COVID-induced lockdowns have exacerbated existing socioeconomic challenges, above all in the tourism sector, which accounts for 10% of the EU’s GDP and 10% employment. Indeed, the sector’s international GDP has fallen by over 49% and an 18.5% loss in tourism jobs in 2020 (WTTC, 2021). Such lockdowns have also affected work-life, leisure and recreational patterns, bringing about significant changes to daily routines and a need to adapt economic systems. If positive changes cannot be found to innovate work models and welfare, and increased adoption of CSR initiatives, adaptations can result in negative health and well-being impacts on people (Heller and Richter, 2020). In addition, climate crisis sensitivity, and growing demand for sustainability in nature, is putting high pressure on tourist destinations not to return to „business as usual".
These combined aspects represent a clear opportunity to rethink tourism trends to improve Sustainable Tourism Destination Management (STDM), and focus on emerging demands, such as labour welfare and health and well-being nature, in line with a just transition.
The WeNaTour alliance aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and business to integrate research results, innovative practice and digitalisation into a high-quality educational offer to support the creation of new products, services, entrepreneurial ventures and jobs in STDM while focusing on concrete approaches to supporting sustainability in destinations, as well as on two promising emerging markets: (1) labor welfare, and (2) health and well-being in nature. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching among an EU network of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism in Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, and Germany and the Netherlands; while aiming to deliver a global set of blended trainings providing relevant skills to operators, destinations, agencies and professionals.

COVID-induced lockdowns have exacerbated existing socioeconomic challenges, above all in the tourism sector, which accounts for 10% of the EU’s GDP and 10% employment. Indeed, the sector’s international GDP has fallen by over 49% and an 18.5% loss in tourism jobs in 2020 (WTTC, 2021). Such lockdowns have also affected work-life, leisure and recreational patterns, bringing about significant changes to daily routines and a need to adapt economic systems. If positive changes cannot be found to innovate work models and welfare, and increased adoption of CSR initiatives, adaptations can result in negative health and well-being impacts on people (Heller and Richter, 2020). In addition, climate crisis sensitivity, and growing demand for sustainability in nature, is putting high pressure on tourist destinations not to return to „business as usual".
These combined aspects represent a clear opportunity to rethink tourism trends to improve Sustainable Tourism Destination Management (STDM), and focus on emerging demands, such as labour welfare and health and well-being nature, in line with a just transition.
The WeNaTour alliance aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and business to integrate research results, innovative practice and digitalisation into a high-quality educational offer to support the creation of new products, services, entrepreneurial ventures and jobs in STDM while focusing on concrete approaches to supporting sustainability in destinations, as well as on two promising emerging markets: (1) labor welfare, and (2) health and well-being in nature. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching among an EU network of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism in Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, and Germany and the Netherlands; while aiming to deliver a global set of blended trainings providing relevant skills to operators, destinations, agencies and professionals.

COVID-induced lockdowns have exacerbated existing socioeconomic challenges, above all in the tourism sector, which accounts for 10% of the EU’s GDP and 10% employment. Indeed, the sector’s international GDP has fallen by over 49% and an 18.5% loss in tourism jobs in 2020 (WTTC, 2021). Such lockdowns have also affected work-life, leisure and recreational patterns, bringing about significant changes to daily routines and a need to adapt economic systems. If positive changes cannot be found to innovate work models and welfare, and increased adoption of CSR initiatives, adaptations can result in negative health and well-being impacts on people (Heller and Richter, 2020). In addition, climate crisis sensitivity, and growing demand for sustainability in nature, is putting high pressure on tourist destinations not to return to „business as usual".
These combined aspects represent a clear opportunity to rethink tourism trends to improve Sustainable Tourism Destination Management (STDM), and focus on emerging demands, such as labour welfare and health and well-being nature, in line with a just transition.
The WeNaTour alliance aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and business to integrate research results, innovative practice and digitalisation into a high-quality educational offer to support the creation of new products, services, entrepreneurial ventures and jobs in STDM while focusing on concrete approaches to supporting sustainability in destinations, as well as on two promising emerging markets: (1) labor welfare, and (2) health and well-being in nature. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching among an EU network of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism in Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, and Germany and the Netherlands; while aiming to deliver a global set of blended trainings providing relevant skills to operators, destinations, agencies and professionals.

COVID-induced lockdowns have exacerbated existing socioeconomic challenges, above all in the tourism sector, which accounts for 10% of the EU’s GDP and 10% employment. Indeed, the sector’s international GDP has fallen by over 49% and an 18.5% loss in tourism jobs in 2020 (WTTC, 2021). Such lockdowns have also affected work-life, leisure and recreational patterns, bringing about significant changes to daily routines and a need to adapt economic systems. If positive changes cannot be found to innovate work models and welfare, and increased adoption of CSR initiatives, adaptations can result in negative health and well-being impacts on people (Heller and Richter, 2020). In addition, climate crisis sensitivity, and growing demand for sustainability in nature, is putting high pressure on tourist destinations not to return to „business as usual".
These combined aspects represent a clear opportunity to rethink tourism trends to improve Sustainable Tourism Destination Management (STDM), and focus on emerging demands, such as labour welfare and health and well-being nature, in line with a just transition.
The WeNaTour alliance aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and business to integrate research results, innovative practice and digitalisation into a high-quality educational offer to support the creation of new products, services, entrepreneurial ventures and jobs in STDM while focusing on concrete approaches to supporting sustainability in destinations, as well as on two promising emerging markets: (1) labor welfare, and (2) health and well-being in nature. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching among an EU network of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism in Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, and Germany and the Netherlands; while aiming to deliver a global set of blended trainings providing relevant skills to operators, destinations, agencies and professionals.

Über 20.000 Mitarbeiter*innen sind im Kärntner Tourismus um das Wohlbefinden der Gäste bemüht. In den letzten Jahren haben sich die Rahmenbedingungen im Tourismus generell sowie die Anforderungen, Bedürfnisse und Erwartungen der Mitarbeiter*innen im Speziellen geändert („New Work"). Die Erhebung der allgemeinen und spezifischen Erwartungshaltungen der definierten Mitarbeiterzielgruppen im Tourismus, junge Mitarbeiter*innen, die sich für die Branche interessieren, Mitarbeiter*innen, die gerne Job und Familie besser vereinbaren möchten, Mitarbeiter*innen der Generation 50+, Kärnten-Rückkehrer*innen, die gerne wieder im Tourismus arbeiten wollen, Quereinsteiger*innen aus anderen Branchen mit Affinität zum Tourismus sowie Unternehmer*innen, die sich aktiv für die Steigerung der Arbeitgeberattraktivität einsetzen möchten, erfolgte mittels einer interaktiven Workshopreihe. Zielsetzung war, die relevanten Aspekte je Gruppe herauszuarbeiten und in geeigneter Form zu verdichten und zu präsentieren. Im nächsten Schritt wurden die Teilnehmer*innen (gegenwärtige und potenzielle Mitarbeiter*innen sowie die Unternehmensvertreter*innen) in drei Gruppen eingeteilt, mit der Aufgabenstellung, Lösungsansätze (Ideen, Maßnahmen) zu entwickeln, die geeignet sind, die Themenkreise Führungs- und Wertesystem, Rahmenbedingungen und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten zu verbessern („Employee-Experience"). Aus dem Prozess sind insgesamt neun konkrete Maßnahmenempfehlungen und Projektideen hervorgegangen, die zur Stärkung der Employee-Experience im Kärntner Tourismus sowie des Arbeits- und Lebensraums Kärnten beitragen sollen.