The Project of the Month
Quality Training to Boost Sustainable Rural Tourism
The UPSKILL+ project (Quality Upskilling in Agrotourism Focused on Sustainable Innovation and Experience) is an initiative co-financed by the Erasmus+ program that aims to strengthen the skills of entrepreneurs, professionals, and adults interested in rural tourism, promoting a model based on innovation, sustainability, and the enhancement of local heritage. The project is coordinated by the Pliego City Council, making the Region of Murcia a European leader in developing initiatives to revitalize rural areas.
Project Objective
UPSKILL+ was created to address the challenges facing rural areas, such as depopulation, the need to diversify the economy, and the demand for more sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism. To this end, the project aims to:
Improve the entrepreneurial skills of adults involved in rural tourism.
Promote innovative business models based on agritourism and experiential tourism.
Promoting the transition to more sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally friendly tourism.
Fostering cooperation among public administrations, educational institutions, businesses, and organizations in the European tourism sector.
Main Actions
Among the activities developed by the project are:
Development of a European map of skills, resources, and best practices in rural tourism.
Design of an innovative training curriculum on entrepreneurship in agritourism.
Development of a digital platform with training resources and gamified learning tools.
Training of specialized mentors to support future entrepreneurs.
Exchange of experiences among European partners to identify innovative solutions applicable to the various participating rural territories.
Expected Impact
UPSKILL+ will contribute to:
Increasing the professional skills of entrepreneurs and workers in rural tourism.
Promoting the creation of new economic opportunities in rural areas.
Promoting tourism based on sustainability, innovation, and the authenticity of the territories.
Strengthening European cooperation and knowledge exchange between regions with common challenges.
Improving the resilience of rural communities by diversifying their tourism offerings.
Participating Partners
The project consortium consists of six organizations from six European countries:
Pliego Town Council (Spain) – Project Coordinator.
SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education (Cyprus).
FAB'LIM – Le Labo des Territoires Alimentaires Méditerranéens (France).
E.M. Associazione ARCES (Italy).
I&F Education and Development Limited (Ireland).
Innoventum Oy (Finland).
Funding
Program: Erasmus+
Action: KA220-ADU – Partnerships for Adult Education
Project Reference: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-ADU-000087959
Duration: 24 months
Total Budget: €250,000
More information
UPSKILL+ Project
Erasmus+ Program
Project of the Month. Previous Projects
See selected projects from previous months.