Training

With much of the gaze today being cast upon the environmental and economic aspects of sustainability in tourism, concerns around cultural and social issues can often take the back burner when a small business is assessing the direction and tough decisions it has to take in this competitive sector. Amongst those, thoughts about access for all to tourism opportunities can sometimes be dismissed as being best left to specialist operators or tourism providers. 

It is an exciting time for tourism in Kent. The transformation of the traditional seaside holiday and the growth of cultural tourism create opportunities for a wider range of businesses than ever to be part of the visitor economy. ‘Sense of place’ is now a key ingredient of contemporary experience based tourism, but delivering that sense of place requires a new way of working, connecting with sectors of the local economy and community that may previously have regarded themselves as unrelated.

Last year Touch TD, along with project partners in the UK, Italy and Finland, conducted a widespread survey amongst tourism managers and staff, visitors and residents in destination communities, to discover the priority training needs identified by the sector.

Based on those findings, we have produced a series of learning materials, workshops and an interactive online training tool, which we are eager to showcase. Touch TD now has two events lined up, one in central London on 23rd May, and another in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canterbury, on 1st June.

Touch TD are a busy partner in the ERASMUS+ project called 'Sustainable MAnageR in TOURism Sector' - SMARTOUR. To see what we and our partners have been up to in the opening phase of the project, please read the first edition of our newsletter either online or download the pdf to view at your leisure...

http://smartourproject.eu/news/Newsletter_March_2016.pdf

http://www.smartourproject.eu/surveys

A report on a unique EU funded, UNESCO World Heritage Centre coordinated, project supporting mixed heritage in the Central Balkans 2014-2017

The spectacular autumn colours of Atlantic Canada, formed the backdrop to the biennial GGN conference, hosted this year by the Stonehammer Geopark of Saint John and the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Touch TD again presented results from its on-going work around the world of Geoparks. This time we joined forces with colleagues from Katla geopark, Iceland in drawing attention as to how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and the physical heritage are woven together in a geopark setting.

Touch TD have been refining their approach to post-graduate heritage and tourism study trips for a number of years now. We draw on active partnerhsips from live tourism and development projects we have been directly involved in. This is designed to ensure the students are exposed to actual practice with a range of 'clients', to complement the theory they are taught by their professors in the lecture hall.