The ECOViP project aimed to have teams of students undergo a realistic business entrepreneurship process which aligned with the goals and objectives of the Ecotourism Hubs, increasing their awareness and knowledge on the natural environment and its potential for tourism projects linked to sustainable development. Each team consists of students from different areas of knowledge (Tourism, Natural Sciences & ICT) working together to develop innovative entrepreneurial projects in Ecotourism addressing a local sustainability-related challenge.
The ECOViP Bootcamp “Ala Eh, DI’NE ! Developing Innovation in eNtrepreneurship & Ecotourism” is the culmination of the competitions which have been organised in the six partner HEIs in Vietnam and the Philippines, in which a winning team was selected based on the quality of their projects and then invited to participate in the Bootcamp to take place in July 2024 in the Philippines, hosted by the Lyceum of the Philippines University Batangas. This 1-week intensive summer programme provided the students with further training and support for the development of their entrepreneurial projects and provided them with the opportunity to interact and exchange experiences with students from other institutions and countries, and with experts from the EU, Vietnam and the Philippines. They acquired various skills such as: how to pitch their ecotourism entrepreneurship projects, how to market and communicate them, how to ensure sustainability in a business, how to create the vision of the ecotourism business proposed, and finally, they learnt about how to elaborate a comprehensive business plan for that proposal. They had also the opportunity to visit local ecotourism sites and engage with from the local ecotourism and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
As a result of this experience, it was intended that the ECOViP students returned home with a renewed commitment to sustainable development, new skills and ideas to continue developing their entrepreneurial projects, and new networks and friendships to support their future personal and professional development.
