The mobility project „Sustainable Tourism – New Outlook to Tourism Industry in Lithuania“(No. LT/06/PL/2/0996), prepared by Utena College lecturers Gitana Valukonienė, Jurgita Daubarienė and Dalia Čepėnienė, has received financing from Leonardo da Vinci Fund and is being implemented successfully.
The purpose of the project was during the exchanges to develop professional skills and competencies of Tourism and Hotel Administration students, seeking to provide better employability and professional integration opportunities and conditions for the implementation of sustainable tourism principles in Lithuanian regions and tourism enterprises
The project was intended for Tourism and Hotel Administration/ Management speciality students of the three Lithuanian colleges (Utena, Vilnius and Kaunas Colleges), providing higher non-university education.   
Firstly, by the survey, prepared in 2004, for Hotel and Restaurants Sector the following was ascertained: in Lithuania a shortage of the attending staff practice and their insufficient foreign languages skills and social skills affect the hotel business. Utena College, seeking to prepare hotel sector employees, suitable for nowadays, provided the students with the opportunities to develop their professional and linguistic skills, acquired during their studies, at the hotels in the countries of the hosting partners, i.e. in the United Kingdom (Scotland), the Cyprus Republic, in Turkey.
The project has been given the title “Sustainable Tourism - New Outlook to Tourism Industry in Lithuania“unincidentally. Recently, great attention is being paid to sustainable economy development, sustainable tourism development; it is identified as an underlying development trend, preserving resources for the future generations. Therefore, writing the tender for the project, we targeted that our students, obtaining practical skills at the hotels abroad, would clear out how the sustainable tourism principles were implemented practically there as well. In the United Kingdom (Scotland), the Cyprus Republic, in Turkey - countries chosen for the implementation of the project purpose - the hotel business is well developed; great attention is being paid to the sustainable tourism development at the hotels and their environment.

Laura Žūkaitė from Vilnius College, Aurelija Aleknaitė from Utena College and Evaldas Žėkas from Kaunas College had their placement in Cyprus. They had their practise period in a well known seaside resort Paphos, at the hotel”Paphos Gardens“. All the students had worked in the restaurant, they obtained a lot of experience, dealing with guests, as well as self-dependence; had improved their knowledge of the English language. Having returned, it was not so easy, they had to work hard. They did not have much free time. If they had a day off, the students spent their leisure time in various ways, e.g. swimming in the sea, taking part in excursions, going cruising in the Mediterranean Sea, going by water motorcycles, participating in a trip to Greece. 
The students were satisfied with the placements. Vilnius College student B. Paškovska (she had had her placement at the”Western House“hotel, in Ayr, Scotland) said:”I had got more interested in my speciality, had started to admire it. A wish had appeared to develop my professional skills and to study as much as possible about the hotel business. I was not afraid to communicate in English any longer. I appreciated the work experience very much and I was proud of it. I thought that my future employer would be satisfied with it. That was my advantage.” 
Kaunas College student J. Turevič, having returned from the practise in Turkey, said:”I had become hardy and determined, more responsible. I had started to evaluate myself better. The work at the hotel had allowed to get acquainted with different-tempered people. My knowledge of the foreign language had improved; I had got interested in the Turkish language. I thought that the placement would be a significant advantage when looking for a job in future. Besides, I had got an offer to return back after studies and to work at the hotel.” The other Kaunas College student R. Vitonytė acknowledged that”the placement had corrected the aims in my life. At the moment I wanted to see, to travel as much as possible and to have more practise abroad“.
“I had obtained a lot of experience and new skills, necessary for my profession. I had improved my English language skills, had got more self-confidence, communicating with the hotel staff. After the placement I had more wish and keenness to go deeper into studies.” The above placed references were written by Vaida Krasauskaitė from Utena College after her placement in Scotland. 
All the students, having participated in the mobility, received the certificates and the Europass mobility document, which is acknowledged in all Europe. As it has been targeted, all the students had improved their practical skills, i.e. obtained the experience of the work at the hotel as well as their linguistic skills – they fluently communicated in English and knew how the sustainable tourism principles were developed at the hotels.
At the moment the dissemination activities of the project are being performed. The students, having participated in the placements, are sharing their good experience with other students during various events and meetings. February 28, 2007, a national students’ scientific – practical conference “Development of Practical Skills in the EU Space and outside it” was held. During the conference all the beneficiaries of the project presented their experience and impressions from the placements and advised students, who were going to participate in similar projects or just to perform their practise periods abroad. 
The beneficiaries, lecturers of the coordinating institution of the project and the sending partners from Lithuanian colleges are grateful to the hosting partners for excellent opportunities; our students were provided with, for the development of practical skills, communication and help during the placement. We would like kindly to thank the following institutions:
Ayr College, “The Westin Turnberry Resort“and ”The Western House” Hotel administrations in Scotland; Fethiye Anatolian Vocational High School for Hotel and Tourism Management School and”The Letoonia Club&Hotel“administrations in Turkey;
As Cyprus College and”The Paphos Garden Holiday Resort“hotel administrations in Cyprus.

Prepared by Utena College Lecturers Jurgita Daubarienė, Gitana Valukonienė
Translated by Utena College Lecturer Dalia Čepėnienė