Tourism Talks
Tourism Talks: A dynamic series on training, funding, and shaping the future of tourism
The Tourism Talks initiative, on behalf of the Large-Scale Partnership (LSP) aims to facilitate quick knowledge sharing and networking among tourism industry experts.
Short talks on tourism industry themes such as skills intelligence, funding opportunities, education and training will be included at each Tourism Talks session organised by EVBB, RuralTour, AKMI, ITH and Federturismo Confindustria in the framework of the Pacts4all project.
29 October 2025 | 11:30 – 12:30 CET
Innovation and Sustainability in Tourism: An Integrated Vision
Agenda
29 October 2025
The times given are those of the Central European Time Zone (CET)
Moderator
- Valeria Fantozzi Federturismo Confindustria
Speakers
- Peter Debrine Destination Advisor and UNESCO sustainable tourism expert
- Vaso Anastasopoulou Head of Development EU Programmes & Innovation Networks Division TUV AUSTRIA
- Marco Galaverni Director of Oasis, Education and Activation at WWF Italy ETS
- Oana Penu InnoEnergy Skills Institute Director
- Gregorio Cañavate Cruzade Innovation manager. PhD in telecommunications engineering. Expert in Vocational Excellence. European R&D and training programs consultant. Director at Skills Divers.Skilldivers
- Federico Tubiello Project manager – International Research and Development/Progettazione/Apro International
Q&A Session, wrap-up and closing
Speakers
Moderator
Valeria Fantozzi
Training, studies and research Federturismo Confindustria
Valeria Fantozzi in Federturismo Confindustria has been involved in managing European funded projects since 2001, dealing with a portfolio of international, multi-partnership projects,linked above all to vocational training and development policies, enterprise creation & development, cultural/natural heritage enhancement. She has been involved in many activities and responsibilities as to manage research, analyses and debates about tourism supply and demand, to promote training opportunities in accordance with the Ministry of Education, several training centres and representative secondary schools to identify skills mismatch along the tourism value chain and identify new skills related to new businesses and organisations.
Speakers
Peter Debrine
Destination Advisor and UNESCO sustainable tourism expert
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Mr. DeBrine is currently a Senior Project Officer for sustainable tourism at UNESCO. From 2021
to 2023, he served as a destination advisor and sustainable tourism expert for UNESCO. Before
this, he coordinated the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme,
establishing a global framework to create coordinated sustainable tourism solutions for
heritage conservation and local community development. In his role as a Senior Project
Officer, he has led the implementation of global tourism projects and fostered private sector
partnerships for UNESCO.
Previously he was the Director of the World Heritage Alliance at the United Nations Foundation
—a global community of travelers, members of the travel industry, government groups, non-
governmental organizations, and the United Nations working together to preserve and protect
World Heritage sites while supporting local communities.
With extensive experience in sustainable development and tourism, Mr. DeBrine held the
position of Deputy Director of the International Tourism Partnership for the Prince of Wales
International Business Leaders Forum where he worked with major hotel companies to create
practical sustainability strategies and tools for the tourism industry. Formerly, Mr. DeBrine
worked as a Forestry Officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization where he helped
shape an international partnership for sustainable development in mountain regions. This
builds on his many years as an environmental campaigner for WWF working on climate change,
endangered species and sustainable tourism issues in the US and Europe.
Mr. DeBrine holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a
bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
See the presentation
Vaso Anastasopoulou
Head of Development EU Programmes & Innovation Networks Division TUV AUSTRIA
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With more than two decades of experience in sustainability, education, tourism, and international cooperation, Vaso Anastasopoulou serves as Head of Development for EU Programmes & Innovation Networks at TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS. She leads European-funded initiatives that promote sustainable growth, inclusion, and ESG excellence across the tourism and hospitality sector. Her career began in the hospitality industry, where she served as a Hotel Managing Director, gaining first-hand experience in tourism operations and quality service management, knowledge that continues to inform her current work. She has since held senior roles in vocational education, consulting, and project management, designing and implementing innovative programmes that advance sustainability, skills development, and responsible governance. Holding an MBA from Staffordshire University and an MSc in Adult Education from the Hellenic Open University, and a Bachelor in Marketing, she combines strategic vision with a strong commitment to fostering sustainable competitiveness in the tourism industry.
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Marco Galaverni
Director of Oasis, Education and Activation at WWF Italy ETS
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Marco Galaverni is a nature lover with a PhD in Biodiversity and Evolution. In particular, he has been studying large carnivores in Italy and abroad for over 15 years, with dozens of published scientific papers. After working as a research collaborator at ISPRA (the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), he’s currently serving as the Oases, Education & Activation Director at WWF Italy, while collaborating with its spin-off WWF Travel in carryng out wildlife travels across the world.
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Oana Penu
InnoEnergy Skills Institute Director
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Oana Penu is passionate about Workforce Transformation for the energy transition and social equity. She leads the InnoEnergy Skills Institute an emerging virtual company within InnoEnergy targeting the skills shortage within the batteries, solar PV, and green hydrogen value chains. Oana has over fifteen years of experience in several B2G roles in the energy, health and consumer electronics industries.
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Gregorio Cañavate Cruzade
Innovation manager. PhD in telecommunications engineering. Expert in Vocational Excellence. European R&D and training programs consultant. Director at Skills Divers.Skilldivers
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Gregorio is PhD in telecommunication engineering by Cartagena Technical University. His thesis addressed the challenges of industry 4.0 technology in education. He has more than 12 years in European projects coordination for research, innovation and education. During these years has coordinated big partnership projects such as the centre of vocational excellence ALLVIEW.
Before that, he worked as a software developer for different sectors such as e-health or online marketing.
Gregorio is currently the director of Skills Divers, which is devoted to accompany training centres on their path to vocational excellence. During the last years, he has leaded the developed of sustainable and inclusive educational experiences related to hospitality and tourism with the technology as conductor.
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