Training & Mentoring
DETOUR targets tourism SMEs located along some of Europe’s most iconic cultural routes, providing multi-phase, targeted training and support to foster sustainability, digital innovation, and business resilience in the tourism sector. The project places a strong emphasis on capacity building through the following activities.
📌 Train the Trainers (August - November 2025)
This training was designed for tourism professionals, consultants, DMO staff, local authorities, and academics with experience supporting tourism-related businesses (e.g. in agri-food, handicrafts, cultural services).
It included a minimum of 5 hours of free online training, available at any time between 1 August and 30 November 2025, along with 20 hours of in-person training and participation to the kick off meeting in February 2026.
The training focused on key areas such as sustainability, digitalisation, product innovation, and resilience. Upon completion, participants were certified as DETOUR Trainers, becoming part of a European network of tourism experts, and had the opportunity to mentor SMEs—guiding them in particular towards accessing micro-funding of up to €25,000 for green and digital innovation projects.
The DETOUR Train the Trainers programme has been completed successfully in all partner countries, engaging over 50 tourism stakeholders and certifying 42 trainers through online learning, an international webinar and onsite workshops. In Italy (Viterbo, October 2025), participants focused on sustainable tourism, digital tools for trail management, accessibility and product development along the Via Francigena. In Bulgaria (Plovdiv, November), the training showcased European best practice and explored how long-distance trail models could be adapted locally, alongside cultural and field visits. In Greece (Ano Poria), local professionals examined green tourism strategies, digital mapping and trail management, supported by visits to Lake Kerkini and traditional accommodation providers. In Türkiye, academics and consultants addressed sustainability, digitalisation and local challenges with contributions from public authorities and sector experts, strengthening a Europe-wide network ready to support walking trails and tourism SMEs.
📍 The DETOUR certified Trainers can be found in Pool of Trainers
📌 SMEs Training & Mentoring (January - April 2026)
This programme invited small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) located along the Italian section of the Via Francigena — from the Great St Bernard Pass to Santa Maria di Leuca — as well as along the Lycian Way in Türkiye, the Sultan’s Trail and Thrace Tourist Region in Bulgaria, and the mountain route network in Greece, to apply for a free training and mentoring projects focused on sustainable tourism, digital transition, and climate resilience.
Participating SMEs benefited from tailored training opportunities, personalised mentoring with tourism and innovation experts, and dedicated support to apply for micro-funding of up to €25,000 to develop green and digital projects. The programme also offered valuable opportunities for international networking with professionals and businesses active along some of Europe’s most iconic cultural routes.
The training and mentoring activities, with DETOUR Pool of Trainers, took place from 1 January to 30 April 2026, and participation was completely free of charge for selected SMEs.
From the 1st of July, the DETOUR training platform is open to everyone, making all learning materials freely available in six languages. The platform offers a modular training pathway composed of 6 learning modules, for a total of 30 hours of flexible, self-paced learning. Each module is designed to support tourism stakeholders, SMEs, and local actors in improving their skills in green, digital, and inclusive tourism development. All training content is available in Italian (IT), English (EN), Greek (EL), Turkish (TR), and Bulgarian (BG), ensuring wide accessibility across the project’s pilot countries.
Click here to access the training platform
