Representatives of the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) of Qala, Gozo, have just returned from an intermediate meeting in Ercolano, Italy, hosted by Istituto Superiore A Tilgher, as part of the Comenius Project entitled Preserving Cultural Values through Tourism Education.

This meeting follows the first held in Antalya, Turkey, last November, organised by the coordinating institution, Antalya Koleji, with the participation of both teachers and students from ITS Qala, Istituto Superiore A Tilgher, and Istituto Santiago Hernandez of Zaragoza Spain.

In Turkey, various cultural and educational visits were organised together with workshops for both students and teachers aimed towards identifying shortcomings between the “standard” tourist product and an ideal one based on the cultural, traditional and environmental values attached to the location.

The meeting in Italy included discussion workshops on the work done so far and focused mainly on the plan for the second year of the project. The addition of another partner, ITCT Sebastiano Satta of Sardegna, is expected to add value to the project. Participants were also taken on guided tours to Naples, Caserta, Ercolano excavations and the coast of Amalfi.

A third meeting with the participation of both students and teachers from the various partner institutions is planned for next May in Zaragoza, Spain, hosted by Istituto Santiago Hernandez.