OBJECTIVES: The Responsible and Sustainable Bear Tourism project aims to improve the competence and qualification of workers in the tourism sector in bear areas to contribute to the awareness and sustainable development of ecotourism linked to the sighting and presence of the brown bear.

DESCRIPTION: The project consists of 11 training courses and 2 advisory actions to be held in bear areas in western Asturias and León, aimed at self-employed and non-employed employees in the tourism sector linked to the observation of brown bears or interpretation activities in their habitat (local hotels and specialized companies).

It aims to improve the competence and qualification of 225 workers, promoting their awareness and that of their customers, improving their services and contributing to the sustainable development of bear ecotourism. The courses include theoretical and practical training on the Natura Network, good ecotourism practices, ecology and conservation of the bear, guidelines for the development of tourist activities in bear areas and action in the event of encounters with bears. It is a novel and continuous improvement project, with a clear character of social innovation, which supports the guidelines of the national strategy and the bear recovery plans and offers opportunities for replicability.