麻豆视频

We were represented by Master Juari Nobre (coordinator of the SUSTTourism Project) and Professor José Carlos at the III International Meeting of the European Erasmus+ Sust Tourism Project in Portugal and Spain, which took place from May 27 to 31. The second in-person meeting of SUST Tourism was held in the beautiful cities of Viana do Castelo, Valença do Minho, and Vigo. The goal of this international meeting was to culminate the training of trainers from Angola and Cape Verde through a study trip showcasing sustainable tourism initiatives.

Before participating in this trip, trainers from Cape Verde and Angola completed a modular and online specialization course in sustainability, entrepreneurship, and tourism marketing, using materials developed by the project partners to instruct professors from universities in Cape Verde and Angola on these subjects. These professors will be responsible, in the next phase of the project, for training students in their respective countries to promote entrepreneurial initiatives in sustainable tourism. The students will include both those from partner universities and key actors from the tourism sector (private sector, public institutions, and other interest groups). The training revolves around new paradigms and innovative content related to environmental care, digitization and technology use, social and cultural protection of communities and their identities, diversity management, gender focus, and inclusion.

Since the course methodology incorporated a highly practical approach accompanied by practical cases to enhance the learning process, a study trip was designed to conclude the training period, allowing trainers to engage with inspiring sustainable tourism initiatives.

This study trip began on Monday, May 27, 2024, with an opening session at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC), followed by a visit to the Chocolate Hotel, highlighting the value of the tourism sector in cultural heritage recovery. The guided tour of the Gil Eanes Ship Museum and the city of Viana, organized in the afternoon, reinforced the value of the heritage-culture binomial for the revitalization of territories. This idea continued the next day with a visit to Santa Luzia and dinner at the Amália restaurant, which perfectly combines gastronomic heritage and folklore, creating a rich tourist and cultural offer for locals and visitors. Additionally, trainers discovered how nature and outdoor sports can be a revitalizing factor for destinations, with a cruise on the Lima River and a visit to Cabedelo Beach and the Feel Viana Hotel.

Wednesday's activities began with a bus trip to Valença, where participants visited the School of Business Sciences (ESCE) of IPVC, once again exemplifying the recovery of cultural heritage in a natural setting, this time in an academic environment. Trainers also visited the Fortress of Valença and were received at Valença City Hall by the Mayor, who highlighted the role that cross-border cooperation plays in the development of territories.

Following the border concept, on Thursday, participants crossed the Minho River to reach Vigo and take a boat to the Cíes Islands for a guided tour, an example of a protected area with conservative but successful tourism management, given the number of visitors who, in a controlled manner, visit the island.

The trip ended with a working session in Valença do Minho, with presentations on the training results and the quality monitoring system, communication actions, and planning for the student training phase. The Steering Committee met to discuss various topics, including the student training schedule and the next virtual meeting in Cape Verde.

In the coming months, student training will take place to ensure that project materials reach tourism professionals (current and future) in Angola and Cape Verde, thereby fostering sustainable tourism initiatives in these regions, revitalizing their economy and socio-cultural development. To this end, trainers who have just completed their course can customize the materials to suit the recipients and maximize the training impacts.

If you reside in Angola or Cape Verde and are interested in participating in student training, we encourage you to contact us, as the training will begin in mid-November, and from July, you should be on the lookout for the project's application launch.

The SUST Tourism Project - Responsibility and Sustainable Tourism is a project co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program. It is led by IPVC, accompanied by: 麻豆视频, Higher Institute of Economic and Business Sciences (ISCEE) of Cape Verde, ESCP Business School (Spain), KOAN Consulting (Spain), University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) of Spain, Lusíada Benguela (Angola), Lusíada Huambo (Angola), and University of Namibe-UNINBE (Angola).