The Food Hub

24/09/2026

Twenty five people working across hospitality, food, education, enterprise and regional development gathered at The Food Hub in Drumshanbo for the Irish EcoSmart Hospitality Multiplier Showcase. Hosted by Atlantic Technological University, the event presented the completed EcoSmart resources and explored how they can be used by hospitality businesses, trainers and support organisations.

The setting was an important part of the event. As an EcoSmart partner, The Food Hub is home to food businesses, enterprise supports and the Taste Leitrim network. It provided a practical environment for discussing skills, sustainability and digital development with the people who work directly in these areas.

Practical resources for hospitality
The EcoSmart team presented a complete set of learning and business support resources developed through the Erasmus+ project. Participants explored seven modules addressing:
• Sustainable hospitality operations
• Circular economy and resource efficiency
• Sustainable customer experience
• Artificial intelligence in hospitality
• Data for business decision making
• Green and digital change leadership
• Digital marketing for sustainability

The session also introduced 20 plus hospitality case studies, trainer guidance, adaptable learning materials and the EcoSmart Knowledge Sharing Hub. The Digital Readiness and Sustainability Assessment attracted particular interest. It allows a hospitality business to review its current practices and receive personalised actions linked to its needs.

Please visit the website to find out more about the project: https://ecosmartproject.eu/

09/09/2026

The EcoSmart Hospitality Project Open Educational Resources (OERs) are a set of seven ready-to-use training modules that help hospitality businesses adopt sustainable and digital practices.

Discover seven training modules are grouped into three clusters, each covering a different part of the journey towards more sustainable and digital hospitality. The clusters build on one another (from everyday green practices, to digital capability, to leading and communicating change) but each one also works on its own, so you can start wherever suits your business best.

Cluster 1 · Sustainability & Green Innovation lays the foundations: practical, everyday sustainability across your operations, resources and guest experience.

The resources are free for everyone, and you can find them here: https://ecosmartproject.eu/open-educational-resources-en/

08/09/2026

We love the TrailAudio App that we've recently discovered in Sligo.

It adds an extra dimension to existing walks, you scan the QR codes along selected walks (such as Hazelwood Forest), and you'll hear interesting facts about the area. On the Hazelwood walk, you can hear about flora and fauna, the WB Yeats connection, and there's even a mindfulness section in the middle of the forest. Find out more here: https://www.trailaudio.ie/about/

We are working on the DOT.Rural project. which is designed to achieve a series of interconnected objectives aimed at revitalising and future-proofing the rural tourism sector through the application of digital and sustainable innovations. https://www.dotrural.eu/

28/08/2026

Digital that Delivers – Fáilte Ireland Digital Transformation Support

Digital that Delivers supports tourism businesses to improve websites, online booking, content, analytics and digital performance. The programme is a natural dissemination partner for DATA4RURAL because it demonstrates how digital infrastructure and data insights can improve customer journeys and operational decisions.

Source: https://www.failteireland.ie/en/digital-that-delivers

Connect with DATA 4 Rural
DATA4Rural is an Erasmus+ initiative advancing sustainable, inclusive and data-driven rural destinations across Europe.

Website: https://data4rural.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/data4rural/posts/?feedView=all
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://data4rural.com/
Email: [email protected]



Posted by: Laura Magan

Fáilte Ireland's flagship digital programme supported visitor attractions, festivals, and activity providers to build lasting digital capability between 2021 and 2026.

24/08/2026

Fáilte Ireland Open Data – Tourism Activities and Attractions

This daily-updated dataset lists tourism activities and attractions registered for Discover Ireland and Visit Dublin. It is available through CSV and API formats, making it a practical Irish example for teaching structured data, filters, mapping, data quality and responsible reuse.

Source: https://data.gov.ie/en_GB/dataset/tourism-activities-and-attractions

Connect with DATA 4 Rural
DATA4Rural is an Erasmus+ initiative advancing sustainable, inclusive and data-driven rural destinations across Europe.
Website: https://data4rural.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/data4rural/posts/?feedView=all
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://data4rural.com/
Email: [email protected]



Posted by: Laura Magan

This data set consists of a collection of Tourism Activities and Attractions that have registered with Fáilte Ireland to to be listed on discoverireland.ie and visitdublin.com. Fáilte Ireland provide this data as part of their Open Data and Open Data Plus APIs.

24/08/2026

Introducing Project FUSE. This is a three-year European project that addresses long-term unemployment by connecting who are out of work with real job opportunities in the food and hospitality sector. We combine two main approaches:

Shared kitchen incubators - practical spaces where people can learn, experiment and build skills in cooking and food production, alongside subsidised jobs programmes - supported, time-limited employment with employers in food, catering and hospitality, designed as a bridge into stable work.

The project focuses on people who have been unemployed for 12+ months and face multiple, including low qualifications, caring responsibilities, health issues, migration background, or living in disadvantaged or remote areas.

Find out more on the website: https://project-fuse.eu/

21/08/2026

Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands Regional Tourism Development Strategy

This regional strategy demonstrates how a rural destination can connect evidence, visitor experience development, communities, sustainability and investment priorities. It is particularly relevant to DATA4RURAL’s Irish dissemination because the region includes many small tourism businesses and rural communities across the Midlands and North-West.

Source: https://www.failteireland.ie/regionalstrategies.aspx

Connect with DATA 4 Rural
DATA4Rural is an Erasmus+ initiative advancing sustainable, inclusive and data-driven rural destinations across Europe.

Website: https://data4rural.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/data4rural/posts/?feedView=all
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://data4rural.com/
Email: [email protected]



Posted by: Laura Magan

Access Fáilte Ireland’s tourism strategies shaping long-term growth across Ireland. Explore key priorities and opportunities for your business.

20/08/2026

The SUSTaiN Starter Kit supports vocational education and training (VET) educators in understanding and applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a driver of sustainability and innovation.

This three-part resource package introduces the fundamental concepts of AI, showcases real examples from industries of Energy, Water, Agriculture and Transport, and provides hands-on tools that educators can use directly in their classrooms or training programmes.

Download your free copy here: https://sustainvet.eu/sustain-starter-kit/

11/08/2026

Thanks so much to DOT.Rural for the lovely introduction. We are delighted to be working on this project, as we know first-hand the benefits that rural tourism can have on the economy.

We are based in beautiful Drumshanbo in County Leitrim, which is home to Acres Lake floating boardwalk, Lough Allen Adventure Centre, and of course The Shed Distillery, as well as the Joe Mooney Summer School.

If you haven't been to Drumshanbo, be sure to visit.

𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘋.𝘖.𝘛. 𝘙𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭

𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

The Food Hub is a social enterprise and innovation centre based in the North West of Ireland, supporting rural enterprise, sustainable food systems and community-led economic development.

💫 Their work is guided by collaboration, sustainability, innovation and community empowerment. By working with businesses, producers and communities, The Food Hub helps create resilient local economies while celebrating the unique heritage of rural areas.

🎯 Within D.O.T. Rural, they bring their expertise in rural innovation, stakeholder engagement and sustainable destination development.

Working with local businesses, tourism providers and community organisations, they help identify the digital skills, opportunities and challenges facing rural destinations and contribute to the development of practical learning resources for rural tourism entrepreneurs.

👤 Lola Gonzalez Farrell

10/08/2026

Ireland in the Digital Decade

Ireland’s Digital Decade strategy sets the national direction for digital skills, business transformation, infrastructure and digital public services. It is useful when linking DATA4RURAL to the wider need for confident and inclusive digital participation among rural SMEs, tourism, local authorities and education providers.

Source: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-enterprise-tourism-and-employment/publications/ireland-in-the-digital-decade/

Connect with DATA 4 Rural
DATA4Rural is an Erasmus+ initiative advancing sustainable, inclusive and data-driven rural destinations across Europe.

Website: https://data4rural.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/data4rural/posts/?feedView=all
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://data4rural.com/
Email: [email protected]



Posted by: Laura Magan

The Data4Rural is an Erasmus+ initiative that aims to strengthen digital and data-related skills in the rural tourism sector.