Supporting Business Succession and Continuity in Tourism
Next GEN Tourism supports and encourages tourism businesses to think ahead, plan succession early, and ensure the businesses they’ve worked so hard to build continue to thrive when the time comes to step back.
The Next GEN Tourism project officially launched, bringing together partners from Iceland, Ireland, Austria, Slovenia and Germany to tackle one of the tourism sector’s biggest hidden challenges: business succession and continuity in tourism SMEs.
The project’s first transnational meeting took place in Reykjavík, hosted by the University of Akureyri, marking the start of a two-year collaboration focused on real-world impact- strengthening succession readiness.
The Need for NextGen Tourism Across Europe
Many Tourism businesses across Europe face challenges, including a lack of clear succession plans, especially small, medium, and family-owned businesses, which often struggle, risking financial instability, operational uncertainty, and, in some cases, closure. The challenge is even more visible in rural and tourism-dependent regions, where tourism supports local jobs and preserves cultural and natural heritage. Next GEN Tourism is addressing this gap by providing practical tools, training and resources to help educators, business owners, advisors and policymakers navigate a smoother and successful transition.
Next GEN Tourism addresses this challenge by developing practical tools, training resources, and digital solutions that enable smoother, more successful business transitions. The project is designed to support educators, tourism business owners, advisors, and policymakers — raising awareness and facilitating the journey that succession is not just a business issue but a system-wide one.
Supporting Tourism Educators. Trainers and Business Advisors
Vocational education and training (VET) educators play a key role in preparing the next generation of tourism business leaders. Next GEN Tourism aims to strengthen educators' knowledge and capacity by developing a tourism-specific Succession Competence Framework, a modular curriculum, practical Train-the-Trainer resources, and a Digital Succession Readiness Assessment Tool, all supported by a shared Knowledge Hub.
Business advisors will benefit by gaining new methodologies and digital tools to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the support they provide to their clients, while on the other side, policymakers will benefit by gaining access to research-driven insights that help them make better decisions that strengthen and support tourism SMEs and national economic development. All project resources are being designed in flexible, modular, and inclusive formats, ensuring they are accessible regardless of time constraints, learning preferences, or geographic location.
Practical Resources for Tourism Businesses and Successors
Small, medium, and family-owned tourism businesses - including women entrepreneurs, rural business owners, and first-time successors – are the direct beneficiaries of the project’s practical outputs. A dedicated Toolbox with guides and practical templates will help them manage ownership and leadership transfer, and the Digital Assessment Tool will provide a personalised feedback report highlighting their strengths, identifying weaknesses, and offering practical recommendations for improvement.
The partners of Next GEN Tourism believe the resources will help protect jobs, preserve local tourism businesses, maintain their reputations and identities, and support long-term economic resilience in tourism-dependent regions.
What is Happening Next – How to Get Involved!
The project is now moving into its research and co-creation phase. Tourism businesses, educators and advisors across partner countries are invited to join upcoming activities, share their experiences and help shape the project’s resources and training materials. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates, and welcome to join us in contributing to the future of sustainable tourism succession.
Written by.
Jasna Presečki (Project Parrtner)
Razvojni center Srca Slovenije, Slovenia
Connect with Next GEN Tourism:
Website https://nextgentourism.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584797095044
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/next_gen_tourism/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/110338672/admin/dashboard/
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#ErasmusPlus #VET #TourismEducation #TourismResilience #RuralTourism