ESTour
The ESTour project - Introducing Epidemic Safe Tourism (post-COVID recovery) to strengthen SMEs in the Hospitality Sector - aims at training and certifying people who have been working in the hospitality sector and would like to update their skills related to the new health and safety protocols and new digital technologies in regards to an effective response to epidemic crises’ impact. The main goal of the ESTour Expert is to be able to work at an operational level, namely conduct an operational plan by creating and implementing staff protocols and guidelines, retraining and monitoring staff regarding infection control, physical distancing and hygiene measures, and to know how to use the new digital technologies for implementing clients’ social distancing during epidemic crises.
Partners:
Cyprus: Larnaka Tourism Board / M.M.C Management Center Limited
Greece: Dimitra Education & Consulting / Katartiseis Aksiologiseis Pistopoihseis Anonimi Etairia
Italy: Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata
Spain: Instituto Para EL Fomento Deldesarrollo Y Laformacion SL (INFODEF) / Agrupacion Empresarial Innovadora para la Construccion Eficiente (AEICE)
Poland: Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Project News
JUNE 2022
The project's first newsletter outlining the steps and progress made so far through the collaborative actions of the partners was published following the kick off meeting and the first face-to-face meeting held in Valladolid, Spain in June 2022.
Read the newsletter here.
DECEMBER 2022
The project's second newsletter was published following the second face-to-face meeting in Rome in December 2022.
Read the newsletter here.
JUNE 2023
The smooth running of PR3 Activity 1 - Development of Training Programme and PR3 Activity 2 - Development of the Training Material for the Sychronous Learning-Nationally Contextualised is resulting in solid course materials in lieu of the third transnational meeting and the Learning Activity scheduled in Larissa, Greece on 10-13 July 2023. In-between, online meetings of the partners were held in February and May 2023 outlining the progress of the project and the next steps to be taken by each partner.
The third newsletter was completed. Read it here.
JULY 2023
The 4th Transnational Meeting and the Training Activity took place in Larissa, Greece from July 10-13.
The meeting outlined the progress of the project thus far, and detailed the next steps, including the dissemination and exploitation strategy, the work allocation, and the sustainability plan.
The Training Activity was organised in order to train the trainers and facilitators; those, who in the following months, will need to deliver the ESTour training material in their countries, while implementing activities for pilot training the ESTour Experts and validating the training material of the ESTour project at their national context. Each partner delivered a demo training of the materials developed, presenting their methodology behind the developed training to the rest of the trainers so as to become familiar with the overall ESTour course that is to be tested in their countries.
AUGUST 2023
The fourth newsletter was completed. Read it here.
JANUARY 2024
The fifth transnational Meeting took place in Nicosia, Cyprus from January 11-12. The progress of the face-to-face and asynchronous learning materials was discussed along with the long-term dissemination plan. The all-important next steps regarding the pilot training were also outlined, which will be rolled out in each country and is aimed at the hotel and tourism industry with the goal of providing digital tools and know-how on health and safety protocols to allow SMEs navigate any future pandemics or health issues that may impact tourism.
APRIL 2024
The Cyprus Multiplier Event (MeV) was held on April 9, 2024 at the premises of UCLan (university) with a joint event by the Cyprus partners LTB and MMC.
Participants were tourist sector professionals and tourism students and graduates who have been taking work placements in the tourism & hospitality industry as part of the their studies.
Guest speakers at the event explored the broader theme of the impact of pandemics on hotels and the tourism industry both locally and globally and the resulting changes, trends and future implications.
Ms Nicoletta Patsalou, Quality Assurance Officer Α’, Deputy Ministry of Tourism referred to the Deputy Ministry’s strategy during and post Covid-19; Mr Christos Efstathiou - Member of the Board of Directors of Cyprus Hotel Managers Association covered the topic of the performance of hospitality SMEs during times of post-epidemic crises’, and Dr. Aspasia Simillidou - Lecturer in HRM and Hospitality of UCLan Cyprus, presented the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on employee morale. The presentations were followed by an overview of the certification programme by MMC. All presentations were in English.
A panel discussion allowed questions to the speakers, and the opportunity was given to sign-up to the Cyprus pilot training that MMC will undertake. A light lunch followed.
APRIL 2024
The fifth newsletter was completed - read it here.
JUNE 2024
