encompasses), the training seminars also include modules on digital marketing and e-commerce.
The training material was provided in the form of thematic web seminars, delivered online via IDEA’s e-learning platform.
The project entitled “Joint Innovative Activities for Outdoor Tourism” and distinctive title: “JolnOuT”, is implemented within the framework of the Action “Cooperative Innovation Formations/SCC” - 2nd Call: Businesses” and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by National Resources in the context of the Operational Program “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EPANEK)” of the NSRF 2014-2020″ (Project code: ΓΓ2CL-0359457).
