Abstract:

The main goal of the current Erasmus+ project is to improve conditions for student´s and teacher´s mobility in related to tourism field. The content of the project will be creation and accreditation of a new course “Interpretation of European Cultural Heritage through Tourism Attractions” at all partner universities. The course will be prepared by an international expert team. Complex and detailed didactic material (syllabus, content and methodology of the course, textbook, examples of good practices and case studies) will be prepared within the project. Introduction and implementation of the course at all partner universities will not only contribute to mobility, it will also support internationalization of lectures and improve the quality of preparation of tourism graduates. The new course will enrich the portfolio of subjects and courses offered. It is the topic, which is specific and at the heart of the cultural tourism industry but which has not been taught at any partner university yet.

Development and international dimension of the study is a priority of EU educational policy and of all universities involved. The main group benefiting from the project results are students and teachers of partner universities. The outcomes of the project will be available also to other schools and experts from the industry (organizations of destination management, managers of cultural heritage sites, etc.).

Outputs of this project will support strategic partnership among universities and improve the current situation and could become model for creation of other compatible subjects.

The new course will be created in cooperation of the six following universities:
• Czech Republic – University of Economics VSE, Praha (CZPRAHA09)
• Austria - University of Applied Science Burgenland, Eisenstadt (A EISENST02)
• Germany - University of Applied Sciences Mittelstands, Bielefeld, Campus Schwerin (D BIELEFE05)
• Romania - Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi (RO IASI02)
• Slovakia – University of Economics in Bratislava (SK BRATISL03)
• Spain - Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM), (E MADRID18)

The topic chosen for the course is a global one and trendy at the European level. Europe is an important destination of cultural tourism with a growing number of visitors from different cultural regions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods of interpretation of cultural heritage all the time. European Union and European Territorial Cooperation documents consider products based on utilization of diversity of European cultural heritage one of priorities of tourism development in Europe and its competitiveness.

A course with this content (Interpretation of cultural heritage through tourism) hasn´t been taught at any university yet. This will enrich the portfolio of subject offer in compliance with the needs of the industry.

Keywords:

Erasmus +, learning resources, cultural heritage interpretation.