Transnational Pilot project – European Rural Tourism Development Project

What is ERTD
ERTD is a collaborative partnership between 13 training institutions and public/private agencies drawn from 5 countries across Europe. The project is supported by the European Union through the Leonardo da Vinci programme, aimed at improving the vocational education systems of Europe.
ERTD is a collaborative partnership between 13 training institutions and public/private agencies drawn from 5 countries across Europe. The project is supported by the European Union through the Leonardo da Vinci programme, aimed at improving the vocational education systems of Europe.
Aim
The aim of the project is to develop and pilot new learning materials and a new course in rural tourism development which will be delivered on-line to course participants via a virtual campus. The programme will incorporate a variety of learning tasks, including the research, design and promotion of new rural tourism itineraries incorporating case studies to facilitate the learning process. The learning programmes will ensure skills and knowledge of participants meet the needs of the rural tourism sector and new opportunities for employment within it.
Target Group
The new learning programme developed within this pilot initiative is aimed at the following groups of participants
• Those owner/managers and employees involved in rural tourism activities, eg bed & breakfast, self catering holidays, agro-tourism
• Young people training in Leisure and Tourism
• Those people seeking to set up business within the rural tourism sector including the unemployed and those wishing to change direction
Primary Outcomes of the Project
• New learning programmes, course materials, to meet the needs of rural tourism enterprises which will be piloted, tested and evaluated across participating European countries
• The new courses will be developed using e-learning methodologies and will lead to a ‘European’ accreditation and certification offering participants recognition of the skills and competencies acquired. Certification will be secured in the following
• Management in Rural Tourism
• Development of Rural Tourist Attractions

Partnership includes some 13 partners across 5 countries
The project is led by Cebanc-Cdea, Donostia San Sebastian, Spain in association with Norton Radstock College, Bath, UK with partner colleges and social partners from Spain, Italy, UK, Bulgaria and Belgium
Web address: www.ertd.info