The city of Rethymno, many years now, has turned its gaze on the exploitation of its rich cultural heritage. Investing in cultural tourism, is a policy tool that can bring benefits to all citizens, creating new tourist flows, new jobs, new cultural and creative businesses and opportunities for regional development. In addition, new developments lead to diversification and specialization of tourism products, the focus on the use of the bicycle and the development of new forms of differentiated cultural tourist activities. Nevertheless, the acquisition of know-how and experience, as well as upgrading existing vocational skills of people working in public or private institutions engaged in the development and management and promote events, bike tourism is more than necessary.
A Group of 12 employees, coming from both the public and the private sector, engaged in the development and management of cultural tourism products, aiming at integrating cycling into development of specific cultural tourism packages, will travel to Berlin in early June this year. Participants of the group, will attend specialised training seminars in the subject of “Bike entrepreneurship” and “Bike events” management and development. During their stay in Berlin, participants will have the opportunity to gain experience and know how visiting companies exert in the field and departmnts of the public sector authorised to design and follow up city cycling activivities and regulations. Thus, the general scope of the programme include:
- adaptation & the continuous upgrading of knowledge & skills of human resources in the requirements of a modern and competitive economy & society
- enhanced employability for all, with emphasis on enhancing women’s employment
- the implementation of actions based on early detection of needs & construction industry trends,
- highlight the importance of transnational placement in continuing vocational training & employee contact with European working environments, in order to maximize their employability.
The programme is coordinating by the European Center in Training for Employment – ECTE, and leaded by the Municipality of Rethymno city. Its specific objectives include:
- meeting & contact participants with the German culture
- contacting participants with innovations applied in organizing biking tourism activities as a major connective tissue other activities, museums, monuments, etc.
- creating a favourable framework for the promotion of exchanges of views and knowledge around biking tourism issues but & creating future collaborations
- improving knowledge of the English language for the participants in the plan
- promoting mobility, lifelong learning, employability, & competition of participants in the labour market.
