Agrotour mk

The project’s objective is to contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas. This will be made possible through new activities and initiatives in agrotourism resulting in the transforming of our rural areas into references of culture and traditions.

The consortium formed by ABAT BALKANIA, CESOR, CDI and FACE wants to be the driving force that facilitates and provides tools to the rural communities for the development of agro-tourism businesses and initiatives.

Agro-tourism in rural areas will bring both direct and indirect benefits. It will bring economic, social and employment benefits to the people from rural areas and will culturally enriched urban areas through knowledge of our country, traditions, heritage, gastronomy, etc.

This mobility offers 3 members of staff from each consortium member (that are experienced in adult training) the opportunity to visit world recognised references of agro-tourism in Cantabria (north of Spain), as part of the 10-day course provided by Permacultura Cantabria.

The methodology of the course will be a combination of theory and practice. Participants will analyse real case studies. Participants will be able to visit agrotourism businesses, in rural areas throughout Cantabria. They will have the opportunity to talk and share experiences with the businesses’ managers.

This course is composed by 5 modules. Its objectives are:

– To learn, apply and teach agrotourism in a sustainable way for the development of rural areas.
– To identify the Keys for a successful entrepreneurship in agrotourism.
– To develop a new initiative and define innovative insights for an international collaboration in the near future among the involved organisations.

“AGRI-TOUR – MK 2.0” will have other secondary activities in order to maximise the results. These are:

-Meetings with General Management Department. The participants will have a meeting with the General Management Department. Here they will share their experiences, highlight the most important facets of agrotourism, share the best practices that were exchanged and discuss the new project proposal which were defined during the course. This meeting will allow the decision-makers and participants to look for new lines and lead their actions according to their Europe Development Plan.

-Internal Workshop: After the course in Spain, the participants will organise a workshop within their organisation to transfer their knowledge to their colleagues and practice their new skills and abilities. Permacultura Cantabria’s trainers will be available to offer support and solve questions to the new trainers. This workshop will be used as an evaluation of the learning outcomes acquired during the mobility activity.

-Dissemination Campaign: There will be a strong project dissemination campaign. The workshops carried out by the consortium will contribute to increasing the awareness of the importance in Agrotourism. It will focus on the numerous advantages that agrotourism brings to rural and urban people with regards rural, social and economic development as well as cultural enrichment.

The research topic “Keys for a successful entrepreneurship in Agrotourism” carried out by the participants during the course will contribute towards an increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship in adults, including adults at risk of marginalisation in local, regional, national, European and international rural areas.
Staff who attend the course will acquire and be able to apply techniques in agrotourism. They will also acquire a number of important soft skills such as working in teams, problem solving communication and leadership.

The participants will become trainers, providing the techniques learned to other members of staff within the organisation and people at local, regional, national, European and international levels. As multipliers of knowledge, the participants will provide these tools to other people who will be also able to transfer the knowledge and techniques.
Participating in an international course and acquiring new knowledge will increase adult staff’s motivation, self-esteem and self-empowerment. It will also enhance intercultural awareness. Their professional career and resume will be improved by becoming trainers and they will receive certification.

The consortium will improve their actions according to the best practices exchanged during the course in “other techniques for rural development”. The organisations will be able to carry out new initiatives and strategies in agrotourism. They will become stronger and more stable.

The organisations will also increase their experience in European project management. They will develop the confidence to carry out European activities and broaden their perspective in collaborating with other European organisations.

We expect the consortium to gain visibility around the continent whilst continuing to lead their actions, according to their Europe Development Plans.