Joint European curriculum for coastal and maritime tourism fills the skills gap in the sector

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The beauty, cultural richness and diversity of the European Union’s coastal areas have made them a preferred destination for many holidaymakers in Europe and abroad. In fact, coastal and maritime locations are the biggest attractive factor in European tourism. Coastal and maritime tourism is also the biggest maritime sector in the EU in terms of the Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment.

16.5.2022 | By: Sanna-Mari Renfors

Purjeveneiden mastoja pienvenesatamassa. / Sailboat masts in a seaside port.

Tourism development in coastal and maritime destinations has its unique features, which also requires sector-related professional skills. This means that tourism education and curriculum development must take a much more thematic approach to coastal and maritime tourism to increase educational offering, which is currently missing.

SAMK’s Center for Tourism Business Development coordinates the Erasmus+ project Skills4CMT which has published a new Curriculum of Coastal and Maritime Tourism. The curriculum provides an aligned and relevant skillset and knowledge necessary for meeting the challenges and for seizing the opportunities of coastal and maritime tourism. When taking these studies, learners acquire specialised knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to develop and manage coastal and maritime tourism, especially in cold-water destinations in Europe.

The 20 ECTS credits curriculum is jointly developed by six European universities from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Ireland. It consists of four separate courses, each 5 ECTS credits. The courses are the following:

Introduction to Coastal and Maritime Tourism
Coastal and Maritime Tourism Sustainability Management
Coastal and Maritime Destination Design
Designing Blue Experiences

The courses will be piloted online in the Moodle platform between 1.9.2022-31.3.2023. All courses are offered without any scheduled activities i.e., they are studied at own pace.

All European tourism students and industry representatives are warmly welcome to participate in the courses.

Curriculum on the project website (PDF)

Further information on the course registration

16.5.2022 | By: Sanna-Mari Renfors

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