The event was held to present the ‘Digital Tourism Adviser - ISO 17024’ certification scheme; part of the ‘dTour’ project funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

 In his welcome address, Dinos Lefkaritis, president, LTB, underlined the project’s aims – to promote digital tourism skills for tourism and hospitality SMEs – and stressed the significance of this role for the modern tourism sector given that 95 percent of travellers within the European Union use digital media during their travels.

 Lefkaritis further noted the role of the Digital Tourism Advisor, "to use these skills and digital tools and be able to advise and promote digital solutions to business within the hospitality and tourism sector so that they can maximise the opportunities that digital technologies have to offer”. He further added that this will level the playing field and allow smaller businesses to enter the new digital era of tourism with ease, stressing that, “with our collective efforts, we can ensure that the island’s tourism industry remains firmly at the forefront of global innovation.”

 Cyprus ranks very low among EU countries in terms of the number of businesses using artificial intelligence, at just three percent, whilst Cyprus businesses connected to the ‘internet of things’ stands at 33 percent according to Eurostat data presented by Sofia Constantinou of MMC. In her presentation, Constantinou also provided details of the certification programme; the pilot for which is fully funded by the Erasmus+ programme and is aimed at tourism and hotel staff, business consultants and other professionals wishing to acquire modern digital skills and obtain the ‘Digital Tourism Adviser - ISO 17024’. Holders of the certification will then be able to assist tourism SMEs in strengthening their digital presence.

 The ‘Digital Tourism Adviser’ pilot training is part of the ‘dTour’ project (Introducing Digitalisation for Boosting SMEs in Tourism and Hospitality) of the Erasmus+ programme.