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Bringing innovation through
education and training
HOTREC, together with other European partners,
developed a pilot Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
for the training of tourism professionals in the field of
accessibility. The aimwas to create an innovative online
training tool aiming at sensitizing tourism professionals
on the need to better assess and communicate their
services to people with specific needs: a market of 168
million individuals in the EU!
This new form of online courses not only allows for
of passive absorption of information, but rather for an
interactive form of education especially tailored to the
needs for the smallest enterprises in the sector. The
basis of the course is an exhaustive informationmaterial
available, accessible anytime. Information is backed by
videos to further help acquiring new knowledge. Most
importantly, the MOOC offers the possibility of active
interaction among the participants via forums during
the course. The trainees’ progress is further supported
by interactive webinars, as well as the assistance of
professionals through the forums and chats during the
course on the platform of the MOOC.
The MOOC bears several benefits for tourism
entrepreneurs. It allows for flexibility, as the only
condition for participation is having an internet
connection. Depending on the trainees’ availability,
progress in the training can be done anytime. Thus, it
saves the time and the costs of travelling to training
centers, and allows to stay always with the business
when need be. Through the interactive nature of the
course, contacts and networks between professionals
can be easily built-up, enhancing cooperation and
exchange of best practices.
In addition to the MOOC, an online application was
developed, where entrepreneurs can, when going
through their facility, make the self-assessment of their
establishment and publish in a simple way the relevant
information to people in need of it. Visit
apptouryou.eu>
Spreading of innovative ideas
for an environmental friendly
hospitality sector
Environmentally friendly policies and practices in the
hospitality sector are key for a sustainable tourism
sector. The industry uses for years new technological
solutions in order to reduce its carbon footprint.
HOTREC has been supporting the UNWTO lead project
on Nearly Zero Energy Hotels (neZEH), which aim is to
propose concrete solutions to EU hotel owners willing
to become a nearly Zero Energy Hotel. It has been
providing technical advices for nearly Zero Energy
Buildings (nZEB) renovations, demonstrating the
sustainability of such projects and promoting front
runners. neZEH sensitized more than 56.000 hotels
across Europe, engaging them in the EU nZEB strategy.
The application of innovative technologies in the field of
energy is picked up by more and more hotels in Europe.
The use of geothermal energy, the production of
electricity on site, the replacement of fossil fuel boilers
by biomass boilers, the installation of water pressure
regulators and many other practices help the industry
and thus the European tourism sector to become more
environmental friendly.
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