Globally, tourism sector is one of sectors the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this and concurrent crisis such as the climate crisis, Ukraine-Russia war, energy, tourism sector is under great transformation. In 2021, tourism accounted for 6.1% of the global GDP contribution - compared to 10.3% in pre-COVID times, forecasting to return to 2019 levels only by 2025. Furthermore, in the last two years lockdowns and the energy crisis have heavily affected work-life, leisure, and recreational patterns of EU citizens, bringing significant changes to daily routines, new demands for sustainability and nature-based tourism. To face these problems and yield these new opportunities the sector needs to radically innovate, while keeping local communities and the environment at the core of its strategies. However, the sector lacks specific interdisciplinary and governance skills that generally refers to “sustainable tourism destination management” (STDM), while HEIs and VET are currently lacking training that foster the ability of young students, professionals, public officials to solve sustainability & innovation challenges. Therefore, WeNaTour aims to increase the capacity of HEIs, VETs and businesses to integrate research results, innovative practices, and digitalisation into a first-class educational offer to foster sustainable tourism and its principles while supporting the creation of new products and services on two emerging markets: (1) company welfare, and (2) nature-based tourism for health and well-being. It will do so by facilitating the co-creation of knowledge, developing high-quality multidisciplinary training among EU networks of HEIs, VET and businesses active in sustainable tourism. WeNaTour will actively work across Italy, Romania, Austria, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, while developing a wide international Alliance on Sustainable Tourism to replicate and exploit results and lead to sector transformation and long-lasting impacts.

The project plans to deliver three types of teaching activities, three types of deliverables, one research activity, and three types of events. They will be shortly presented below.All teaching activities were planned to be taught for Transilvania University of Brasov’s master and Ph.D. students, aiming to attract as many students as possible. They basically consist in an optional course taught within the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School to all students enrolled in the 1st year, two optional teaching courses taught for the master students in the 1st year of study at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (specializations Financial and Banking Management and International Economic Relations), and one summer school per year for students, the latter being intended to provide in-depth knowledge about EU regional policy.The project deliverables are the project website, a book published with the Transilvania University of Brasov publishing house, and a total number of 9 short, concise and informative newsletters (three newsletters per year). The intention of gathering together information and empirical analyses on the project topic by the book is related to the aim of bringing an important contribution to the Romanian literature in the field of European integration, as well as to be used as teaching material in universities or source of documentation for authorities, decision makers or experts. As mentioned in application, the strand of Romanian books in the field of economics/ European integration is very poor in Romania, because books/ monographs are not recognized as scientific achievements upon the academic Romanian standards, as it is the case of indexed journal publications, so there is no interest for professors to write books anymore. The structure of the project book is planned to be a complex one and the purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview on the main instruments, measures and issues related to the EU regional policy. A research activity is also planned to develop in the field of the project topic, generating at least two publications during the project lifetime. The newsletters are intended to facilitate a quick read, also allowing facile share by different media channels. Beside the informative purpose, the newsletter is intended to provide knowledge and information on EU regional policy, the process of European integration, as well as connected issues, such as the smart and inclusive growth, smart specialisation, and innovation and technological progress.The last type of specific activities is represented by events, which are: (1) one webinar per year intended to have a large audience, (2) a series of roundtable debates with public authorities, and (3) a series of roundtable debates with NGOs and representatives of civil society.

Project Background: The EU-ARB project has been designed to the meet the needs of arborists involved within high risk UA activities particularly within energy sectors of industry responsible for vegetation/tree management. Recent European & UK statistics indicate a rising workplace fatality rate associated with hazardous work undertaken by arborists. Previous project partner research also reported related health & safety concerns within this sector & developed a framework for common European VET competence standards. These standards can be adapted & developed further for use within the Utility Arboriculture (UA) occupations. At the same time this project aims to facilitate best practice & high quality instruction amongst VET providers & skills trainers of UA courses across Europe & beyond, exchanging knowledge, training innovations & expertise in the process leading to safer trained arborists. Key Needs: The ultimate project goal & key needs are as follows: 1. Improve & enhance utility arborists skills, safety & supervision in the workplace through the development of a simplified qualification structure on 3 very practical & industry relevant levels 2. Reduce utility arborist fatality & incident rates particularly where adjacent to energised power lines in the workplace 3. Reduce associated economic & personal costs related to UA accidents Key Objectives: Achieving the key needs requires the following objectives to be met: 1. Develop innovative European occupational standards in UA 2. Improve transparency and recognition of UA skills via innovative European qualifications accredited by ABA International 3. Enhance utility arborists mobility and employability throughout Europe 4. Encourage & promote life-long learning and continuous professional development within the UA sector Project Participants: The project consists of a very experienced & capable partnership of 7 organisations (not including associates) tasked to ensure its success. Their make-up consists of UA VET & project management specialists, private & public bodies, non-profit organisations, energy industry distribution network operators & government institutions in the education sectors. Project Activities: Over the project life-cycle the partnership undertaken numerous tasks in pursuit of the ultimate EU-ARB goal. These include for example: • UA-Industry consultations • Meeting presentations • UA training techniques analysis • UA competency developments • Development of a UA training simulator sites • Project dissemination on many levels across numerous sectors • International certification events • Training publications & guidance materials etc Project Methodology: The project was undertaken in 3 stages within its lifecycle as follows. Stage 1: (Start-Up) Undertake pre-project planning & preparation meetings Develop an effective operational work plan, project organisational structure & dissemination plan Schedule the objectives into an action plan of individual tasks & work packages Resource & run trainer standard setting/best practice events in partner countries & develop UA VET training standards Monitor & evaluate feedback & disseminate information gathered till end of project Promote project information through the web, social media links etc till end of project & beyond Stage 2: (Implementation) Resource & facilitate trainer evaluation and verification events in partner countries & develop UA assessment standards Pilot test new UA competency certifications in partner countries Undertake post-project sustainability planning & preparation meetings Develop UA VET trainer QA materials & innovative training simulators Produce a project interim report & evaluate findings Stage 3: (Completion) Live test new UA competency certifications in partner countries Completion of UA VET trainer QA materials etc Develop a project ‘Exit Strategy’ Project completion, final report & evaluation of the findings Continued development, dissemination & enhancement of project products & goals post-project Project Impact & Longer Term Benefits: The project reached its objectives with the support of ABA International & development of new partnership innovations focused on UA safety. The key results include: 1. Development of 3 new European Utility Arborist qualifications 2. Development of new innovative UA training materials & simulators 3. Establishment of high quality UA training providers & trainers 4. Enhance arborist mobility & professional development internationally 5. Ultimately a reduction of accidents & fatalities to arborists

Transilvania University of Brasov (UniTBv) is involved in mobility projects since 1997, starting with the Socrates programme, Erasmus action. Since than, the number of the partner universities from Socrates, LLP or Erasmus+ programmes has constantly increased, in 2018 we have 351 partner universities from 29 program countries, in the Erasmus+ programme.The general objective of the Strategy for Internationalization of UniTBv for 2016 - 2020 is the increase of the international visibility as well as of the educational and scientific research processes quality by extending the cooperation with relevant institutions from European Union countries and outside the European area.In this context, during the 2017-2018 academic year, a number of 334 outgoing mobility were achieved, compared with the 323 mobility financed, of which: 119 student mobility for studies and 101 student mobility for traineeships, 71 staff mobility for teaching and 43 staff mobility for training, for the UniTBv staff.Anually, the Erasmus+ coordinators together with the Erasmus+ office staff from UniTBv are organizing two information sessions presenting the Erasmus+ mobility, and the selection conditions for the outgoing mobility beneficiaries (students and staff from UniTBv). At the beneficiaries request, other meetings are also organised, discussing punctual requirements related to the Erasmus+ mobility. The students are aslo participating at the Erasmus Open Doors, organized on-line by ANPCDEFP. The selection process is transparent, the informations are available on the UniTBv website, at https://www.unitbv.ro/studenti/erasmus.html and https://didactic.unitbv.ro/erasmus/programe-erasmus/mobilitati-pentru-personalul-didactic-si-administrativ). The entire activity realted to the Erasmus+ outgoing mobility is regulated by specific procedures, and the funds are allocated acconding to the Financial Contract signed between ANPCDEFP and UniTBv. Both before and during the mobility, the beneficiaries are advised by the faculty Erasmus+ coordinators. All the documents realted to the mobility are centralized at the Erasmus+ office, where the communication with partner universities is also made, the information is processed and reported at university and national level.During the academic 2017 – 2018 year a great number of incoming mobility was also achieved, with a total of 218 participants. UniTBv hosted 147 students (137 SMS and 10 SMP) and 71 staff (51 STA and 20 STT). The activity realted to the incoming mobility is also regulated by specific procedures, available on the UniTBv website (http://www.unitbv.ro/en). Each semester the Erasmus+ office, is organizing the Erasmus Welcome Meeting for incoming students, contributig to their information and better adaptation at the university and city life.Outgoing and incoming mobility beneficiaries gave favourable feedback, that rewards the efforts of the persoans involved in the institutional project implementation, and confirms the pozitiv impact that this project has at personal and institutional level. The international vizibility increase of the UniTBv, as a consequence of the great number of outgoing si incomimg mobility, as well as of the university promotion at international level, was also materialized in the increasing number of signed IIA: 351 universities from 29 countries, compared with 338 universities from 27 countries signed in previous year.We consider that the the principles of the ECHE have been respected,:-respect in full the principles of non-discrimination set out in the programme and ensure equal access and opprtunities to mobile particpants from all backgrounds;-ensure full recognition for satisfactorily completed activities for study mobility and, where possible, traineeships in terms of credits awarded (ECTS or compatible system);-charge no fees, in the case of credit mobility, to incoming mobile students for tuition, registration, examination or access to laboratory and library facilities.We believe that this result is due to the concerted efforts between the university leadership, the Erasmus + Office members, Erasmus coordinators at faculty level, and last but not least the teaching staff and faculty staff. We all understand the major benefit that diversification of learning and training experiences have, with an echo at both individual and institutional level.We appreciate the participation in Erasmus KA107 mobility as having many benefits and we want not only to continue the participation but also to increase the involvement of UTBv in the project.