Diagnosing Training Needs in European Tourism SMEs: The TCNAV Project for Managing and Overcoming Virulent Crises

This research aims to gather opinions from experts in the European tourism sector regarding training needs to address severe crises, such as Covid, in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) across five countries: Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany. This study was conducted within the scope of the European TC-NAV project, which is funded by the European
Union. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop training solutions for European SMEs Most existing literature on tourism crises primarily examines the impact on destinations as a whole rather than on individual tourism enterprises. Thus, this research is both relevant and timely The methodology employed was qualitative, and data being collected using a 9-question interview guide. This guide underwent validation by experts, achieving a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.7. In total, 30 individuals were interviewed: 5 civil servants, 9 company directors, 5 university professors, 6 researchers, and 5 entrepreneurs. Some notable findings include the importance of innovation for change, promoting sustainable tourism, fostering informal partnerships among regional companies, the essential role of government support, the benefits of flexible planning and service digitisation, and the ongoing need for training and upskilling.