From March 23–27, 2026, Instituto Politécnico de Beja (IPBeja, Portugal) hosted the on-site week of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “Tourism and Regeneration in Rural Areas: territories, products, and communities”. Tourism Management students Nikita Golovkin, Mindaugas Sadaunykas, Smiltė Kačkauskaitė, Paulius Tomkus, Guoda Kanapkytė and lecturer Salomėja Vanagienė from Vilniaus kolegija (VIKO), Faculty of Business Management, actively participated, strengthening international collaboration, applied competencies, and partnerships in tourism and territorial development.
The programme was coordinated by the Tourism Bachelor team at IPBeja, the International Mobility Office, and CiTUR Beja — the Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation. Activities were implemented within the framework of the HEROES European University Alliance, applying Challenge-Based Learning methodologies. Participants worked in international, interdisciplinary teams to address real-life regional challenges.
A central element of the week was the “Beja Experience” — an initiative by the Beja Municipality, functioning as a Living Lab. This approach enabled direct engagement with the territory and its stakeholders. Participants developed proposals focusing on inclusion, digitalisation, place branding, ecological regeneration, and stakeholder collaboration.
The on-site mobility programme included technical visits, workshops with local partners, cultural and gastronomic experiences, co-creation sessions, and prototype development. The week concluded with final presentations delivered to an academic panel and regional stakeholders.
The programme brought together partner institutions:
- Vilniaus kolegija (Lithuania)
- Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (Belgium)
- Deggendorf Institute of Technology (Germany)
- Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
- University of Maribor (Slovenia)
Additionally, students from Nordic University of Riga (Latvia) and University of Physical Culture in Krakow (Poland) joined, further enhancing the programme’s international and multicultural dimension.
During the intensive week, VIKO students:
- Collaborated in international and interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions for the Beja region’s tourism ecosystem.
- Created prototypes, including service concepts, tourism routes, digital tools, and communication strategies.
- Presented their solutions to an academic panel and regional stakeholders, receiving valuable practical feedback.
- Participated in study visits and workshops with local actors, gaining cultural and gastronomic experiences while deepening their understanding of local resources and communities.
This experience provided students with a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in practice while developing international teamwork, innovation, and problem-solving skills.
