Smart Tourism Academy – project meeting in Latvia

On February 2 and 3, 2026, an international meeting of partners of the Erasmus+ Smart Tourism Academy project took place in Riga, Latvia. The host institution was the partner Turiba University, which welcomed experts from eight European countries – Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

The Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, which is also the coordinator of the entire project, was represented at the event by representatives of the Department of Tourism – Ing. Norbert Beták, PhD. univ. doc. and Ing. Hana Bieliková, PhD.

The meeting took the form of a round-table meeting, and its main objective was to begin work on the development of new online study courses. Discussions focused on the content structure and pedagogical approaches for the planned course entitled "Green Approaches and the Basics of Regenerative Tourism”. This course will be available to students in the next academic year and will provide them with a deeper understanding of the principles of sustainability, green innovation, and responsible resource management.

The program also included a practical demonstration of sustainability in the hotel industry during a visit to the TRIBE hotel and a tour of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, which gave participants an insight into the cultural context and history of the country.

The Smart Tourism Academy project (No. 2025-1-SK01-KA220-HED-000362455) focuses on modern education and training for the next generation of professionals, for whom sustainable tourism will no longer be a choice but a necessity.

Text: Ing. Norbert Beták, PhD. univ. doc.
Photo: archive of the Department