Presentation at 8th Asia Euro 2023 Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy Conference Global changes and transformative future Toulouse, France 23 November 2023

1. Sustainability
competencies education
instruments for use in
food tourism and
hospitality
Jan Lichota
PhD Candidate
UNED
8th Asia Euro 2023
Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy Conference
Global changes and transformative future
Toulouse, France
23 November 2023

2. BACKGROUND
TO PIC
Photo credit: Destination Great Lake Taupo
Research and practice
• Literature review
• Examples from destinations
• Education, tourism and hospitality sector initiatives
European Union
• European Year of Skills
• Transition pathway for tourism
• EntreComp and GreenComp framework
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3. Outline
Tourism
Sustainability
Education
01
EU framework
Opportunities
03
Food tourism vs
Sustainability at destinations
02 Conclusions
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4. SPEAKER
Jan Lichota
UNED – Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Lawyer, researcher, lecturer
Event manager, editor
Beer judge
PhD candidate European Union studies
Thesis: EU Tourism policy & Smart tourism capital contest
Executive Master in International Association Management
Business management studies
International Relations and European Union studies
Cultural studies
Degree in Law

5. Tourism
Sustainability
Education
Creating the relationship
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Sustainable development goals
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UN framework for sustainable development education

8. Clustering of competences and learning
experiences framework
• a Learning to know refers to
understanding the challenges
facing society both locally and
globally and the potential role of
educators and learners (The
educator understands....)
• b Learning to do refers to
developing practical skills and
action competence in relation to
education for sustainable
development (The educator is able
to....);
• c Learning to live together
contributes to the development of
partnerships and an appreciation
of interdependence, pluralism,
mutual understanding and peace
(The educator works with others in
ways that....);
• d Learning to be addresses the
development of one’s personal
attributes and ability to act with
greater autonomy, judgement and
personal responsibility in relation
to sustainable development (The
educator is someone who....).
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Gap between education and practice?
Survey data of 192 undergraduate students collected via an online survey
tool indicate decoupling as hospitality student environmental sustainability
attitudes and skills do not translate as well as expected into intentions to
practice sustainability in the workplace.
(…)
Positioning sustainability as a threshold concept may be one way to
accomplish this. The goal of a threshold concept is to open “a new and
previously inaccessible way of thinking” (Meyer & Land, 2003)
Hughes, S. B., J. Maloni, M., & Jackson, L. A. (2022). Light green–a case study of sustainability
decoupling in hospitality education. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education

10. Example: EntreComp framework
• EntreComp: The entrepreneurship
competence framework
• Entrepreneurship as a lifelong
competence
• Elements that make someone
entrepreneurial
• Common reference for initiatives dealing
with entrepreneurial learning.
Framework
Community
Further continuity in other EU projects
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EU programme: EntreComp framework

12. Example: EntreComp Food
• EU-funded project aiming at attracting
enough young people to the agri-food
industry
• Learning activities to stimulate innovation
and entrepreneurship towards students
and young entrepreneurs
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EU programme: EntreComp4Transition

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EU programme: EntreComp4Transition
The EntreComp4Transition has four learning paths:
Learning Path 1: Sustainability Practitioner
Learning Path 2: Digital Transformation Practitioner
Learning Path 3: Entrepreneurship Practitioner
Learning Path 4: Green Transition Facilitator

15. Food tourism vs
Sustainability at destinations
Assessing the needs
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Typology of food tourism experiences
Events related to food:
• Single-activity events (usually focused on one specific theme and one place);
• Combined-activity events (a broader theme, various locations and multiple places in a wider region,
throughout the year or season).
Services related to food:
• Place-based services (linked to one location; e.g., a kitchen for workshops);
• Tours (linked to several locations organized in an integrated activity).
Hribar, M. Š., Visković, N. R., & Bole, D. (2021). Models of stakeholder collaboration in food
tourism experiences. Acta geographica Slovenica.

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Stakeholder collaboration in food tourism experiences
The mode of stakeholder collaboration greatly depends on the stakeholders’ motives and
attitudes toward the development of local tourism.
If the main motive is more general and long-term (e.g., promotion of the destination in
general, or raising awareness about culinary heritage), the type of stakeholders involved
and their ways of connecting are completely different: they rely more on central, top-
down, and planned communication, usually initiated by a public institution that »invites«
local producers to participate.
If the motives are more specific and short-term (e.g., an additional channel for selling
agricultural products or services), the stakeholders usually act in a more consensual,
bottom-up process and can ensure more sustainable activation and enhancement of
local food resources.
Hribar, M. Š., Visković, N. R., & Bole, D. (2021). Models of stakeholder collaboration in food
tourism experiences. Acta geographica Slovenica.

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Global initiatives

19. Example: Sustainaibility Leadership
• Global initiative
• Open to Destination Management
organisations
• Certification path
• Training for professionals
1/ Understanding Sustainability
2/ Choosing a Sustainable Journey Path
• Certifications and criteria
3/ Leveraging Data & Measuring Impact
• Data and targets
4/ Sustainability & Effective Communication
5/ Co-designing Strategies for a Sustainable
Future
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20. Example: Green Destinations
• Private global organisation that supports
sustainable destinations, their businesses
and their communities.
• Present in over 90 countries
• Training and advisory services
• Green destinations conference
• GSTC Assesment
• Best practices sharing
• Awards
• Top 100 destinations stories
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21. EU framework
Existing and upcoming opportunities
An overview
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22. European Union: tourism & economy
2019 – EU Tourism ecosystem =
➢12.9 % of EU Gross Value Added
➢15.8 % of employment;
➢99 % are micro, small and medium-sized
enterprises.
Pandemic impact
• 11 million jobs in 2020
• Recovery
• Key sector for institutional action
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Tourism statistics: Europe
Eurostat, 8 November 2023

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EU Tourism Agenda 2030

25. Transition pathway for tourism
➢Plan jointly created with actors of
the tourism ecosystem detailing
key actions, targets and conditions
to achieve the green and digital
transitions and long-term resilience
of the sector.
➢Pledges from stakeholders
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26. Transition pathway for tourism
➢Framework for action
➢Twenty-seven areas, including:
• To invest in circularity to reduce
energy, waste, water and pollution,
and at the same time to better meet
the increasing demand for sustainable
tourism;
• To enhance data sharing practices to
allow for new innovative tourism
services and improve the sustainable
management of destinations;
• To invest in skills to ensure the
availability of qualified workforce and
attractive careers in the ecosystem.
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27. Transition pathway for tourism
Destination strategies to :
• tackling the specific challenges of tourism
destinations (i.a. climate mitigation)
• specific strengths of tourist destinations
in terms of natural resources, cultural
heritage and the potential to give
customers unique and authentic
experiences;
• Inclusiveness and accessibility, including
for persons with disabilities;
• Supporting SMEs and cultural and
creative industries in their key role in the
tourism ecosystem, in terms of technical
assistance and the funding needed to
meet the objectives of the strategy.
• Synergies with other ecosystems
‘Agri-food’, for improving food systems and
services, reliable local supply chains and
reduced food waste for hospitality.
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European Union: Tourism agenda 2030
➢ Tourism – part of industrial recovery strategy
➢ Various EU pilot projects using the tourism domain
➢ Initiatives related to governance, data, education, entrepreneurship
Council conclusions on ‘European Agenda for Tourism 2030’

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Palma Declaration
Meeting of Tourism ministers held in October 2023
Declaration : “The path towards social sustainability of tourism in the EU”
Joint declaration on the social sustainability of the sector in the European
Union requesting the European Commission to further act on tourism
initiatives and Member States to further commit to various actions.
Link

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Palma Declaration
THE MEMBER STATES SIGNATORIES OF THIS DECLARATION STRESS
THEIR COMMITMENT to:
7/ Support taking up and developing practices for measuring tourism
sustainability regarding economic, environmental and social dimensions, at
national, regional and destination levels as a tool for sustainable destination
management and tourism strategy follow-up.
8/ Support establishing local and regional partnerships for skills development for
the tourism workforces, both for upskilling and reskilling of current employees
and jobseekers, as well as for initial education and training for young generation
on green and digital skills, as well as strategic innovation skills for new
sustainable and responsible tourism services.

31. Example: Tourban project
• EU-funded project that supports urban
tourism SMEs in becoming more
competitive and more sustainable – not
only from an environmental but also from
an economic and social point of view.
• Seven pilot cities
Address the numerous effects and impacts
of urban tourism
• increase health precautions
• pressure on limited urban resources such
as water, energy, and space, waste
management
• gentrification and coexistence between
residents and visitors,
• precarious working conditions in the
hospitality and catering industry.
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32. Example: Entrepreneurship4All
• Self-study course Sustainability
• Sustainability competences, as analysed in the
GreenComp framework, focused on sustainable
entrepreneurship.
• Become aware of the sustainability issues
• understand how everyday choices impact life
• become familiar with EU’s sustainability frameworks
• skills in green technologies and green-tech enterprises
• understand sustainable economic models, the
sustainable finances concept and the financial sources
for sustainability
• know the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
understand how entrepreneurship actively
contributes to their achievement.
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33. Transition pathway for tourism
• Outputs:
(…)
an increased uptake by tourist
accommodation of the EU Eco-
Management and Audit
Scheme (EMAS), the EU
Ecolabel or other reliable
ecolabels.
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Example: Trace programme
➢ Call for SMEs Support in the tourism and culture sector to receive
training and specialised consultancy for the development of circular
business strategies and access environmental certification.
• sustainability performance of SMEs in the tourism sector integrating the
circular economy
• boost their awareness and capacity of integrating sustainable
innovations in their business strategy
• develop a strategic and investment plan for circular economy
• apply for environmental certification

35. Hospitality sector and trade unions
• Social partners stood united to position
education and training as one of the
solutions to tackle labour shortages and
address skill gaps in the European
hospitality sector. As members of the
European Alliance for Apprenticeships
(EafA), HOTREC and EFFAT encouraged
the development of apprenticeship
schemes at the national level.
• They called upon the European
Commission to continue supporting these
efforts, emphasizing that vocational
education and training should be
considered a primary career option.
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They stressed that close cooperation
between governments, education
establishments, and social partners is key
to develop ambitious training strategies for
tourism and hospitality staff, including the
improvement of digital and sustainability
skills.
Hotrec & Effat Press release, 20 11 2023

36. Opportunities: Food tourism and hospitality
• Link to upcoming programmes
• Learning from undertaken
programmes
• Submission of own initiatives
• Regional initiatives
• Local impact
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37. Conclusions
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38. CONCLUSIONS
TO PIC
Photo credit: Destination Great Lake Taupo
Research and practice
• Further opportunities for research
• Training initiatives across all levels
• Education, tourism and hospitality sector initiatives
• Exchange of best practices widely shared
European Union
• Agenda established for various years
• Opportunities for all tourism ecosystem
• Possibilities for synergies with other initiatives
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THANK YOU
Merci
Terima kasih

40. Linkedin.com/in/janlichota
twitter.com/JanLichota
wakelet.com/janlichota
jlichota1@alumno.uned.es
JAN LICHOTA
CONTACT DETAILS
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