The RETES project responds to the growing vulnerability of tourism destinations to climate-related risks and disasters, including wildfires, floods, heatwaves and extreme weather events. Many tourism operators—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, rural destinations and seasonal businesses—lack the necessary skills, tools and structured cooperation mechanisms to effectively prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
In this context, RETES aims to strengthen resilience in the tourism sector by addressing skills gaps, improving coordination between key actors and promoting innovative training approaches. The project focuses on Disaster Risk Management and climate resilience as essential competences for tourism professionals, integrating these topics into vocational education and training pathways.
To achieve this, RETES will develop and pilot innovative VET training programmes tailored to the needs of tourism operators and trainers. These programmes will be supported by digital learning resources delivered through a dedicated Digital Toolkit, based on micro-learning units hosted on a Moodle learning management system. The project will also introduce a micro-credential system using Open Badges, allowing learners to formally recognize and showcase newly acquired skills related to resilience and emergency preparedness.A central element of RETES is the promotion of cooperation models between tourism stakeholders and civil protection authorities at local and regional level. Through participatory activities, pilots and scenario-based exercises, the project will foster mutual understanding, coordination and trust among actors who play a critical role before, during and after crisis situations in tourism destinations.
The training materials and cooperation frameworks developed within RETES will be tested and validated through pilot activities involving tourism operators, VET trainers and civil protection representatives in all partner countries. This practical validation ensures that project outputs are relevant,applicable and adaptable to different territorial contexts.
The project is implemented by a transnational consortium from Italy, Cyprus,Greece, Spain and Montenegro, combining expertise in vocational education and training, tourism and local development, civil protection and emergency management, digital learning and micro-credentials, as well as communication and stakeholder engagement. This multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral composition is a key asset for achieving RETES’ objectives and ensuring the sustainability and transferability of its results.
