<< Background >>The main reason for creating the project titled TRAIN-e-HOTEL is the need to increase and expand the career readiness of tourism students in accordance with the requirements of real professional practice. The main idea of the project arose at the time of the global pandemic of the Covid-19 disease when students of relevant fields of study could not be provided with professional practice in accommodation facilities. In order to find a possible alternative form of professional practice, an analysis of the available resources and opportunities at the university level was carried out, as a result of which the framework plan and the intention of the project were formulated. The project-creators see great potential in the creation and subsequent inclusion of a training hotel in the educational process, in particular, in the possibilities of a) providing an alternative form of professional practice in the hotel industry, b) supplementing professional practice in the hotel industry, c) developing transversal competencies, d) carrying out international cooperation with other training hotels, e) bringing real practice closer to the offer of education, f) creating culturally and socially diverse groups of students working to achieve common goals, g) mobilizing and motivating students to participate in educational and development activities.The mentioned objectives respond to the needs of professionally-oriented study programs in tourism which require the greatest possible connection of professional practice with education. The undisguised intention of the project is also to create a background for the continuation of building the training hotel over a long-term horizon, as well as for the inclusion of this form of practice in the field of lifelong learning, or adult education.<< Objectives >>By implementing the TRAIN-e-HOTEL project, we want to achieve a significant improvement of tourism students’ professional and transversal competencies. We expect a closer and better connection of professional practice with the educational process and goals, taking into account the new challenges and trends of the tourism industry. The institutions involved in the implementation of project activities are higher education institutions that prepare future tourism professionals, and, which do not only involve students of the relevant study programs in project activities but also connect them with students from other countries of Europe. The main priorities of the project are, as follows: „Stimulation of innovative methods of education and teaching“ and „Inclusion and diversity“. In accordance with the selected priorities, the goals are to a) innovate future tourism professionals’ practical training by introducing a training hotel in the educational process, b) involve participants with a lack of opportunities and foster diversity.<< Implementation >>During the project implementation period the main activities will be, as follows: Preparation, Outputs, Transnational Project Meetings, Multiplication Event, Controlling and Dissemination.In the phase of Preparation, we will carry out activities related to project preparation, mainly the selection of partner institutions, the preparation of contracts and documentation, the preparation of project meetings, the preparation of the communication strategy and time schedule, as well as the preparation of the project implementation and dissemination plan.The area of Outputs refers to specific educational and development activities in accordance with the objectives and the main aim of the project, which will focus mainly on using innovative educational methods, e.g. Design Thinking, but also other development activities aimed at building and completing training hotels.In the area of transnational project meetings, a total of five transnational meetings are planned, but other meetings are also planned - mainly at the level of the particular working groups which will cooperate with each other within the created international network of training hotels. These working groups will address specific activities in close cooperation with the partner training hotels.In the area of the multiplication event, a final conference on “New Ways of Future Tourism Experts’ Professional Training” will be held. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, work outputs will be systematically and objectively controlled and evaluated; besides, effective monitoring of project activities, communication within the project partnership and beyond, promotion and dissemination of the project results as well as the creation of assumptions and plans for the further and long-term use of the project goals will also be provided.<< Results >>By carrying out the educational and development activities of the TRAIN-e-HOTEL project, specific outputs for the needs of education and professional training will be created. During the project implementation period, the activities will contribute to the development of tourism students’ professional and transversal competencies, and, thus, to the building of a knowledge-based economy as well as to the increase of innovation capacity in the tourism sector. The project will focus on creating and establishing special training workplaces, so-called “training hotels”. These fictitious accommodation facilities of the “Hotel” category will simulate the functioning of real workplaces and, thus, create favourable conditions for the implementation of professional and practical activities for the project participants. The project will establish a total of five training hotels, each of which will be built by a partner institution. After the establishment of the training hotels, specific educational and development activities will be implemented, focusing mainly on three principal areas - hotel information systems, intercultural communication and digital marketing as well as environmental sustainability. The defined three principal areas are considered by the project creators - experts in the field of tourism and education - to be extremely important areas of tourism with strong potential and the need for their development. The specific outputs concerning these three principal areas are, as follows: a) Adaptation and implementation of HIS, b) Map of cultural diversity, c) Intercultural digital campaign, d) Enviro-strategy.During the project activities, as a result of the cooperation of students and the professional-pedagogical staff, with regard to the needs of building the infrastructure of the training hotel the above-mentioned outputs as well as various educational materials will also be created. Besides, it is noteworthy to mention that to include the created educational materials as well as the training hotel in the educational process of the partner institutions – universities, the relevant curricular documents will also be innovated.