Date: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Place: Plaza José María Forqué 2-3, Zaragoza, Spain
In the framework of the European project Erasmus+ YOU SMILE, the primary focus group took place on the 16th of November at the office of the Developia Foundation, coordinator of the project. The session, lasting an hour and a half, adopted a hybrid format, with six online participants and seven on-location attendees, including experts from the public and private sectors in the tourism industry and students. Developia conducted the focus group activities utilizing the Mentimeter online platform, fostering dynamic discussions.
The project, “YOU SMILE” aims to empower less fortunate individuals, educators, organizations, and more in their pursuit of sustainable and financially stable micro and small entrepreneurship in rural tourism services. This initiative involves increasing the capacities of interested youth and young entrepreneurs in sustainable practices, finance, and entrepreneurship.
To kick-off the meeting the project manager of the Micol Petrone Project presented the project and the programme of the focus group. Then the participants went on to break the ice and introduce themselves. Following, a discussion session in which the participants were asked to answer some questions by immersing themselves in different scenarios. Participants responded actively by opening a debate on the best strategies to make the tourism sector more sustainable and attentive to both waste management and the conservation of local cultural and natural heritage. After having finished the introductory exercise to the meeting, the meeting followed with a brainstorming discussion in which participants shared their experiences in the sector and the main challenges they face in offering their tourism services. Lastly, in the last portion of the meeting the focus was put on gathering data on the skills and knowledge of the participants in relation to sustainability in the tourism sector.
The project aims to establish five tourist service “living labs” in partner countries for collaborative development of innovative ideas in sustainable tourism. It includes creating an e-course with videos, TikTok content, and podcasts covering sustainable tourism, financial management for small businesses, and green entrepreneurship in rural areas. A manual will guide self-learning based on the training materials. The project will have an open-access repository for project information, conduct two training sessions to test materials, and organize dissemination events to share results with a broader audience.
The project addresses various needs. It aims to tackle the lack of formal education and awareness in sustainable practices, finance, and entrepreneurship, especially in rural touristic services. Additionally, high youth unemployment rates, particularly in Spain, Greece, and Portugal, indicate the necessity to empower youth with employable skills and entrepreneurial opportunities to reduce unemployment rates. Moreover, in sustainable tourism, professionals need an understanding of sustainable practices to minimize negative impacts on the environment and communities. Another need is innovative learning approaches. The project seeks to introduce methods like video courses, podcasts, and living labs to engage and educate youth more effectively. Lastly, the project aims to socially include less fortunate individuals by providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Finally, the inaugural focus group session for the YOU SMILE project, led by the Project Manager, set the tone for an engaging and collaborative exploration of Sustainable Tourism concepts. The future of YOUSMILE is set to be bright and upcoming events and activities are deserving of anticipation
Keep an eye out for news about our upcoming activities!
