TOURIST

Project Overview



Project Title

Competence centres for the development of sustainable tourism and innovative financial management strategies to increase the positive impact of local tourism in Thailand and Vietnam

Acronym

TOURIST

Specific Activity

Strengthening of relations between HEIs and the wider economic and social environment

Contact (Project Coordinator)

FH JOANNEUM Gesellschaft mbH, Austria
Tel. +43 316 5453 - 0
Fax : 66 (0) 7455-8803
E-mail: info@fh-joanneum.at

Contact (PSU Partner)

Faculty of Natural Resources
Prince of Songkla University
Tel. 66 (0) 7455-8802 (ภายใน 6018-20)
Fax : 66 (0) 7455-8803
E-mail : natural-res@group.psu.ac.th

List of Partners (Project Coordinator italicized)


Partner InstitutionCountryCity
FH JOANNEUM GESELLSCHAFT MBHAUSTRIAGRAZ
BURAPHA UNIVERSITYTHAILANDCHONBURI
DAI HOC HUEVIETNAMHUE
HAAGA-HELIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OYFINLANDHELSINKI
KASETSART UNIVERSITYTHAILANDBANGKOK
PAYAP UNIVERSITYTHAILANDCHIANG MAI
PRINCE OF SONGKLA UNIVERSITYTHAILANDHAT YAI
THE THAILAND COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM INSTITUTE FOUNDATIONTHAILANDCHIANG MAI,
TRUONG DAI HOC KHOA HOC XA HOI VA NHAN VANVIETNAMHANOI
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTESPAINALICANTE
UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES HO CHI MINH CITYVIETNAMHO CHI MINH CITY

Project Number

585785-EPP-1-2017-1-AT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

Grant Awarded (Euros)

915,639.00

Year

2017

Project Summary

The tourism industry in Thailand and Vietnam are among the fastest growing in the world and is the employer of a high number of locals. In order to preserve the benefits gained from tourism also in the future it is important to protect the natural resources, the environment and the people. The concept of sustainable tourism (ST) when applied accurately, can support the tourism industry to grow further in a sustainable way. The concept itself is rather new to HEIs in Thailand and Vietnam and therefore it is essential to increase awareness and understanding of ST which will be done with expert trainings and the introduction of so competence centres for ST and innovative financial management strategies (IFS). There will be implemented 7 competence centres in the non-european universities for enhanced training and networking among unis and enterprises and the level of education.

Through the expert trainings, academic staff, students and companies are going to receive upgraded knowledge on ST and IFS to reach the following aims:
• to spread the knowledge of ST during the planned counselling sessions within the competence centres
• to increase the number of projects on ST and
• to make sure that these projects will be funded by IFS to generate a long-term growth of ST in Thailand and Vietnam

To expand generated knowledge in the project a network for ST and IFS will be established. It is promoted through cross-border conferences and it´s an important aim to sustain the network beyond the project end to add value in the tourism industry primarily in South-East Asia.
Further, through the intensive cooperation with companies, associations and governmental bodies throughout the TOURIST project, especially the university-business cooperation will be improved.

This leads to three advantages:
• increased employability of students and employees in the tourism sector
• increased teaching standards
• more initiatives on ST and IFS through improved networking