Women Enterpreuneurs in Rural Tourism

Estonia

The Parnu County Vocational Centrehttp://www.hariduskeskus.ee/index.php?id=1539

Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation www.maaturism.ee

19.4.2023 Esitluse pealkiri 3

Survey • Number of responses: 44.

• 39 of them already had started their own business and 5 of them are planning to start.

• Questionnaire was consulted with Estonian Rural Tourism as a social partner.

• Questionnaire was sent as a link to the contacts of Estonian Rural Tourism list and answers were gathered through e-formular.

• Most of the respondents are offering combined services like accommodation and catering or accommodation and active leisure etc.

In which rural tourism sector do you operate?

How many people work in your business?

General business skills

Using computers

Rural tourism services

Self development

In your opinion, which method(s) of training would be most useful to you?

Training needs in Estonia

I Rural tourism services (3,322)II Self development (3,304)

III General business skills (3,175)IV Using computers (3,072)

Training needs in EstoniaCollation by modules Skill area Average score

I Rural tourism services 3,322

1. Developing a sustainable rural tourism business

3,45

2. Developing a tourist business which is accessible to all

3,36

3. Developing a quality customer service 3,34

4. Organising and running alternative leisure activities for tourists

3,30

5. Accommodation management and maintenance

3,16

Training needs in EstoniaCollation by modules Skill area Average score

II Self development 3,3041. Cultural awareness and foreign

languages 3,522. Written communication skills

3,393. Time planning - balancing work and

family

3,274. Building confidence and networking

3,255. Making presentations 3,09

Training needs in EstoniaCollation by modules Skill area Average

scoreIII General business skills

3,175

1. How to market your business and develop your product 3,23

2. Managing staff and team building 3,233. Financial management e.g. sources of

finance, cash flow, profit & loss, pricing 3,18

4. Ability to diversify 3,165. Legal aspects - finding out about

regulations 3,146. Business planning and research 3,11

Training needs in EstoniaCollation by modules

Skill area Average score

IV Using computers3,072

1. Basic word processing3,57

2. Databases and spreadsheets3,20

3. Using computers and the internet for marketing – websites, search engine optimisation

3,054. Using e-mail

2,865. Social networking e.g. facebook,

LinkedIn, twitter2,68

Other training needs:

• Writing projects• Exporting services• Language practice in language environment• Photography• Generating ideas• Crafts and local food• Creating client databases • Catering• Book-keeping• Cooperation, creating different packages for vacation• Body language, psychology in marketing, keeping the client• Product development• Self help techniques to prevent burn-out• Occupatinal health care

Other training needs• How to use materials from the nature.• Creativity training• Creating different souvenires• Creating a business plan• Safety in active leisure• Different national cuisines• Design in tourism• Product design• Executing different contracts• Environment education• Local cultural heritage

Other ideas about trainings

• Knowledges of tour guiding would be useful.• How to reach customers outside Estonia?• Learning from the experience of others.• Series of trainings could induce enterpreuneers to think more

creatively. There are many resources around us that we are not using for our businesses.

• Training should be as well as practical as mind-broadening. Excursions for trainings are useful.

• Mentoring and coaching.

Pilot approach (1)

How you recruited a representative sample of the target groups e.g. using needs analysis responses, PR

• From the analysis of the Estonian training needs it can be concluded that 39 of them already had started their own business and 5 of them are planning to start.

• The target group for training will be women from rural tourism who are active as entrepreneurs at least for a year.

Pilot approach (1)The selection will be based on following

conditions:• answered questions and desire to participate in the

training• beginner level knowledge about MS Word and Excel

(Eestis pakutakse kutseõppeasutustes tasuta arvutialaseid koolitusi eri tasemetele http://ttka.hm.ee/ )

• motivation to finish the training with finished business or marketing plan prepared in the computer

• plan to build up the new business or marketing plan• ready to co-operate and give feedback and explain

their answers

Pilot approach (1)PR • We have the e-mails and phone numbers of people who

answered the questions and we can send them letters or invitations for presentation

• It is planned to invite all the people from rural tourism entrepreneurs who answered, to the Life Long Learning Week (takes place for 14th time, from October 7th till October 14th) on October 13th.

• Information for homepage: www.hariduskeskus.ee and www.maaturism.ee

• Through LEADER action groups – Estonia has 26 groupshttp://www.maainfo.ee/index.php?page=3348

PR• Enterprise Estonia homepagehttp://www.eas.ee/index.php?setlang=en-GB

• November 9th – Rural tourism meeting

• December 16th – Pärnu Partnerluskogu meeting

• Article in press

Pilot approach (1)

Pilot approach (2) How you worked with social partners and

networks• There is very good internet access all over the

Estonia, including countryside. Main communication with social partners take place over the internet using e-mails.

• It is possible to organize gatherings also in the meetings of networks. For example November 11th the rural tourism meeting; December 16th Pärnu Partnerluskogu meeting

Pilot approach (3)

How you decided on the most appropriate method of course delivery to meet target group needs e.g workshops,use of printed or online course materials

• Our experience shows that most of the students of Estonian continuing educations want direct lessons, including workshops and fieldtrips to gain experiences. It is possible to use Moodle environment to access educational material

Pilot approach (3)• Moodle environment if very well-known and

used in vocational training http://4vumas.havike.eenet.ee/moodle/.

• There are a lot of e-training courses http://www.e-ope.ee/repositoorium, but students mostly prefer direct face to face communication.

• In rural tourism business respondents prefer more direct lessons, workshops and field trips.

Pilot approach (4)How you will plan the sessions to meet the needs

of the group using the Pilot Guidelines/quality checklist

• The target group is planned to be from the active rural tourism entrepreneurs and study sessions consider their individual as well as group training needs.

• We consider the learning style of each student using appropriate tasks, different activities such as group work to exchange experiences, tests, study tours, searches from databases, make them visit homepages of other tourism entrepreneurs and

• also participate in social networks.

Pilot approach (4)• We can find out the expectations of students’

and trainers’ from feedback surveys (what was very good topic, what is less important, suggestions for organizing trainings).

• We encourage participants to join online discussion forum on the www.wertedu.eu website.

• We motivate training participants to answer the feedback surveys correctly.

Pilot approach (5)Any specific requirements for Estonia• Eestis on kutseõppeasutustel võimalik pakkuda tasuta

koolitusi erinevatele sihtrühmadele ja tasmetele arvuti oskuste täiendamiseks, ettevõtluse alustamiseks ja arendamiseks, erialaseks keeleõppeks jne. http://www.hm.ee/index.php?048404

• Kursusi finantseerivad Euroopa Sotsiaalfond ja Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium (HTM) ESF programmist „Täiskasvanute tööalane koolitus ja arendustegevused“http://ttka.hm.ee/

• Meil on edaspidi võimalus tellida HTM-st tasuta koolitus algajatele või edasjõudnutele maaturismiettevõtjatele sama programmi alusel.

19.4.2023 Esitluse pealkiri 29

Activities

07.02-08.02.2012 – start WERT pilot course

06.03-07.03.2012 – WERT pilot course,workshops

27.02-28.02.2012 - WERT pilot course,workshopsand end of pilot course

Thank you!!!

The Parnu County Vocational Centre

NGO Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation

01.07.2012 Tartu