Coastal and maritime tourism is one of the most significant sectors of the European blue economy, yet “blue economy” perspectives are still rarely embedded in tourism and services education. CodeBLUE addresses this gap by bringing together higher education and innovation partners from across Europe to develop modern, interdisciplinary learning pathways that support sustainability, climate resilience and the green/digital transition in tourism and related services.
CodeBLUE is an Erasmus+ cooperation project coordinated by Varna University of Management (VUM). Its overall aim is to transform tourism education for the blue economy by improving quality and relevance, fostering interdisciplinarity, and equipping students, educators and practitioners with the competences needed to drive innovation and sustainability in coastal and maritime tourism and services.
The project will deliver:
- A comparative mapping of skills and competence needs for blue-economy tourism and existing education gaps;
- A modular curriculum and open learning resources (OERs), supported by an online inventory/repository;
- Piloting and validation activities, including training-of-trainers;
- A strategies portfolio to strengthen university–business–policy collaboration and support long-term impact.
CodeBLUE is implemented by a consortium of partners from Bulgaria, Greece – University of Aegean, Croatia – PARR University, Spain – CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, and Portugal – KIPT Innovation and Tourism Association in the period 2.11.2025 – 1.11.2027.
