Ruraltour

The European Federation of Rural Tourism (Ruraltour) is a professional tourism trade organization representing a tourism sector with an estimate of 500.000 micro-enterprises and about 5-6,5 million bed places. It is formed by 31 professional and trade organizations from 28 countries of geographical Europe. The comprehensive network covers country and rural businesses such as tourism farms, accommodation in private rural homes (B&B or Self-Catering units), traditional gastronomy, adventure, sport, heritage and cultural activities and associated events related to visitor interests and experiences.  As a whole, this sector stands for about 15% of the European tourism capacity.

Rural Tourism comprises micro-enterprises, self-employed, and services that are not business activity similar to the concept of “collaborative economy”. Their needs in skills and training follow a “generalist” concept, rather than high-level specialization in a specific area. Our longstanding experience and repository of best practice cases about how to achieve adequate training and support outside formal concepts will be integrated into NTG.

Ruraltour provides linkage with other EU tourism industry structures such as NET, ENOS and ATTA, has good contacts with the private sector representing the “Collaborative Economy” (AirBnB, HomeAway), and is actively involved in EU structures for Rural Development (Civil Dialogue Group on Rural Development and ENRD).

Visit the Ruraltour website

Technological University Dublin – Ireland

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), has produced generations of leaders in a range of fields from Sciences and Health, Business, Law, Social Sciences, Tourism and Hospitality, the Creative and Visual Arts to Engineering and the Built Environment. The lively City-Centre campuses, including the new research and innovation hub at Grangegorman, are home to more than 20,000 students from Ireland and abroad, creating a culturally diverse and stimulating learning and research environment. A comprehensive, dual-sector doctoral-awarding institution, TU Dublin combines the academic excellence of a traditional university with professional, career-oriented learning. Research is strongly focused on problem-solving, and on social and technological development and innovation that advances human knowledge and makes a real impact on people’s lives. 

The NTG team at TU Dublin consists of academics from the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, Ireland’s centre of excellence in Hospitality, Tourism, Leisure and Event Management education. The School is supported by six research pillars, is active in both academic and industry research at the national and international level and is the lead for the NTG work package 6; to develop a Blueprint Sectoral Skills strategy and action plan that presents the joint industry and education perspectives of the Sector Skills Alliance. 

Visit the website of Technological University Dublin

Federturismo Confindustria – Italy

Federturismo Confindustria is the Italian Travel and Tourism Federation and represents the companies operating in the different areas of the tourism industry. It belongs to the Confindustria system and currently includes 21 sector associations, 9 company members (directly associated) and several local associations.

Members include all the major players in the market and in some case 100% of the companies in the business areas (hotels, villages and resorts, campings outdoors, tour operator and travel agents, thermal resorts, convention centers, sailing, marinas, beach resorts, amusement and theme parks, industrial museums, ski lift operators, entertainment and travel retail).

Main activities:

• strict collaboration with the policy makers and legislators for the preparation of the main tourism laws and fiscal documents;
• representing the tourism industry in preparation of one of the major national collective agreement;
• collaborations with Institutions for structure of vocational training courses for tourism’ person in charge;
• promotion and patronage for some Universities for masters and courses on tourism;
• participation at the main international tourism exhibition held in Italy.

Visit the Federturismo Confindustria website