Duration of the action

28 months

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Objectives of the action

Overall objectives:

• to promote European know-how developed on tourism sector among the Asian private sector and the intermediary business organisations with a view to reinforce micro and meso-level links between the two Regions;

• to support Asian local sourcing and enterprise development in the tourism sector while encouraging local people involvement and a responsible approach.

The specific objective of the Project is:

• to set up and/or enhance partnership among European Tour Operators and their Asian homologous counterparts by creating “Responsible Tourism proposals/products” that will be managed by the local SMEs and micro businesses belonging to the four Asian regions involved in the Project.

The Action has been foreseen to:

• support Asian SMEs to improve their position in the local tourism supply chain by upgrading their capacities and services to allow their participation in a tourism-product which could have a root to international markets;

• help the Asian intermediaries to expand their marketing strategies overseas with a twofold objective: for better serviceing the local SMEs and for being able to set up new partnerships with their European homologous counterparts

• enlarge the range of tourism proposals of the European intermediaries by increasing their supply of products towards new destinations and towards new types of responsibility-based tourism.

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Partner(s)

• Project leader: Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE -Italy).

• Partners:

  • University of Florence (UNIFI –Italy)

  • Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS)

  • Biodiversity Research and Development Center (BIRD- Nepal)

  • Xiang Yuan You (China).

Target group(s)[1]

• At least 45 Asian small enterprises operating in the tourism sector (belonging to the 4 regions involved in the project)

• At least 15 Asian Tour operators (belonging to the countries involved in the project)

• At least 10 Associations of Guides, other travel handlers or professionals of the Asian tourism sector

• At least 25 European Tour Operators that promote “Responsible Tourism” in their business

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Final beneficiaries[2]

• Local communities and tourism private sector (enterprises and intermediaries) of the 4 Asian Regions involved in the Project:

  • Töv (Mongolia)

  • Kailali (Nepal)

  • Mustang and Dolpa districts (Nepal)

  • Hunan Province (China)

• Travellers

Estimated results

1. A group of tourism-related Asian SMEs is supported – through capacity building and training activities - to upgrade its capacities and quality of its service-delivery to meet all the necessary conditions to be included in the tourism supply chain

2. European Tour Operators – that have just gained experience in the responsible tourism field - set up a business relation with the Asian intermediaries and promote the Asian regions involved in the project in the international tourism flows.

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Main activities

The Project is composed of 4 phases:

1. Local recognition of tourism supply chain, target group recruitment and preparatory activities for the capacity building actions.
   Main outcomes: detailed identification of needs, list of SMEs and intermediaries, training for trainers in Italy.

2. Capacity building and training sessions for a group of Asian SMEs (including tourism-related micro businesses) and local intermediaries.
   Main outcomes:  Capabilities upgraded and quality of services improved.

3. Tourism itineraries identification and technical verification.
   Main outcomes: at least 15 itineraries identified and quality and standards tested

4. Intermediaries partnership agreements, on-site visits, promotional activities and visibility actions.
   Main outcomes: dissemination seminars in Italy and Belgium directed to European Responsible Tour Operators, elaboration and distribution of promotional materials in Europe and Asia.