Students explored sustainable coastal tourism in Portugal
From 29 September to 3 October, the international intensive programme Coastal Tourism in the Anthropocene: Building Resilience from Past Lessons to Future Solutions took place at the University of Coimbra’s Figueira da Foz campus in Portugal. Students and lecturers from the University of Tartu Pärnu College also participated. The programme focused on developing coastal tourism and strengthening its resilience in the face of climate change and human activity.
Nearly forty students and lecturers from nine European higher education institutions participated in the five-day programme, including representatives of the University of Tartu Pärnu College. The study programme offered an interdisciplinary perspective on the links between tourism and the environment, combining lectures, case studies, fieldwork and meetings with local entrepreneurs and community representatives.
The academic part of the programme was led by Professors Carlos Ferreira and Norberto Santos from the Department of Geography and Tourism at the University of Coimbra. The learning activities were carried out in cooperation with the municipality of Mira, where participants had the opportunity to learn about the region’s culture, history and economy, and to discuss how local traditions and ways of life can support sustainable tourism.
Meetings with tourism professionals and researchers working along the Portuguese coast highlighted the important role of communities and traditions in shaping sustainable tourism. Such international cooperation projects provide our students with excellent opportunities to broaden their horizons, gather new ideas and, at the same time, prepare for participation in future joint research and study projects.
Five students from Pärnu College took part in the programme:
• Kristi Pulst and Andra Luik, third-year students of Tourism and Hotel Management
• Mari-Liis Nõlvak, second-year student of Tourism and Hotel Management
• Liisa Lääne, third-year student of Design Thinking and Digital Marketing
• Silver Soome, second-year student of Design Thinking and Digital Marketing
In addition to Marit Piirman, the lecturers participating from Pärnu College were Margrit Kärp, doctoral student at the University of Tartu and Junior Lecturer in Spa Management, and Heli Einberg, Research Fellow in Socioecology. Margrit Kärp introduced the international group to the history, development and future perspectives of the Pärnu resort area.
According to the students, the programme offered both professional knowledge and valuable life experience.
Kristi Pulst noted that the course helped her understand tourism’s impact on regional development:
“It was fascinating to learn about the everyday life of local communities and to see how tourism affects the economy and the environment. It also helped to draw parallels with Estonia’s coastal regions.”
Mari-Liis Nõlvak said the course in Portugal was a perfect addition to her previous professional experience:
“Although the topics seemed different at first glance, they were in fact closely connected – sustainable travel, valuing local life and protecting nature are all parts of the same system. The course encouraged me to think about how to apply these principles more in my work.”
Andra Luik pointed out that the programme offered a chance to look at coastal tourism from a more critical perspective:
“I saw with my own eyes how human activity and climate change affect the coast. The experience made me think about how to prevent similar problems in Estonia and how to develop tourism more consciously.”
Liisa Lääne added that, alongside academic knowledge, she valued the personal encounters and local experiences:
“Portugal impressed me with its nature, architecture and people. The locals were open and warm – the whole study visit left a deep and joyful impression.”
According to Silver Soome, the programme was very well structured:
“In a short time, we gained a lot of new knowledge and ideas. It was great to experience learning in a different environment – it gave travel a completely new meaning.”
As a result of the programme, several contacts were established for future research and educational cooperation. The participants gained a deeper understanding of how coastal communities function, the importance of sustainable development and the links between tourism and its surrounding environment.
The international cooperation programme was organised by the University of Coimbra and the municipality of Mira in partnership with:
University of Rijeka (Croatia), Business Academy SouthWest (Denmark), University of Tartu Pärnu College (Estonia), Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), University Centre of the Westfjords (Iceland), SMK University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania), Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway), Mid Sweden University and Umeå University (Sweden).
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