WeNaTour is a European project funded by the Erasmus+ program that aims to train new professionals for sustainable tourism and explore emerging markets, keeping the well-being of local communities and environmental protection at the center of its strategies, toward a more responsible and sustainable future.
The project consists of 11 full partners and 2 Associated Partners: 5 HEIs and research centers, 4 innovative SMEs, 2 VETs from 5 EU countries: Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Romania, and Austria, plus 2 destination management organizations from Italy and Austria.
The main aims of the project are:
- Facilitating the flow and co-creation of knowledge between higher education and vocational education and training, research, the public sector and the business sector.
- Fostering new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning,
- Fostering corporate social responsibility (e.g., equity, inclusion, climate change, environmental protection and sustainable development),
The most innovative aspect stems from training new multi-disciplinary professions for students (with ECTS accreditation) and professionals (with the release of micro credentials) framing the new skill set for Sustainability Managers for Tourism Destination. This figure will be able to apply holistic knowledge and digital skillsets to identify, assess and support the sustainability of tourism destinations and operators at public and private level, including improvements through actioning and monitoring of it, while attracting local, regional and international emerging tourism market opportunities. Sustainable destination management, given the focus of the emerging markets (company welfare and nature for health and well-being), will also bring additional positive externalities in terms of improved CSR for companies that implement new welfare plans, and wellbeing benefits for the company workforce once the solutions identified in the project are implemented. Finally, the project provides new possibilities for existing tourism professionals to increase not only their professional credibility through EQF-accredited VET courses, but also expand their potential tourist offering through WeNaTour emerging market professional trainings.
WeNaTour will also create the first business-research cross sectoral EU alliance: WeNaTour Alliance for innovation and education in sustainable tourism, bringing together relevant representatives of the business sector, HEIs and VETs specialized in sustainable tourism management and the two emerging sectors, and certified sustainable tourism destinations all interacting at different levels.
