TourEdu – Towards The Future of Tourism Education

TourEdu is a 36‑month Erasmus+ cooperation partnership (2025–2028). The project responds to a widening skills gap and falling enrolments in tourism education by co‑creating flexible, inclusive and market‑relevant learning pathways with industry. Through research, co‑design and piloting across Norway, Finland, Denmark and Portugal, the consortium will map future competence needs, test innovative teaching approaches at different education levels, and create stackable micro‑credential courses for both students and working professionals.

Challenges

• Declining numbers of students in tourism programmes and program closures across Europe
• Skill mismatches between education outcomes and labour‑market needs
• Post‑pandemic workforce shortages limiting businesses’ ability to operate
• Rapid green and digital transitions requiring updated competence profiles
• Need for flexible, modular learning options for upskilling and reskilling

Focus areas

• Identify the newest competence and skills needs (and gaps) in the tourism and hospitality sector
• Co‑create innovative, inclusive teaching/training approaches with stakeholders
• Develop strategies for lifelong learning tailored to tourism
• Design and implement stackable micro‑credential courses relevant to students and industry professionals

WP1 – Project Management
Ensures effective coordination, governance and quality assurance. Structures regular steering‑committee meetings, partner reporting, risk management, and documentation. Provides the backbone that enables smooth delivery of WP2–WP5.

WP2 – Mapping Job Profiles for Future Tourism Professionals
Updates proficiency/competence profiles to match green/digital transitions and emerging labour‑market needs. Delivers: (1) a systematic literature review; (2) a Curricula Reform Toolkit with forward‑looking competencies, learning outcomes and key job profiles; (3) an interactive workbook for teachers/developers. Outputs in WP2 directly impacts design choices in WP3 and the topics/skills of the micro‑credentials in WP4.

WP3 – Co‑creation, Piloting and Evaluation of New Training Approaches
Runs a design‑thinking sequence—ideation → prototyping → testing → improvement → implementation—together with students, educators, industry and other stakeholders across education levels (pre‑university, HE, lifelong learning). Produces a best‑practice framework and a policy‑recommendation report (incl. micro‑credentials & lifelong learning strategy). WP3 refines and validates concepts originating in WP2 and readies them for scale‑up in WP4.

WP4 – Alternative Forms of Tourism Educational Learning
Designs and implements four stackable micro‑credential courses (with a teacher guide) built on WP2 findings and WP3 pilot insights. Targets both HE students and industry professionals, improving accessibility, flexibility and employability. WP4 is the primary vehicle for mainstreaming innovations into partner curricula and lifelong‑learning offers.

WP5 – Communication & Dissemination
Amplifies reach and impact of WP2–WP4 results via journals, conferences and stakeholder channels (incl. DMOS, companies, and HEIs). Ensures open access to resources and integration of outputs in partner institutions post‑project.