Coronavirus pandemic altered everyday life and basic functions of social life, being one of the world’s deadliest epidemic outbreaks that resulted to a systemic global healthcare crisis along with a worldwide economic recession. Health and precautions became the priority for governments, adapting regulations and introducing new strict measures. Tourism industry and the hospitality is a sector largely inflicted by the pandemic. All of the above, health safety protocols along with the new digitalised services used and offered in the hospitality sector are in need among the staff in the hospitality sector, which should be sealed against COVID-19 and future epidemic crises.

Inspired by the above needs and challenges, the ESTour project seeks to develop a new qualification profile according to EQF level 5, a training curriculum, A blended learning VET course and a certification scheme, which will contribute to the certification of the skills, knowledge and competences for the Post COVID-19 Epidemic Health & Safety Hospitality Expert (ESTour Expert). The ESTour Expert aims to contribute to a more holistic management, operation and marketing, helping hospitality SMEs survive in the new post COVID-19 tourism era.

The objectives of the project are:

• Training and certifying people who have been working in the hospitality sector (managers and employees in various posts, mostly in hospitality SMEs) and would like to update their skills but also their employment opportunities, related to the new health safety protocols and new digital technologies in regards to an effective responding to epidemic crises’ impact.
• This will lead to the creation of the profile of the “ESTour Expert’ that will be able to understand, follow and apply the new safety protocols introduced internationally but also at a national level as well as to be aware of the new digital technologies that facilitate the operation of hospitality SMEs in times of epidemic crises in order to apply health safety and social distancing practices.