Preventive actions for the health and safety of tourist destinations and hospitality SMEs are the main aims of the 'ESTour’ project of the Erasmus+ programme of the EU: ‘Introducing Epidemic Safe Tourism (post-COVID recovery) to strengthen SMEs in the Hospitality Sector’. Cyprus partners – Larnaka Tourism Board (LTB) and training centre MMC (Mediterranean Management Centre) - are organising an introductory event with the support of UCLan Cyprus as part of the project.

The presentation will take place on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 10:15 to 13:30 at the premises of UCLan Cyprus and is aimed at tourism and hotel staff, business consultants, tourism, hospitality or marketing graduates, or other professionals who wish to acquire digital skills and obtain the ‘ESTour Expert - ISO 17024’ certification. The certification will allow those who complete the course to help tourism SMEs navigate health crises or future pandemics by conducting a health business plan; retraining staff and handling new digital technologies.

Participation in both the event and the pilot training is fully funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Guest speakers at the event will explore 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 will refer 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 will cover 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, will present the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on employee morale. The presentations will be followed by an overview of the certification programme by MMC. All presentations will be in English.

Interested persons can book their participation by emailing: media@larnakaregion.com by 5.4.2024.

The ESTour project has eight partners participating from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain. The project focuses on the training and certification of people working in the hospitality sector who wish to renew their skills and enhance their employment opportunities regarding the new health and safety protocols and new digital technologies, allowing them to effectively address the impact of epidemiological crises. More information about the project can be found here: https://estour.projectlibrary.eu/.    

March 30, 2024