The Open School for Village Hosts launched its inaugural training program in March 2023. The program lasted six months and welcomed rural pioneers from across Europe. Village Hosts are committed to revitalising small villages by identifying and leveraging overlooked community assets such as people, places, buildings, and skills, contributing to their social, economic, and ecological growth. They breathe new life into these spaces, promoting initiatives such as responsible tourism, nature experiences, outdoor activities, farm visits, educational trips, and wellness retreats.
The training curriculum covered essential topics: strategic vision design, resource mapping, place storytelling, activity curation, collaboration platform development, new business model creation, and pilot project design.
Holis is one of six partners in the Village Hosts project, serving as trainers and mentors to participants.