On May 20th, the YOUSMILE consortium gathered in Zaragoza for the final international conference of the project “YOUSMILE – Youth-led Sustainable Tourism in Rural Areas.” This event marked the conclusion of the project and served as a space to present its main outcomes and reflect on its broader impact. Jhennifer Andrade, a participant representing Portugal, shared her experience with the project, alongside insights from a professor at the University of Zaragoza.
Throughout the project, five living labs were implemented across partner countries, engaging young people in the co-creation of sustainable tourism solutions tailored to rural contexts. A co-designed e-learning course was developed, featuring educational videos, short-form content, and expert podcasts, complemented by a training manual and an open-access learning repository. Pilot training sessions certified over a dozen staff and involved more than 30 youth participants, who received micro-credentials recognizing their newly acquired skills.
The project aimed to empower young people, including NEETs, by strengthening their capacity in sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. It fostered youth-led initiatives, promoted employment in rural areas, and helped create innovative, sustainable tourism services. YOUSMILE ultimately demonstrated that young people are capable of driving meaningful, community-based change and contributing to long-term sustainable development.
