From 2 to 3 February, an international ERASMUS+ project partner meeting took place at Turiba University in Riga, bringing together representatives of higher education institutions from Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The aim of the meeting was to jointly launch work on the development of several online study courses for tourism students, with a focus on sustainable and regenerative tourism approaches.

Lecturers began working on course content, structure and pedagogical approaches. Within the framework of the project, an online course titled “Green Approaches and the Basics of Regenerative Tourism” will be available to students already in the next academic year. The course will provide in-depth knowledge of the core principles of sustainable and regenerative tourism, green innovations, responsible management of natural and cultural resources, as well as the role of the tourism sector in local community development and long-term value creation. The course will be intended for tourism students as well as students and professionals from other fields, promoting an interdisciplinary perspective on sustainable development.

During the visit, international lecturers also had the opportunity to get to know Riga by taking part in a winter-themed city tour, which allowed them to better understand the city’s cultural and tourism offer. As part of the programme, the lecturers visited TRIBE Hotel, where they learned about the hotel’s philosophy, sustainability principles and practical solutions in the hospitality sector based on responsible resource use and a contemporary design approach. The programme also included a visit to the Latvian Occupation Museum, where, under the guidance of Turiba lecturer Edvīns Evarts, project partners explored Latvia’s history and highly appreciated the museum’s high-quality, modern exhibition.

Sustainable tourism today is no longer a choice, but a necessity – it determines what kind of environment, communities and experiences we leave to future generations. It is precisely international cooperation between higher education institutions that makes it possible to combine knowledge, experience and diverse perspectives in order to create modern, practice-oriented education for students, preparing them for responsible and sustainable work in the tourism sector.

The event took place within the ERASMUS+ cooperation partnership project “Smart Tourism Academy - Green and Digital Solutions in Tourism”, implemented by an international consortium of higher education institutions, including Turiba University, with the aim of developing digital, sustainable and innovation-driven solutions in tourism education.