The DGI Tourism project held its first multiplier event during last 27 September 2022 in Athens during World Tourism Day and as one of the independently-organised side events during the Green Destinations 2022 Conference.
Hosted by Travel2Fit, the event was attended by Greek VET providers and the wider tourism stakeholders.
In her keynote address, Katerina Saridaki, Director of CapsuleT Accelerator, highlighted the need to upskill in digitisation in the tourism sector in the face of evolving market demands and shifting sustainability practices. She mentioned that the Greek tourism sector has a long way to go in incorporating sustainability and digital skills in employee training. CapsuleT plays a critical role in bridging this gap by assisting digital and green transition through training and developing tools for the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels’ over 10,000 members.
Magda Peistikou, head of Learning and Development at the Greek Institute of SETE-INSETE, corroborated Ms. Saridaki’s insights in her keynote speech. She emphasised the need for online education and digital transformation are needed so that public and private education can evolve to the changing market needs. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the evolution of soft skills is sought to provide greater access to information and opportunities for workers and organisations to pursue new programmes. Ms. Peistikou also mentioned that ethics would play a significant role in training students and employees with moral values.
Giving a multi-ethical dimension in the tourism sector through training, educational activities, and skills development will facilitate the transition to sustainable development and strengthen resilience while maintaining our authenticity as human beings and preserving our cultural and natural heritage.
During the round table discussion, it was evident that the Covid-19 pandemic pushed many industries toward digital reform. However, the tourism industry continues to lag behind and thus needs more robust support to integrate innovation and digitisation. On the other hand, experiential education holds the key to developing environmental awareness and overall concern for sustainability. Thus, combining digitation, innovation, and sustainability in the tourism VET curricula will produce more well-rounded tourism professionals.
Ioanna Matouli, R&D Engineer of Atlantis Engineering, gave updates on the progress of the DGI Tourism project. She elaborated on the research that the project consortium undertook to identify methodologies that shall serve as the framework for developing the European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET) profile and training plan for the DGI Tourism professional.
You can find the complete program of the first multiplier event here.
