Final conference of the Erasmus+ DIRUT project “Diversification of rural tourism through sustainability and creativity: disseminating European experience in Ukraine” (16-17.11.2023, online)
On November 16-17, 2023, the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine team joined the final conference of the Erasmus+ DIRUT project “Diversification of rural tourism through sustainability and creativity: disseminating European experience in Ukraine”. The event was held with the support of the EU Erasmus+ Programme, Jean Monnet Module of Action within the framework of the project 620720-EPP-1-2020-1-UA-EPPJMO-MODULE «Diversification of rural tourism through sustainability and creativity: disseminating European experience in Ukraine».
About 150 people attended the final conference.
The moderator of the event, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of International Economics, Natural Resources and International Tourism Economics of the Zaporizhzhia National University (ZNU), Erasmus+ JMM DIRUT project coordinator Natalia VENHERSKA, presented a video to the conference participants, which described the main directions of the project and the achievements of its interdisciplinary team.
Oleksandr BONDAR, First Vice-Rector of ZNU, congratulated the participants on the successful implementation of the project and noted that their efforts had had a positive impact.
Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Project Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, noted the university’s activity in project activities, highlighted their achievements, and invited the participants to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme. The speaker emphasised the importance of such behaviour of scientists today, because they have become ambassadors of Ukraine in the world, spreading not only knowledge but also humanistic values and preparing a generation of European integrators to restore the country.
Doctor of Science, Professor, Acting Head of the Department of Finance, Banking, and Insurance at ZNU Alla CHEREP highlighted the key points of the project and its implementation.
Associate Professor of Recreation Management at the Tallinn University, owner of the company «Reimann Retked», Member of the Board of the Estonian Ecotourism Association Mart REIMANN (Estonia) shared his experience of getting acquainted with the special features of rural tourism in Ukraine and spoke about the implementation of Estonian practices of network development of rural tourism in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions. The implementation of these practices became possible thanks to cooperation with the Erasmus+ JMM DIRUT project.
The participants were also greeted by the permanent partners of the Faculty of Economics, who have repeatedly participated in conferences within the framework of this project – Zaneta SIMANAVICIENE, Doctor of Science, Professor, Head of the Business Innovation Laboratory, Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania) and Regina Andriukaitienė, PhD in Social Sciences (Management), Doctoral Lecturer at the Lithuanian University of Sport, Associate Professor of SMK University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania).