In June 2024, a new collaboration took shape with the involvement of Fondazione Toscana Sostenibile Staff in the international Experience CuriosiFVG, hosted by IRSE (Regional Institute for European Studies) in Pordenone. This initiative fostered a mutual understanding and support of values aimed at empowering, connecting, and engaging European youth.
The 2-week event served as an international platform for young European voices, facilitating their participation in an immersive journey through each country’s sustainable practices and policies.
IRSE – Regional Institute for European Studies in Pordenone
Each year, IRSE invites a group of 20 young Europeans to explore sustainable tourism and practices. With a rich history spanning three decades, this project is a testament to the enduring commitment of the Centre for European Studies in Pordenone to European and community activities.
The Cultural Center of Pordenone (Casa dello Studente Zanussi) hosts the project. The hosting institution, IRSE, specializes in sustainability and European studies, promoting linguistic and intercultural training activities that encompass economic culture, scientific dissemination, and European history and current affairs.
The initiative provides a unique experience for European digital and social media content creators aged 20-35, involving them in the promotion of sustainable tourism places and practices in FVG. The experience is a great opportunity for all those who want to engage in cultural exchange, enhance their linguistic skills, and broaden their perspectives.
Green Deal and Sustainable Tourism
Travel is a significant topic for European youth. Their experiences differ from those of their parents. Today’s young Europeans are more conscious of the negative impacts of over-tourism and are willing to adopt more sustainable travel behaviours.
European policies aim to ensure that tourism remains a positive and enduring force. The challenge lies in creating fair regulations that benefit both residents and visitors. Engaging local communities and ensuring that tourism benefits are widely distributed can enhance the quality of life for residents, improve infrastructure, increase cultural exchange, and foster community pride.
Involving local communities in tourism planning and decision-making is crucial for sustainable tourism. This approach aligns tourism development with residents’ needs, fostering a sense of ownership. Networking and community impact are vital in promoting civic engagement for sustainable European tourism policies. As travellers become more conscious of their impact, sustainable tourism offers a responsible and rewarding travel experience.
CuriosiFVG 2024 Activities
CuriosiFVG 2024 offered participants a variety of practical activities to showcase their content-creation and digital skills. Workshops include video-making with Tommaso Fabi, creative writing exercises with Claudio Visentin from Travel School, and a social media management program led by Angela Biancat. Participants also engaged in interactive sessions to animate debates and group discussions, sharing their ideas and experiences from their homelands or other countries they have visited.
These workshops enhanced participants’ understanding of public decision-making processes and sustainable actions. Interviews and daily journal vlogs about the topic of this edition can be found on the official IRSE profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Project Manager Eleonora Boscarol shares:
CuriosiFVG 2024 is a unique experience, not only for the sake of international tourism promotion of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, but also for its great intercultural value: 19 people between 20 and 32 years old, coming from all over Europe, all together to experience Friuli Venezia Giulia from their different points of view and backgrounds, sharing daily opinions, impressions. Also about the important European goals of sustainable development, economic progress and social inclusion. An occasion to express what they think about those objectives and what they concretely do in their daily lives.
The hands-on workshops, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities provided at CuriosiFVG empowered young people with the tools and knowledge to become active agents of social change, directly supporting the objectives of our project. This partnership builds stronger connections across Europe, enhancing our reach and impact in promoting sustainable tourism, civic engagement, and youth-driven initiatives.
You got mail!
If you are part of the EU4YOUTH2ACT! Network, check your letterbox! Our staff from Fondazione Toscana Sostenibile sent a postcard from FVG and invited you to participate in 2025 curiosiFVG edition.
How to participate: Remember always to check the website dedicated to the initiative https://centroculturapordenone.it/irse/lingua-e-cultura/Workshop_Internazionali/curiosifvg-2024 the call will open in 2025 and it will be possible to apply by May. All expenses during the stay will be covered entirely by the host organisation IRSE. Travel tickets to reach Pordenone won’t be included.
Author: Diletta Taverni di Fondazione Toscana Sostenibile