Regional tourist board Tourism South East has completed its Welcome E-Learning project.

The three-year training and development programme, which ran from January 2004 to March 2007, aimed to improve management skills, e-business capabilities and profitability at tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses across the south east.

According to an independent evaluation of the 430 participating businesses, 95 per cent of the responders surveyed reported improvements in their overall management and entrepreneurial skills, while 56 per cent reported increased profitability as a direct result of the scheme.

Tourism South East managing director Robert Collier said: “Small businesses are at the heart of the region’s visitor economy and we are committed to giving them the tools to improve quality, deliver customer service excellence and enjoy business success. This initiative is a great example of a joined-up approach to meeting real business needs.”

The scheme – part financed by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the European Social Fund (ESF) – incorporated onsite assessment and diagnostic sessions with individual businesses; new remote online training schemes; workshops and learning programmes.

The project initially targeted bed and breakfast (B&Bs), guesthouses, small hotels, restaurants and pubs, visitor attractions and other tourism companies.

Photograph: Staff at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu benefited from the scheme