Ready to Change the World Through Travel?
Join Our FREE Program s Hackathon: Redesigning Tourism for Peace
The Paths to Peace Program gives you hands-on training and mentorship to turn a simple tourism idea into a peacebuilding project, business or experience.
Paths to Peace (P2P) is a new Erasmus+ youth programme that empowers and
educates young people (18–30) across Europe to use tourism as a force for peace and understanding. The project unites youth, experts and professionals in the field across six countries (Ireland, Cyprus, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Ukraine).
“Paths to Peace is more than a project – it’s a movement.”
Paths to Peace addresses a gap in youth peace education by linking it to tourism. It recognises young people as active leaders today, giving them tools and real-world opportunities to build bridges in divided communities.
Building Ukraine Together (BUR)
The idea: Young people together rebuilt homes, and became a nationwide initiative. In Ukraine, young volunteers repair houses in war-affected communities.
But they don’t just build walls. They train young people to lead camps, manage teams, and take responsibility for real projects. When these youth became facilitators instead of just volunteers, participation tripled.
The opportunity: Trust young people with leadership — and they rise, excel and make people are not homeless because of war. Read More
Martha Benyshyn
Head of the BUR BUR,
Ukraine
Redesigning Tourism for Peace Program
- 4-Hybrid Workshops: Four interactive workshops (online) cover key concepts and topics like conflict-sensitive tourism, intercultural dialogue, and digital Learn from real-life experiences, experts and businesses.
- 4-Hybrid Mentoring Sessions: Each country has 2 youth teams paired with experienced mentors (in tourism, peacebuilding, community work, ) to guide them through idea development. Mentors receive guidance materials and support throughout their time.
- 1-Hybrid Peace This is your moment to shine! Ten youth-led project teams present their tourism-for-peace ideas at an international Hackathon,pitching to over 100 stakeholders (tourism industry, NGOs, policy makers).
Teams compete for prizes:
Win €500 (1st prize) or €250 (2nd prize) per team.
Young People Access European Opportunities
You Become a European Peace Innovator
Another step to future European opportunities.
For young changemakers, P2P offers practical training to be a peacemaker: how to change conversation, design peace tourism, work with communities and amplify change and influence.
Attend our 4 hybrid workshops and gain new skills, confidence, valuable, practical knowledge, and experience under expert guidance and a Europe-wide network of peers and experts.
Workshop
1
Conversations Building Peace
2
Peace by Design
3
Peace Building Communities
4
Storytelling Supporting Peace
Design a real tourism initiative that brings people together (e.g. cultural tours, community tours, dialogue events). Your team’s project will be pitched at a major European hackathon.
in peace-led conversations, engage in communities, and bring them together, and tell compelling stories to inspire change. These skills are CV boosters for fields like tourism, peacebuilding, NGO work, and social enterprise.
Work with mentors and peers from across Europe. You’ll join a community of Peace Building Advocates and connect with organisations ready to support your ideas.
Participants will be promoted on our channels and website – your idea shared, your story told, and your peacebuilding efforts celebrated. Top ideas win
prizes (€500 and €250) at the hackathon.
Mentors Expand Expertise in a Growing Field
Expand Your Expertise to Peace Tourism Become a Youth Peace Tourism Mentor.
Bring your experience in tourism, peace building, social innovation, culture or youth work to guide and inspire Europe’s youth.
For mentors, P2P is a chance to share and develop expertise in tourism, community development, and peacebuilding. Position yourself in a growing field - tourism peacebuilding. Develop your mentoring and facilitation skills guided by European experts, structured mentoring and proposal frameworks. Gain hands-on experience in youth-led innovation and expand your international partnership network.
Ready to lead peace? Register for FREE Today!
You Become a European Peace Innovator
Another step to future European opportunities.
Register for FREE: Youth
Become a Youth Peace Tourism Mentor.
Who can apply: Any motivated young person (18–30) from Europe who cares about community, peace, learning ‘for good’ and social change. No prior experience in tourism or peacebuilding is needed – just curiosity and commitment. (Paths to Peace especially welcomes youth from areas affected by conflict or division.)
Time commitment: You’ll join four online workshops (90 mins each), plus four mentoring sessions with your team (60 mins each), and a final 1- day hackathon.
Closing date for youth registration is November 202c.
Register for FREE: Mentors
Expand Your Expertise to Peace Tourism
Who can apply: Tourism professionals, peace advocates, NGO workers, community leaders, educators, youth workers, or anyone with relevant experience. No formal
mentoring certificate is needed. You should have at least a few years’ experience in your field and a genuine interest in youth empowerment.
Why Participate?
- Share your expertise: As a mentor, you will also learn and bring valuable experience (in tourism peacebuilding) to guide a youth
- Professional development: Gain structured tools, support, expertise and training on Enhance your facilitation and cross-cultural skills.
- Collaborate internationally: Work with and learn from a consortium of experts and connect with tourism, culture and peace professionals from across
- Support real change: Help launch sustainable local Seeing a youth- led idea come to life is rewarding. And yes – mentors receive a fee for their time.
Time commitment: Mentors commit to attending the four workshops (online/in-
person) (approximately 90 minutes each) and four mentoring sessions (approximately 60 minutes each). The final Hackathon (1 day) is also part of your role as a guide and judge. Exact dates to be announced.
Closing date for mentors’ registration is March 30th 202c.
Building Ukraine Together (BUR)
The idea: Young people turned personal stories into powerful walking tours.
Refugees guide tours through Berlin’s historic centre. They draw connections between Syria’s war and Germany’s past. Instead of being talked about, they speak for
themselves. Thousands of visitors have joined their tours.
The opportunity: Let young people who lived experience tell real stories from the heart. Read More
Lorna Cannon
Founder
Refugee Voices Tour, Berlin
Paths to Peace Opportunities
Did you think tourism was just sightseeing? Paths to Peace can teach you how to bring people together. For example, you could be leading and guiding a community mural tour in Northern Ireland with friends you met through our program.
As a mentor, you will see fresh peace ideas bloom innovatively. For example, with your team, create a heritage walk in Cyprus that highlights both Greek and Turkish stories. This experience alone will boost your professional and facilitation skills.
Join with zero travel or peacebuilding background. In 15 months, you will learn so much and build a real idea that can change people's lives for the better. Launch a new idea, e.g., a walking tour that explains why war is not the answer, but peace is.
Become a Part of Peacebuilding Europe! Join youth from across Europe in Paths to Peace: 4 workshops + mentorship + hackathon, all free. Let’s build bridges together.”
Järvsö, Sweden
The idea: A small town, let young people help develop tourism for the better.
Instead of outside companies controlling everything, local people shaped how tourism was developed. Young people became bike guides, ski instructors, cultural storytellers and nature ambassadors. They helped organise festivals and events where locals and visitors met properly — not just as tourists and service staff.
Tourism wasn’t something happening to the town.
It was something the community owned and shaped.
The opportunity: Don’t just give young people jobs in tourism. Give them influence and input over how it works. Read More
Helene Erlandsson
Guest Services
Finance Järvsö, Sweden
FAQs
Youth aged 18–30 (any background) and professionals with experience in tourism, culture, youth work or
No – the programme is fully funded by the EU. Participants travel under Erasmus+ support (details TBA).
Sign up on the Paths to Peace Program website page via the registration link. No essay needed – just fill out this short registration.
10 hours + 1 day hybrid Hackathon. About 4 workshops (90 mins each), 4 mentoring sessions (60 mins each), plus a final hackathon event (1 day). Total is 10 hours and 1 day spread over 15 months. Exact schedule will be provided to participants.
Hybrid format: some online sessions and some hosted in partner countries (e.g. Ireland, Cyprus). Online access is provided for all sessions.
The project follows Erasmus+ safety and inclusion standards. All content is bilingual (English plus local language notes), and there’s a strict code of conduct to ensure a respectful, inclusive environment. (Exact policies are not public but meet EU youth guidelines.)
Graduates join the Peace Building Advocates network. Paths to Peace offers follow-up support (like scaling workshops) so winning ideas can keep growing.
Paths to Peace will follow EU GDPR and youth project safeguarding rules (standard for Erasmus+ projects) – ensuring personal data protection and safe spaces. (Details not online.)