Securing a sustainable future for National and Regional Skills Partnerships in Tourism

Over the past four years, the PANTOUR project has championed a powerful solution to the European tourism sector’s persistent skills gap: National and Regional Skills Partnerships (NRSPs). These collaborative platforms, bringing together industry, education, and public authorities, have proven to be vital engines for skills intelligence and workforce development. Now, as the project enters its final phase, the critical question is: what happens next? How can we ensure these valuable ecosystems of collaboration continue to thrive and deliver value long after the project funding ends? 

This question is the central focus of our work in the report on the NRSP model and the long term roll-out and sustainability of project outputs, which has not only overseen the establishment and monitoring of twelve diverse NRSPs across Europe but has also developed a clear framework for their long-term sustainability. The legacy of PANTOUR is a living network and a replicable model for building a more resilient and competitive tourism sector. 

 

The Challenge: why collaborative structures fade

Let’s be honest: building a multi-stakeholder partnership is hard, but sustaining it is even harder. The report on the long-term roll-out of project outputs identifies several critical barriers that can cause even the most promising partnerships to fade. The most significant are the “resource reality” (many NRSPs operate on goodwill alone), the “talking group trap” (where discussion never translates into action), and the “government engagement gap” (the difficulty of securing meaningful buy-in from public authorities). 

Without a clear strategy to overcome these hurdles, NRSPs risk becoming a footnote in a project report. The good news is that the most successful partnerships in our network have already shown us the way forward. 

 

A framework for a lasting legacy

Based on the lessons learnt from across the PANTOUR network, from the institutional powerhouse of Portugal to the newly-established, industry-led platform in Moldova, Federturismo Confindustria has developed a three-pillar framework for sustainability. This is the blueprint for keeping an NRSP alive and effective. 

 

Pillar 1: A clear and compelling value proposition

Stakeholders will only invest their time if they see a clear return. A sustainable NRSP must offer tangible benefits to everyone around the table. 

• For Industry: It offers a unique platform to influence the future talent pipeline, ensuring that VET and higher education curricula are aligned with real-world business needs. It provides networking, visibility, and a direct say in the skills agenda. 
• For Education Providers: It allows them to ensure the relevance of their courses, gain direct access to industry demand signals, and co-design innovative training solutions that improve graduate employability. 
• For Public Authorities: It provides a source of reliable, sector-specific skills intelligence and an efficient mechanism for engaging with a fragmented industry, ensuring that policy is informed by evidence, not anecdote. 

 

Pillar 2: A strong governance core and an action-oriented plan

Every successful NRSP has a dedicated coordinating entity that drives the agenda and a clear, output-oriented activity plan. The Dutch “Hospitality Pact” is a masterclass in this, committing to deliver one tangible, co-funded pilot project each year. This avoids the “talking group trap” by creating a constant loop of problem identification, research, and implementation. It keeps partners engaged because they see concrete results. 

 

Pillar 3: Deep institutional embeddedness

While industry leadership is vital, long-term sustainability is nearly impossible without the active engagement of public authorities. The most resilient NRSP, Portugal’s CNFT, is directly embedded within the national tourism authority, giving it a legal mandate and a direct line to policy influence. Securing this institutional buy-in, whether through formal recognition, co-funding, or participation in government committees is the ultimate goal. It transforms the NRSP from a voluntary project into a permanent feature of the national skills ecosystem. 

 

The advantage of staying together

Maintaining an NRSP is not about keeping a project alive; it is about securing a long-term competitive advantage. These partnerships are the most effective tool we have to address the labour shortages and skills gaps that threaten the future of European tourism. They are the engines that will drive the green and digital transitions, foster innovation, and build a workforce that is ready for the challenges of tomorrow. The investment of time and resources required to sustain them is small compared to the immense cost of inaction. The PANTOUR project has laid the foundation; it is now up to all of us to build upon it. 

 

Don’t miss the webinar on 4 June 2026

In our final webinar, we zoom out to the bigger picture with the PANTOUR Skills Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2036). PANTOUR’s masterpiece. Next to that we will discuss the roll-out and sustainability of the National/Regional Skills Partnership (NRSP) model. Based on twelve NRSPs’ experiences,  achievements, challenges, and pathways for a lasting impact. The EU tourism sector faces a skills gap, worsened by digital and green transitions and a fragmented SME structure. The NRSP model addresses this by uniting industry, education, and public authorities in a permanent governance framework. 

We invite you to join us!

Register as participant for PANTOURs final webinar on 4 June 2026 (16:00 CET).