Responding to tourism market changes caused by Covid-19 and Green Deal

CREDinGREEN

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European tourism market and the entire global tourism industry will continue to face enormous changes in the coming years. Tourism is not expected to return to 2019 levels before 2023. This will be accompanied by a dramatic change in customer behavior, for example in terms of attitudes and use of online/offline services, the use of sharing economy formats, in-house vs. outhouse services and the integration of local and regional products and services. By then, sustainability and climate protection will have arrived in the social mainstream in all EU countries and will have a high priority in purchasing and consumer behavior.

More than 90 % of companies in the tourism sector are classified as small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. These companies have very few resources to cope with the upcoming changes related to the Green Deal and the Covid-19 pandemic. The question is how quickly and how successfully European tourism businesses can adapt.

Goals and contents

The "CREDinGREEN" project addresses this challenge by raising awareness of the massive changes that the tourism sector will be facing in the coming years. In order to respond quickly to market-driven changes in knowledge and skills in VET and at the same time ensure high quality accreditation, the European Commission has recently introduced the new EU instrument the "EU micro-credential approach". This "EU micro-credential approach" is intended to support the tourism industry in adapting to these changes. The CREDinGREEN project will develop a teaching concept on this new methodological and didactic basis. It is based on the latest market development studies. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing customer demands and environmental policy challenges, knowledge and skills will be imparted to enable tourism managers in SMEs and destinations to successfully adapt their products and services.

The teaching concept attaches great importance to the accreditation of learning outcomes. It should lead to a high level of acceptance of the new EU instrument of micro-credentials. The aim is to ensure that graduates and professionals can easily demonstrate that they are familiar with the latest changes in market requirements and have the latest and necessary knowledge, skills and competences.

In addressing the challenges facing the tourism industry, the CREDinGREEN project will achieve the following key outputs during the project period: Design of a teaching concept based on the "EU micro-credential approach". This covers key areas of sustainable green tourism and shows how these can be taken into account and implemented in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Development of a comprehensive strategy paper that provides an overview of the state of the art in the field of green tourism. It provides an overview of the use of micro-certificates as a learning tool in vocational education and training for lifelong learning in Europe. The strategy paper presents 25 ongoing EU projects that address the above-mentioned challenges. This bottom-up feedback is intended to inform policy makers and funding bodies at national and EU level about what is happening at grassroots level and how they can improve their policies and funding structures to drive developments forward. The policy paper will include contributions and articles from policy makers and stakeholders at national and European level explaining their educational approaches and objectives for green tourism and the EU micro-credential approach.

Project Results

The CREDinGREEN project, launched in 2022 with an international consortium of Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Austrian partners, was successfully completed in spring 2024. The project started under the impact of the Covid pandemic and addressed the question of how tourism SMEs could use the crisis to design future-oriented products while also becoming more resilient. In this context, two European instruments were examined that should have a positive influence on the sustainable orientation of tourism companies:

The European Green Deal with the opportunities for a sustainable design of tourism offers, including through programs such as Farm to Fork, which have an influence on gastronomy by, for example, regionalizing the food chain.
The instrument of microcredentials, i.e. European certificates to optimize and standardize lifelong vocational training.

The project concluded with the following 3 results, which were officially presented to the public at the beginning of March 2024 in the context of ITB Berlin:

1. CREDinGREEN Report on the situation of tourism 2022

Tourism managers were invited to take part in a survey at the beginning of the project in 2022, which provided information about the situation of tourism SMEs in the participating countries. With 355 participants, there is a solid basis for the evaluation, which, in addition to extensive literature research, provides deep insights into the companies. In addition to the survey, expert interviews were conducted with participants from the tourism and education sectors.

The study provides valuable insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic and EU Green Deal policies have changed tourism behavior in Europe. The results underscore the evolving services, knowledge, and skills that tourism managers must adapt to remain competitive and sustainable in this changing landscape.

By understanding the dynamics, tourism managers can better navigate the challenges and opportunities of the current global landscape. Read on to discover the detailed findings and recommendations of the study.

2. CREDinGREEN Training course for vocational education and training in sustainable tourism

The vocational education and training program aims to retrain managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector. The program teaches how tourism providers can meet the evolving needs of the market in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and under the influence of EU Green Deal policies.

The online training offers the opportunity to equip tourism managers across Europe with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the post-pandemic situation and adopt sustainable practices. The program focuses on promoting resilience, innovation, and sustainability in tourism management.

The training program is an essential step for tourism managers who want to adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics and sustainability requirements. By participating in this program, managers can be better prepared to lead their companies into a sustainable and successful future in the tourism industry.

3. CREDinGREEN strategy paper

The strategy paper contains a comprehensive set of recommendations for policymakers in education and training. It can help ensure the sustainable integration of microcredentials into VET systems and promote the EU Green Deal through innovative training programs in the tourism sector.

The materials serve as an important resource for education and training policymakers. By providing actionable recommendations, it supports the sustainable integration of microcredentials in VET and the advancement of the EU Green Deal. This strategy paper aims to drive systemic change and ensure that VET systems across Europe are able to meet the changing needs of the tourism sector and contribute to a sustainable future.

All results can be found in detail on the project website: www.credingreen.com/results