The European project DATA4Rural – Advanced Digital Skills and Data Management for Sustainable Rural Tourism officially started with a Kick-off Meeting held in Vicenza, Italy. Coordinated by the FondazioneHomo Viator – San Teobaldo, the initiative brings together partners from Italy, Czechia, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, including Arctur / Tourism 4.0, which will contribute its expertise in digital innovation for tourism.
Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme (KA220-VET), the project aims to empower rural stakeholders with advanced data management and digital skills to support the transition toward sustainable, inclusive, and data-driven rural tourism. Over the next 32 months, the consortium will develop an innovative vocational training curriculum and an open e-learning platform, enabling tourism professionals and local actors to integrate digital tools into everyday practice.
The Kick-off Meeting gathered all project partners — EXO, DIH Tourism 4.0, AnySolution, ERNACT, The Food Hub, and Arctur— to set priorities, align responsibilities, and plan the first activities, including best practice mapping and needs analysis. The discussions reflected a shared ambition to bridge the gap between traditional tourism models and modern data-based approaches.
As Slovenia’s representative in the consortium, Arctur will apply its Tourism 4.0 know-how to ensure that digital transformation in rural areas remains human-centered, sustainable, and scalable. The project’s collaborative spirit and European dimension will help strengthen local communities through education, innovation, and responsible tourism development.
The meeting in Vicenza marked an important first step toward building a smarter, data-driven future for Europe’s rural destinations.
