The event brought together experts, companies, and European institutions in Seville to discuss the future of tourism from a digital, sustainable, and people-centered perspective.
Seville, October 24th, 2025. – Within the framework of TIS (Tourism Innovation Summit) 2025, and thanks to the collaboration with the Institute of Hotel Technology (ITH), the European alliance PacTS4ALL (Pact for Tourism Skills Forward Alliance) held the PacTS4ALL International Conference, a meeting that brought together professionals, public entities, companies, and training centers from across Europe committed to talent development and skills enhancement in the tourism sector.
The event, hosted at FIBES Seville, became a space for dialogue and collaboration around the key drivers that are transforming European tourism: digitalization, sustainability, artificial intelligence applied to training, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and public–private cooperation to strengthen the sector’s capabilities.
The conference, which attracted a significant professional audience, opened with an inaugural session featuring Elfa Kere, Policy Officer – Tourism, DG MOVE, European Commission, and Klaus Ehrlich, Coordinator of Pact for Skills in Tourism LSP, who presented opportunities for funding and cross-border cooperation in tourism training and skills development.
The first round table, “European Challenges in Upskilling & Reskilling,” addressed the main challenges and opportunities for improving the skills of tourism professionals in Europe. Participants included Raquel Hidalgo–Barquero, Manager at the National Centre of Reference for Hospitality CIOMIJAS; Elsa Martins, Training Director at the School of Vila Real de Santo António – Turismo de Portugal; and Ana María Camps, Manager at Pantour. The session was moderated by María de los Ángeles Oviedo, Marketing Professor at the University of Seville, who emphasized the importance of joint work between academic institutions and companies to ensure training aligned with real market needs.
“Spanish Best Practices and Success Cases,” was the name for the second panel, focused on Spanish success stories featured in the PacTS4ALL dossier, related to artificial intelligence, sustainability, CSR, and talent development through technology. Speakers included Baltasar De Ponte, Manager at Hotel El Patio; Andrea Santiago, Reception & Quality Manager at Sweet Accommodations; Rafael de Jorge, Founder of Growtur; and Álvaro Carrillo de Albornoz, General Manager of ITH. The panel was moderated by Patricia Downey, Training Project Technician at CEHAT, who underlined how these experiences serve as an inspiring model for Europe’s digital and sustainable tourism transition.
Subsequently, the third round table, “Inspiring the Competitiveness of the European Tourism Ecosystem,” brought together representatives from international organizations and companies to analyze how to foster the competitiveness of European tourism destinations and businesses through sustainability, digitalization, and talent. Speakers included Rino Vitelli, Head of EU Projects and Partnerships at Federturismo Confindustria; Maire Vandeplassche, Head of Government Relations – Destinations at TUI Group; Susana Garrido, Director at Les Roches Spark Innovation; and Juan Ortells, Innovation Director at Anysolution. The discussion was moderated by Sonia Degroote, Head of Office and Project at EVBB, who highlighted the role of collaborative leadership as a key factor in the evolution of European tourism.
The conference concluded with a presentation by Paula Miralles, Innovation Project Manager at ITH, during the closing session “Tourism Skills for the Future: Building a Smarter, Greener, and More Inclusive Industry.” Miralles offered a reflection on the transformation of European tourism driven by innovation, sustainability, and talent, and invited participants to continue building a smarter, more sustainable, and inclusive industry through cooperation and continuous learning.
The PacTS4ALL International Conference contributed to strengthening the Pact for Skills for Tourism of the European Commission, promoting transnational cooperation and the exchange of best practices through National or Regional Skills Partnerships (NRSPs). The event reaffirmed Seville’s position as a European benchmark in tourism innovation, training, and talent development.
About ITH
ITH is the hotel sector’s response to the challenges that technological advances suppose for entrepreneurs in the tourism industry.
With more than twenty years of history, this innovation center, attached to the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), has the mission to promote the use of new technologies and management systems, which contribute to improving the competitiveness, profitability, quality, efficiency and sustainability of companies linked to the hotel and tourism industry.
