Tourism Cluster of Extremadura

The Tourism Cluster of Extremadura is an Innovative Business Association that aims to promote the development of tourism sector in the Extremadura region. It was established to create, foster and share business opportunities among/with members in the region and beyond, based on the development and execution of activities, measures and actions oriented to support and promote the economic interests of its members. It currently has 84 members with diverse profiles, having a total reach of approximately 500 entities just in the region.

Objectives

The Cluster has a great commitment with innovation and cooperation, stablishing as objectives the promotion of the R&D in the region, support in cross-sectoral initiatives and internationalization; enhancement of entrepreneurship, collaboration and cooperation; as well as building strong partnerships between diverse stakeholders to exchange and generate new knowledge, synergies, ideas, business opportunities and joint initiatives.

Mission

Its mission is to face the great challenge posed by this initiative, where the first step is to raise awareness among Extremadura entrepreneurs to cooperate with other entrepreneurs, to share their experience and ideas. It is also necessary to promote the professionalism of the sector with personalised training, with professional tutoring, with advice in the different areas of business management (finance, marketing, human resources, commercialisation…). It is also necessary to provide information, if possible “ready to digest”, to promote meetings and discussion forums between entrepreneurs, both veterans and innovators. In short, its mission is to improve the competitiveness of the tourism sector in the Extremadura region.

Strategic plan

From the beginning, it has made a commitment to internationalisation and has begun its journey thanks to the implementation of several projects. The present strategic plan encourages and promotes internationalisation actions and increases cooperation networks between companies and organisations from other sectors, both national and international, as well as between its partners, in addition to the commitment to the intersectionality of the regional tourism sector and the internationalisation of the SMEs that make it up. An example of the internationalisation actions is the competition in increasingly diversified lines of funding: the implementation of projects financed by programmes such as Leonardo, Erasmus Plus, COSME, Creative Europe, H2020, LIFE +, etc. A fundamental pillar of the innovation system is to continue fostering collaboration with different entities from different bodies (other clusters, AEIs, universities, technology centres, etc.) and the continuity of the international openness developed in previous periods.

SHORT BIOS OF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesusbravosanchez/

Throughout my working life, I have combined study and work in all aspects of businesses. Development of business skills, languages, team management, leadership, etc. My beginnings were in a family company for 20 years, which I leaved to open a hotel in Cáceres with my own investment, that I managed for 10 years, along with the achievement of a master’s degree in Tourism Management and Direction, completed me professionally to accept any challenge in the business world. In the last 4 years I have also combined my professional activity with the mentoring of more than 50 projects as a certified teacher of the School of Industrial Organisation.

• Professional background:
• Business mentor and project manager: Certified EOI teacher. From 2016 to Present
• Coworking tutor for more than 50 projects.
• EU Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) courses: Programme Management in Cáceres and Badajoz and teacher/tutor, expert in protocol, event management and tourism.
• SEXPE/EOI/European Funds courses: director of training programmes related to tourism for youth guarantee, long-term unemployed, etc.
• Extremadura Tourism Cluster AEI
• Secretary, from 2012 to May 2018
• General Manage, from January 2020 to Present
• Founding entrepreneur of Hotel Casa Don Fernando (located in the Plaza Mayor of Cáceres)
• From 2006 to February 2017.
• Commercial Director of the Bravo Hostelería, S.L. Group of Companies.

From 1988 to November 2006

• Commercial Director of Catering “San Jorge”.
• Commercial Director of “El Puchero” Restaurants
• Sales Manager of “La Guinda” Confectionery Shops.

• Academic background:
• Master’s Degree in Tourism Management and Administration at Carlos III University, Madrid, 2006 – 2008
• Management and promotion of tourist destinations
• Organisation and planning of tourism companies
• High level of English (C1)
• Intermediate level of German (B1)