Overview activities

KNOWLEDGE: Translating knowledge and field experience into hands-on tools

I. Knowledge acquisition
In order to stay up to date with current knowledge on sustainable tourism development ViaVia Tourism Academy actively acquires knowledge from different sources:

    • Applied and creative input from ViaVia Worldwide;
    • Collaborative action-research with Flemish Centre for Tourism Policy Studies;
    • Cooperation with KULeuven (Master in Tourism); KHLeuven (ECHO);
    • Input from different internships and PHD/Master Thesis,…)

II. Design of Training Materials and Tourism Curricula, focused on Sustainable Tourism, Entrepreneurial capacity and Intercultural competence building

Training Programs Portfolio:

  1. Tourism Product Development & Innovation:  “From basic service to meaningful experience”
  2. Tour Leader = SMILES Management
  3. Strategic Tourism Destination Management
  4. Strategic Tourism Business Planning (SME)
  5. New Marketing opportunities and Social Media for Tourism SME’s
  6. Intercultural Service Design (Hospitality)
    • References:
      • ViaVia Tourism Academy Training Manuals;
      • LS Intercultural Project Management Handbook;
      • EU Leonardo Da Vinci Life-long-learning Project Innoguide;
      • Tour Consultant Curriculum Development Project Mozambique

 

EXPERIENCE: Applying the learned, and adjusting:  Putting theory into practice.

I. Capacity-building with/in ViaVia Café’s
All developed training materials have been implemented within and around several ViaVia Travelers Cafés.

    • References:
      • Cultural Tourism Planning & Tour Guide Training Programs in Ayacucho, Peru  in cooperation with the regional Chambre of Commerce and Tourism DIRCETUR;
      • Tour Guide/Leader Training Programs with the ViaVia  Yogyakarta, in cooperation with the Sanata Darma University, UPN Yogyakarta and State University of Yogyakarta;
      • Tour Guide Train-the-Trainer at ViaVia Mopti in cooperation with the Office Malien de Tourisme et de l’Hotellerie (OMATHO)

II. Developing Sustainable Tourism Products with ViaVia Café’s and/or Third parties
ViaVia Tourism Academy is also applying its knowledge and expertise for the development of sustainable tourism products and businesses.

    • References:
      • Roots Travels for Joker;
      • ViaVia Travel for Joker;
      • The ViaVia Travelers Café Business Concept

 

SHARING: Sharing our applied expertise and experience 

I. Adaptation & Implementation of tourism training programs, directly to end-users  or ‘train-the-trainer’:
ViaVia Tourism Academy can adapt all of its training programs to local needs and contexts and has done so in many countries in the world: Tanzania, Peru, Malawi, India, Vietnam, Mozambique, South Africa, Mali, Ecuador

II. Set-up & coordination of education networks
Viavia Tourism Academy currently coordinates the Education Network Sustainable and Innovative Tourism (EN SIT). All Flemish Universities and Colleges of Higher Education as well as all technical high schools providing tourism studies are a member of this network. The general objective is to stimulate teachers, trainers and professors within the tourism education sector to fully integrate the framework and current knowledge on sustainable tourism development within their teachings.

III. Participation in knowledge sharing activities
Besides the education networks VVTA also shares and exchanges ideasand experiences  on international conferences, seminars and provides guest lectures and different European universities and colleges.

    • References:
      • International Seminar on Cultural Heritage in 2009 in cooperation with VLIR-UOS, KULeuven and the RLICC;
      • Guest lecturing at HOWEST (Belgium) and NHTV (The Netherlands);
      • Keynotes at  EU Parliament, Summer school Italy, FIT Conference on Malawi, SADC Conference in Brussels…