Rural areas are becoming more and more popular tourism destinations. Travellers are seeking to explore rural areas and engage in experiential outdoor activities. This creates a unique opportunity for tourism entrepreneurship driving economic, social and environmental revitalization of these destinations. In order to seize this opportunity, local companies should co-create new authentic experiences for travellers, promoting contact with natural and cultural heritage and putting emphasis on heritage interpretation - an activity fostering cultural learning and environmental conservation. At the same time, small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in rural areas often lack capacity to develop and diversify their offers to meet this demand.

Imagineering (creation of technology-enabled and gamified experiences), heritage interpretation, storytelling, and digital marketing are among top skills required in the tourism sector (Next Tourism Generation Alliance, 2019). However, relevant vocational training in rural areas is not readily available. The INHERIT project aims to reduce this gap by offering a comprehensive and flexible training for owners and managers of small tourism businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in rural areas.