Background: International tourism has a significant impact on the economies of the European Union and its member states. More than 5 % of the EUs’ GDP are generated by the tourism industry. Regardless of the global economic crisis, the EU remains the number one tourism destination in the world. An increase in growth of 6 % in international tourist arrivals in Europe was experienced in the years of 2010 and 2011. Forecasts suggest that the number of international arrivals will have almost doubled in Europe between the years 2000 – 2020. Nevertheless, also other regions outside Europe are competing for the growing trade. In order for Europe to remain in a strong position as top tourism destination it is crucial for it to have well trained and educated tourism workforce. As the tourist experiences a whole range of tourism services, from the receptionist welcoming him to his accommodation to the country’s advertisement created by its tourism developers, the quality of tourism education in all its breadth is crucial. Cooperation among the different levels of tourism education as well as with the industry’s different sectors, however, is still in its infancy. Objectives: The project aims at strengthening the partnerships between education and working life by involving actors from the tourism industry in research and teaching activities; improving both teaching staff’s and students’ proficiency in ICT technologies, in turn using these technologies for better and easier cooperation with the employment sector; and the acquisition of practical entrepreneurial experience through internship placements – both of HEI as well as VET students. Number and profile of participants: The project’s partner consortium consists of 7 partners from Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. • Finland: The Multidimensional Tourism Institute (MTI): consisting of the University of Lapland, the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and the Lapland Tourism College • The Netherlands: NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences • Germany: University of Applied Science Kempten, Chamber of Commerce Schwaben and Allgäu Marketing, Germany Description of activities: • Instigating a joint student research programme on working life case development to enhance students’ knowledge of international tourism, increase intercultural competence and boost their entrepreneurial viewpoint while at the same time broadening their academic expertise • launching interactive, mutually beneficial co-operation among the participating organisations facilitated through mobility initiatives and joint eLearning • investigate and benefit from the participating educational organizations’ and the working life partnership’s structure, stakeholder cooperation practices and the utilisation of their operational model; Results: 1 joint study programme resulting in three working life –based case studies 1 internet platform “Knowledge Network” providing support to students, staff and enterprises before, during and after the internship 1 Internship Mentoring Scheme 1 structure for international internships for VET learners between Lapland and the Allgäu 2 analyses of the partner consortium’s organisational structures, stakeholder cooperation practices, utilisation of their operational model and how this benefits future curricula and international activities 1 article collection on the project’s results and best practices Impact: Students are provided with a more international learning environment, the opportunity to improve their language skills as well as the opportunity to increase their employability through added intercultural skills and entrepreneurial viewpoint gained through mobility measures or training placements. Teaching staff’s ICT skills will be improved, interaction with other professionals from the same area from different countries is fostered and input for curriculum creation and the involvement of working life in teaching activities is given. The project will allow educational organisations to engage with other organizations from the same field with similar opportunities and challenges, engage with working life to add their viewpoint to the educational organisations’ curricula, increase their attractiveness for future students and working life partnership creation. Also, the project will increase the participating working life organisations ’cooperation with the educational sector, giving them the possibility to influence curriculum composition suiting their needs better as well as obtaining international work force. Long term benefits: The project allows its partner consortium to build lasting structures of cooperation and exchange of best practices on an organisational, local and regional level. This cooperation affects the curricula of the HEI’s by providing them with jointly created case studies incorporating working life’s viewpoint, permanent structures for international internships and their support as well as a network of tourism specialists.