The world of tourism is evolving. Sustainable, circular tourism is increasingly replacing nature-depleting mass tourism, and lesser-known destinations are gaining value.

At the forefront of this transformation is the RE-CONNECT HUB (https://reconnecthub.eu), an innovative online platform developed through the Erasmus+ program by experts from Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, Ireland, and Hungary.

As the main outcome of our cutting-edge project, the Reconnect HUB serves as a vital online platform that brings together all stakeholders in circular tourism, creating a space for learning, innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.

What is the RE-CONNECT HUB?

RE-CONNECT HUB is a cutting-edge online platform designed to be the starting point for anyone interested in the future of sustainable tourism. Whether you're an adult educator, a learner, an industry professional, or simply passionate about sustainable travel, the HUB offers a dynamic space to engage with the latest developments in circular tourism.

Born from the collaborative efforts of Erasmus+ community members from Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, Ireland, and Hungary, the HUB stands as a testament to international cooperation in creating greener, more liveable, and smarter tourism solutions.

Key features of the HUB

The platform’s core offerings have been crafted to meet the evolving needs of the circular tourism community:

• Idea Sharing & Exchange: A space to brainstorm and exchange innovative ideas and best practices in sustainable tourism.
• Interactive Circular Tourism Forum: An engaging forum for discussions and debate on best practices in sustainable tourism.
• Online Evaluation Pool: A tool for assessing the sustainability of tourism services or ideas with user-friendly, actionable feedback.
• Remote Interactive Team Working Tool: A workspace for collaborative projects and initiatives in circular tourism.
• Community Gathering Tool: A feature to bring together like-minded individuals for networking and collaboration.
• Knowledge & Good Practice Bank: A repository of insights, case studies, and best practices from across Europe.
• Online Training Materials on Circular Tourism: Online course that equip users with practical knowledge on sustainable tourism.
• Co-Creation Guides: Tools and guides to support collaborative projects and initiatives.

Structure of the HUB: A two-level platform

The RE-CONNECT HUB is structured into two main sections to cater to a wide audience while offering exclusive content to registered users:

Public section (landing page)

Accessible to everyone, the public section provides general information about the platform, updates, contact details, and key extracts from the Knowledge and Good Practice Bank. It also features a user-friendly online evaluation tool, downloadable PDFs of the e-learning curriculum, and co-creation knowledge packs. The public section is accessible in all partner languages, making it easy for users from various countries to engage with the content.

Knowledge and good practice bank: This section introduces visitors to nine key topics in sustainable tourism, offering insights and best practices. Visitors can view extracts from these topics without registration. For those wanting to dive deeper, full access to the documents is available after registration. After full access, the topics will be presented, with theoretical background and good examples collected by the partners. For example, in addition to the presentation of green construction, there are two European examples, one from Milan's Vertical Forest and the other from the campus of the Neumann János University in Kecskemét. In the case of green energy, for example, the theoretical part is presented by the Hungarian Green Hotel Award and the Budapest Hotel Stáció as good practices. All the topics are structured in a similar way, so that practical examples can be used to give a tangible understanding of the subject.

Online evaluation pool: This tool allows anyone to assess the sustainability of their tourism service or project idea through a simple questionnaire. The process is quick, taking just 10 minutes, and offers tailored suggestions to enhance sustainability. Since its launch, the evaluation pool has been used over 240 times, proving its value to the community.

Private section (registration required)

For those looking to take their involvement to the next level, registration opens the door to a more interactive experience. Once registered, users gain access to exclusive features such as forums, idea-sharing spaces, remote collaborative workspaces, and full access to e-learning materials. Registration also allows users to engage in private discussions and project development, ensuring a focused and secure environment for innovation.

Community building: The HUB's private section is designed to foster collaboration and idea-sharing among tourism professionals. The users can actively participate in group discussions, can work together on project development, and can use the platform's tools to enhance their efforts in circular tourism.

A platform for progress

The Reconnect HUB is more than just a platform; it is a tool for transformation. By connecting individuals, sharing best practices, and providing resources for project development, the HUB is making significant strides in building a more sustainable future for tourism across Europe.

If you are a tourism professional, sustainability advocate, or simply interested in the future of circular tourism, the RE-CONNECT HUB is your gateway to innovation. Visit the platform today at https://reconnecthub.eu and join the movement towards a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry.

Contact

Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency, kdriu@kdiu.hu

István Hegedűs, project manager, istvan.hegedus@kdriu.hu 

Good example from Hungary

Hotel Stáció Wellness & Conference **** Budapest, Hungary

Since 2012, the hotel has been awarded the title of “Green Hotel” several times in the competition of the Association of Hungarian Hotels and Restaurants, as Hotel Stáció is a leader in the country in the use of renewable energy. They are proud to have been awarded 1st place in the Green Hotel Award for 2019-2020.

To achieve this title, the hotel has made efforts in many areas, from waste management, insulation and the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products to many other very important things. However, in terms of the use of green energy, the implementation of a heat pump system in the hotel is a particular highlight.

The basic problem was that a wellness hotel in general is a very energy consuming and wasteful operation, just think about the energy demand of saunas, steam machines, heated pools and the large amount of domestic hot water, and the fact that there is also a cooling demand, because in summer the whole house has to be cooled, and in full season the server room, the plunge pool next to the sauna and the Kneipp pool, which also requires a lot of electrical energy. This costly, energy-intensive problem of running a wellness hotel can be solved most efficiently by heat pump operation. A heat pump can produce both cold and heat, just as a domestic fridge in your home produces cold inside and heat on a black grid at the back. The heat pump heats with A+++ energy efficiency and produces cold as a by-product for free. In practice, this means that in summer operation it produces domestic hot water and in return cools the house, the Kneipp treadmill and the plunge pool for free. And in winter, it heats the house and prepares the domestic hot water, while continuing to cool the server room and the aforementioned spa pools according to our cooling needs. So, in summary, it produces one type of energy (hot or cold) with A+++ efficiency, while at the same time giving us the opposite energy (hot or cold) as a gift. This feature of heat pumps makes them the only choice for hotel buildings where there is a simultaneous demand for heating and cooling – typical of wellness hotels – because they are environmentally friendly and easy on the wallet.

Source: www.hah.hu/palyazatok/zold-szalloda More information: https://www.hah.hu/en