ESF 2.11: Developing Leaders for Change and Innovation in Tourism

The Project was designed to up-skill and certify owners, managers and supervisors as well as jobseekers and unemployed persons in the tourism sector. The programmes were practical and result-focused and included mentoring and the possibility of an international field visit. Two studies to forecast employment levels and training needs in the tourism sector were also included.

The overall project objective is to increase the number of qualified professionals working in the tourism industry by upgrading their management knowledge/skills in order to thrive for quality service improvements through change and innovation.

The direct benefit for individuals is the attainment of recognised certification as well as increased motivation following participation in a professional development programme. Participants will also benefit from the acquisition of new skills and/or the upgrading of existing skills, interaction with tourism experts and knowledge gained from the programmes. The project will also have positive direct impacts on the tourism industry - a forecasted amelioration of service standards is expected to improve the competitiveness of the sector, which in turn will yield positive results in the economic scenario both in terms of retraining levels of employment and increased income for the sector, which in turn is expected to impact positively on job creation in the long run.

This project specifically aims to: 1. Strengthen and increase the profitability and competitiveness of the tourism industry; 2. Fill in training gaps where employees in key positions have never had the necessary exposure to academic and professional training; 3. Provide research supporting lifelong learning; 4. Improve the long-term employability and adaptability of the tourism workforce by increasing flexibility and adaptability to adapt to change; 5. Improve the employability of the unemployed; 6. Improve the adaptability of non-tourism employees defined as unemployed and jobseekers, especially those in declining industries.