Projects – in order to promote the development of medical tourism in Latvia, the Latvian health tourism cluster attracts new EU financial support instruments for the implementation of various health tourism projects.
Project No. 3.2.1.1/16/A/010 “Latvian Health Tourism Cluster”
The cluster project is aimed at promoting the sustainable cooperation of companies operating in the health tourism industry of Latvia, educational and knowledge-spreading organisations, thus improving their competitiveness in healthcare and health tourism, and stimulating an increase in total expenses of foreign tourists in Latvia and the formation of products with high added value.
On 9 February 2017, the Latvian Resort Association signed an agreement with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency on the implementation of the European Union Fund project No. 3.2.1.1/16/A/010 “Latvian Health Tourism Cluster”.
The project will last for 48 months. Its main priorities are: development of complex products in the sphere of health and — especially — medical tourism highlighting, for instance, fertility treatment, treatment of oncology diseases, eye surgery, phlebology, prosthetic dentistry and dental implantation, etc.; market research; development of a single health tourism marketing plan; joint marketing activities of members of the Latvian Health Tourism Cluster abroad; attraction of foreign medical tourists; development of the website healthtravellatvia.lv; marketing abroad through Internet and social networks; acceptance of foreign doctors and representatives of health insurance companies; development of a single quality certification system and its introduction for all members of the cluster; introduction of custom medicine in bio-medicine; development of medical cosmetics products and other activities.
The total budget of the project amounts to EUR 485,874.42, of which the total eligible costs are EUR 485,874.42. ERDF funding amounts to 85% of eligible costs and private funding amounts to 15% of eligible costs, i.e. EUR 412,993.26 and EUR 72,881.16 respectively.
The Latvian Health Tourism Cluster was created under the Latvian Resort Association in March 2012. It includes a wide spectrum of health tourism entrepreneurs, ranging from state and local government, regional hospitals, private clinics, rehabilitation centres and resort hotels to tourist agencies, educational and research institutions.
“Latvian Resort Assossiation” is one of ProVaHealth (2017-2020) partners.
ProVaHealth Subsidy contract for the implementation of the project (#R039).
The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020 supports integrated territorial development and cooperation for a more innovative, better accessible and sustainable Baltic Sea region. Partners from countries around the Baltic Sea work together in transnational projects on common key challenges and opportunities. The Programme is an agreement between EU member states Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and the northern parts of Germany as well as partner countries Norway, Belarus and the northwest regions of Russia.
The Programme is funded by the European Union and approved by the European Commission.
ProVaHealth is one of 39 approved Interreg Baltic Sea Region project, in May 2017.
ProVaHealth stimulates cooperation among health laboratories in the Baltic Sea region, which test new products and technologies in real-life contexts. The project shares best practices to improve business models of the labs and helps open access to the services for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from the entire Baltic Sea region to ensure health innovation and growth of health SMEs with global potential.
The key aspect of Living Labs is the co-creation and experimental testing of products in a real-life context, providing opportunity for client validation, hands-on feedback and customer input for product development. In this way, Living Labs support companies to rapidly commercialise and scale up their innovations and products to the global markets. In the Baltic Sea region, Living Labs exist within several health and well-being areas.
Total ERDF budget is 3 022 842,70 EUR, ERDF co-financing is 2 353 386,54 EUR and amount of EU partners’ contribution 669 456,16 EUR. Latvia’s total partner budget is 81 740 EUR.
Wellness and Spa Tourism Sectoral Skills’ Development – WeSkill
Program: Erasmus +
Project №: 621401-EPP-1-2020-1-BG-EPPKA2-SSA
Duration: 01.11.2020 – 31.10.2023
BRIEF OVERVIEW
The health and wellness trend has continued to grow across Europe as more individuals realize the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
The main challenge in the further development of the wellness tourism in response to the growing interest of tourists, as well as of the demand for wellness packages that include diversity of services is availability of qualified staff.
SPECIFIC GOALS
• Updating of skills, new skills for new fully relevant to the labour market in the sector jobs
• Mobile EU workforce, mobility
• Matching between skills and labour market needs, bridging the gap between education and work, improving synergy between the worlds of education and work
• Equipping young people for the job market, fostering studying abroad in EU
• Equipping adults/employees from the sector being trainees with the missing skills, by using a strong modern personalized didactic tool
• Enhance job expectations of trainees through up-skilling of the young and adults
• With mobile app development and the promotion of the app usage, we will try to make wellness and spa tourism sector more appealing, sustainable, advanced and competitive in the EU area
MAIN ACTIVITIES
• Project management; Quality assurance and evaluation; Defining skills gaps and training needs; Curricula design (EQF level 4); Development of multilingual training mobile app and platform; Piloting; Dissemination and Exploitation.
MAIN PROJECTS TARGET GROUPS
• IVET and CVET providers in tourism
• Wellness tourism companies
• Sectoral tourism organisations
• VET teachers and in-company tutors in the sector
• VET students
• National qualification authorities outside the partnership
EXPECTED RESULTS
• Report on findings of skills gaps research in existing data sources (desk research) in the 7 participating countries and in addition in 4 EU countries beyond the partnership
• Development of complete, transferable and “ready to use” 5 curricula
• Involvement of all key stakeholders’ representatives in consultation workshops aimed at validation of the curricula developed
• Creating and adopt/transfer/localize learning materials (handbook, exercises, simulations, tests)
• Performing national pilot trainings covering 2 target groups
• Conducting Curricula implementation workshops in all 7 project countries
• Development of a specific mobile app for support training modules
• Establishment of non-formal new Sectoral Alliance on VET excellence in wellness and spa tourism
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Currently, all project partners are working on the first work package which is the research phase of the project. It consists of conducting of a desk research, creation of Wellness and Spa sector skills’ gaps summary report, and the results from them will be available by the end of February 2021.
PARTNERS
1. Institute for Training of Personnel in International Organizations (ITPIO), Bulgaria
2. Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (BTC), Bulgaria
3. Zemedelska profesionalna gimnaziya “Kliment Timiryazev” (ZPG), Bulgaria
4. Institute of the Republic of Slovenia “Vocational College of Hospitality and Tourism” (CPI), Slovenia
5. Savinjsko-šaleška Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SSGZ), Slovenia
6. College of Hospitality and Tourism Maribor (CHT), Slovenia
7. National Centre for Education (VISC), Latvia
8. Latvian resort’s association (LRA), Latvia
9. Riga Style and Fashion Technical school (RSMT), Latvia
10. DIMITRA Education & Consulting SA, Greece
11. Hellenic Association of Municipalities with Thermal Springs (HATS), Greece
12. Serbian health, wellness and spa tourism cluster (ZVST), Serbia
13. Pharmaceutical – Physiotherapeutic School (FFS), Serbia
14. Tiber Umbria Comett Education Programme (TUCEP), Italy
15. FEDERTURISMO CONFINDUSTRIA (FC), Italy
16. GROUPE AFORMAC (AFORMAC), France
17. Union des métiers des industries de l’hôtellerie du puy de dôme (UMIH), France
18. Inthecity Project Development (Inthecity), Netherlands
19. World Federation of Hydrotherapy and Climatotherapy (FEMTEC), Italy
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
For more information: info@itpio.eu
