RATIONALE:According to World Tourism Organisation (WTO) news from 8th of April 2020, the world trade is expected to fall by between 13% and 32% in 2020 as the COVID 19 pandemic disrupts normal economic activity and life around the world. The economy must be relaunched as soon as the sanitary crisis will be stopped.As the coronavirus situation will gradually improve in Europe, tourism is expected to play a larger role in boosting consumption to help revive the economy. As the overseas travel have been suspended due to the pandemic, domestic rural tourism is expected to welcome more tourists, for people are chasing for a more healthy and natural lifestyle.The project will create the platform for a new era of the rural tourism, after COVID-19 pandemic crisis, as to exploit in village travel opportunities to conscious tourists by turning less-known places and rural areas into new routes of sustainable tourism, working tightly with the locals to revamp their traditions and cultural heritage and turning them into assets for socio-economic local development.OBJECTIVES:SMART VILLAGE Project intends to create a new educational curricula for upgrading until 2022 new digital basic skills and competences to more than 900 economic disadvantaged low-skilled and low-qualified senior adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, more exactly for persons living in deprived rural areas from at least 9 European local communities. The project will learn seniors how to create their own new business in villages by using innovative local cultural tourism opportunities based on social innovation best practices and circular economy principles. Our project can be a great opportunity for seniors to earn their own living in the economic crisis generated by the pandemic period, keep their mind engaged and challenged and stay active in the community.SMART VILLAGE project will produce new innovative teaching and learning approaches in the form of a research study and best practices collection, 4 multiple handbooks, a training kit, a videogame as tools for acquiring entrepreneurial competences in rural tourism. The project platform of resources and community will ensure direct impact on more than 900 adults learners (seniors) until 2022 who will increase their low digital skills and long term impact on more than 500 travel agencies and from Europe.TARGET GROUP: - seniors (50+), adult learners willing to work in the tourism chain sector from rural areas, the main considered marginalised (depopulated, isolated areas or with limited access to infrastructure: road transport networks, electricity and/or to telecommunications, including the Internet) or are included in marginalised populations, being people with low incomes, people at risk of poverty or social exclusion;- adult civil servants (+40) of the local public administration and private sector managers of SMEs from the rural villages.TRANSNATIONAL APPROACHEuropean added value lies in the fact that the actions under this initiative will address some crucial challenges such as improving the digital entrepreneurship skill in rural sustainable tourism at European level. The variety of countries the project partners represent ensures valuable input from all sides. By gathering 9 partners from 6 different countries, with expertise and different fields and knowledge areas, project aims to provide learning materials specifically developed to empower elderly to create business or to work in rural tourism sector in all countries of the EU.NEED:Rural tourism across Europe are undergoing big change. Whilst persistent challenges, such as depopulation and poor quality public services, and now the COVID-19 pandemy continue to put many rural communities under economic and social pressure, there are also new and exciting opportunities for rural residents. Opportunity arises from the key drivers of rural change in the 21st century, including the attraction of the tourists for the visitor’s experience related to a wide range of products generally linked to nature-based activities, agriculture, rural lifestyle / culture, angling and sightseeing. This attraction is complemented by the impact of existing and emerging digital technologies on the tourist attitude and preference for the destinations promoting low-carbon and circular economies, the bioeconomy, new value chains, new patterns of mobility. Based on our previous research, review of literature and on the current situation due to pandemic crisis, seniors can play an important role in revival of the rural tourism, but they need to have upgraded competences and skills in:- the main principles of Smart Village concept;- social innovation business models in rural tourism;- circular business models (i.e. based on Flourishing Business Canvas; Inclusive Business Model);- digital research and promotion tools and management of online reservation system;- new sanitary and hygiene rules and conditions for accommodation and services.

<< Objectives >>The project intends to provide students with entrepreneurial knowledge so that they can be prepared for a career in the world of entrepreneurship. This will help to combat the phenomenon of NEET (not in employment, education or training) by providing young people with new career opportunities and facilitating the entry of SEN students into the sector, who find it more difficult to see concrete opportunities for employability in the world of work.<< Implementation >>The MICR@S activities will:-Deliver a LEARNING MATERIAL with knowledge, skills and competencies of entrepreneurial education (WP2)-Create a COMMUNITY COOPERATIVE LEARNING GAME an online game space where students can create their own entrepreneurial models through group work with SEN students (WP3)Activities regarding the management, the communication, the exploitation and sustainability of the project will be foreseen to assure its smooth implementation.<< Results >>Project activities will achieve the following RESULTS:1. AN INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH to school education by combining inclusion with an entrepreneurial experience. 2. AN INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECT to teach students not only about entrepreneurship but also about innovation and inclusion3. A PLATFORM ONLINE where students can confront themselves with other students and address other issues related to SOCIAL INCLUSION, SOLIDARITY and ENTREPRENEURSHIP