Povzetek
Europe is the world's no. 1 tourist destination, with the highest density and diversity of tourist attractions. The European region, as a whole, represents 51.7% of the total world arrivals, of which the EU-28 countries represent 39.5%.
According to Eurostat, already in 2009, private rented accommodation in Europe covered as much as 13% of the total of holiday (4 nights or more) accommodations, a percentage much larger than that occupied by certain types of collective establishments, such as tourism campsites (6%), holiday dwellings (6%), etc. Data of 2014 show that Croatia in particular occupies the first place in the EU with 41.4% of all tourists selecting private accommodation. Moreover, private tourism accommodations are increasingly gaining ground in many countries, including in the other target countries Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, Spain but even worldwide, with many tourists opting for private rooms, apartments, residences, etc. for having more freedom, more privacy, more interaction with the local businesses and cultures, a lower vacation cost - especially for families and groups, or being closer to nature, such as through B&Bs in farms, cultural heritage spaces, wineries, etc. It is estimated that the prospects and potential for growth in this area of tourism are immense but the needs and challenges of these services providers have not been addressed.
According to forecasts by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in about a decade, Europe’s market share is expected to decline, compared to other regions of the world that will continue to grow, mainly Asia and the Pacific and Africa. In this respect, the European tourism industry needs to plan ahead in order to stay competitive, continue to support the economy while responding to the developments and upcoming trends for a more low-cost, diversified and sustainable tourism accompanied by leisure activities, close to nature and the local culture, e.g. a real tailor-made local vacation experience.
The overall goal of this project is to support and capitalise on the growth potential of European private tourism accommodation services in the target countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, and Spain) and beyond by developing an online innovative and interactive training course to support the upskilling and professionalization of this area of tourism services. The course will be structured in modules, including on the following topics: Hospitality and service culture; Planning for success; Running your business day to day; Face-lifting your business; Creative and innovative products and services; Promoting and selling effectively.
The project and course will address the following target groups, either directly or indirectly:
The direct target groups consist in: providers and wanna-be providers of private tourism accommodation services, including owners, managers and staff at all posts; VET trainers; unemployed.
The indirect target groups consist in: tourism-related local, regional, national and European associations and organisations; other businesses directly or indirectly related to the tourism industry, including businesses in the surrounding tourist areas, such as wineries, etc.; tourism-related local, regional, national, European authorities, especially authorities involved in policy-making in this area, in the provision of related administrative services, such as permits, and/or the management of natural resources or reserves; tourists, e.g. the customers and end consumers.
The flexible training material and online platform of the Rooms to VET project will provide the target groups with all the necessary knowledge to go about organising and formalizing the private tourism accommodation services, increasing their quality and variety, and thus, their income, productivity and competitiveness.
