Поканата е насочена към мотивирани професионалисти и експерти от туристическия сектор, които желаят да преминат професионално обучение и впоследствие да приложат наученото като обучители и ментори на малки и средни предприятия в туризма и свързаните сектори.

Обучителната програма Train the Trainers ще се проведе на английски език.
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Professional Development Opportunity

Call for Expression of Interest: Train the Trainers

DETOUR: “Developing Resilient Tourism Ecosystems along Mediterranean Routes”  (November 2024 – September 2027) is a project co-financed by the European SMP Programme and is implemented by the Consortium of eight partners simultaneously in Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, along the Italian stretch of the Via Francigena, Lycian Way in Türkiye, Sultan’s Trail in Bulgaria and the network of mountain routes (Mounts Olympos, Kissavos, Mavrovouni) in Greece. 

With a budget of two million euros, DETOUR – led by the Municipality of Fidenza – aims to support tourism Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in sustainability, climate change, digitalisation and development of tourism products. The project foresees training of the key stakeholders, followed by tailored capacity building and consultancy for tourism SMEs along the routes. Local businesses will also benefit from micro-financing of up to €25,000 for innovative projects in green transition, digital innovation, and sustainable tourism development.  

This is a call for a course “Train the Trainers” for key tourism stakeholders (such as business associations, destination management organisation (DMO), public authorities, experts, consultants, academics, researchers, members or employees of key tourism stakeholders) to participate in training and deliver targeted capacity-building activities to SMEs. 

We are looking for motivated professionals and experienced tourism stakeholders to lead training and mentoring sessions for tourism and cross-sectoral SMEs. 

Selected trainers will play a key role in transferring knowledge and best practices, becoming multipliers in their local and regional networks and supporting the transition of SMEs towards a more sustainable, inclusive, and digitally equipped tourism sector.

1. Benefits of joining the course: 

• Participate in transnational and national training sessions (online and in-person) on topics related to resilience, sustainability, green and digital transition, and skills development in August – November  2025. Free of charge
• Gain recognition as an EU-certified DETOUR Trainer
• Become a member of knowledge network and connect to the peers 
• Join the DETOUR pool of mentors for tourism SMEs.
• Boost your expertise in sustainability, digitalisation, and tourism resilience.
• Deliver real impact by mentoring tourism SMEs and shaping the sector’s green and digital transition

2. Training will cover the following themes:

• Green Transition: Emphasizing sustainable environmental practices, this area focuses on reducing the tourism sector’s ecological footprint and promoting eco-friendly initiatives.
• Digital Transition: Highlighting the integration of digital technologies, this competence area aims to enhance online presence, data analytics, and the adoption of digital tools to improve tourism services.
• Resilience and Inclusion: Addressing the need for robust strategies to overcome challenges, this area fosters inclusive tourism practices that cater to diverse populations and ensure equitable growth.
• Skills and Support: Focusing on capacity-building, this competence area aims to equip stakeholders with the necessary skills and support mechanisms to adapt to evolving tourism trends and demands.

3. Training will consist of 6 online modules of 5 hours each:

• Module 1 – Developing Responsible and Diversified Tourism Offerings
• Module 2 – Green Transition and Sustainable Practices
• Module 3 – Resilience and Crisis Preparedness in Tourism
• Module 4 – Digital Transformation in Tourism
• Module 5 – Strategic Marketing and Communication in Tourism
• Module 6 – Inclusion in Tourism

4. To receive the certificate, the participant will undergo: 

• Minimum of 25 hours of training, including: 
• at least 5 hours of online training delivered in English (completion of one thematic module of your choice) to be completed independently and at your own pace between 1 August and 30 November 2025.
• 20h of onsite training in English and/ or national language over 1 or 2 weekends in the country of residence (Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, or Türkiye), to be held between August and November  2025 (Travel, accommodation, and meals for in-person sessions will be covered by the project). The timetable of the onsite training is provided in article 10. 

5. Who are we looking for?

• Experts with proven experience in supporting tourism SMEs
• Cross-sector stakeholders (food and beverages, construction, transport, cultural and creative industries, agriculture, fisheries, sports, textiles and furniture) with specific interest in the tourism sector.
• Knowledge of English and fluency in one of the project languages (Italian/Turkish/Bulgarian/Greek) is obligatory 

6. With a commitment to:

Deliver knowledge to tourism SMEs, through four actions, including:

• 5 hours of tailored consulting (online or on-site) to tourism SMEs participating in DETOUR Acceleration Programme between 01 January – 30 April 2026 (with support of the DETOUR consortium) or training to SMEs outside the DETOUR project by 31 July 2027.

and,

3 additional knowledge-sharing activities to reach broader SME audiences  before June 2027, such as:

• Development of practical content or guidance materials
• Publication of user-friendly resources
• Participation in communication campaigns
• Delivery of dissemination events, workshops, coaching, peer-to-peer learning sessions, training courses or webinars
• Create and share engaging learning materials that reflect real-world practices and are aligned with the EU Transition Pathway for Tourism, covering areas such as resilience, sustainability, digitalisation, and skills development.

7. Who is not eligible?

Professionals cannot participate if they:

• Are bankrupt, closing down, or under court administration
• Have committed serious professional misconduct or criminal offense 
• Have failed to pay taxes or social security contributions
• Are involved in legal or financial troubles that could harm the EU’s interests

8. Applicants should complete: 

• Registration form LINK
• CV in English
• Motivational letter in English (max. 1 page). The letter should outline the applicant’s motivation to join the DETOUR project and highlight relevant experience. It should also demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to engage with tourism stakeholders, SMEs and/or actors from related sectors (e.g. agri-food, culture, construction).

9. How to apply?

Fill in the form and upload your CV and motivation letter following this LINK by 17:00 CET 15 July 2025. 

10. Training Timeline

• Application deadline: 15 July 2025, 17:00 CET
• Independent and self-paced online training : 01 August – 30 November 2025
• Onsite training (participants will take part in the onsite training of a country of their residence):
  • Italy : Viterbo, 17 – 19 October 2025
  • Bulgaria: Plovdiv, 14 – 16 November 2025 (TBC)
  • Greece: 21-23 November 2025 (TBC)
  • Turkey : 18 – 19 October 2025 and 1 – 2 November 2025, Antalya (TBC)

Consequent knowledge transfer and training for SMEs will be held:

• in the period of 01 January – 30 April 2026 in the framework of the DETOUR project
• alternatively the trainer may conduct training and other knowledge-sharing activities outside DETOUR project by 31 July 2027 (details in article 6)

11. Selection criteria

Eligibility of the participants will be evaluated by the evaluation committee consisting of 5 members from the project member states and will consist of 2 levels: 

1. Formal evaluation (article 7 of the Terms of References)
2. Qualitative evaluation: 
   • Sector of expertise (25 points)
   • Experience (25 points)
   • Knowledge-sharing capacity (25 points)
   • Relevance to the field of DETOUR operation (25 points)

The evaluation process will take approximately 2 weeks. All applicants will be notified via email. The evaluation committee will also have to ensure a balanced representation of the key stakeholders in terms of nationality, gender, and areas of expertise relevant to the project’s themes. In cases where candidates present similar profiles, these balance criteria will be considered as part of the final selection.

More information:

• About the project here
• In case of any questions please refer to ttr@trakiatour.com