The HERCULES project pilots an innovative education and community development approach to empower communities to develop sustainable cultural tourism products built on a ‘Sense of Place’ defined as; embracing the distinctive sights, sounds and experiences rooted in a country, including the unique and memorable qualities that resonate with local people and visitors alike (Welsh Government). HERCULES combines training and community capacity building with a cross-border regional social network to create new sustainable tourism business opportunities and jobs. Project Objectives: • Conduct sense of place research in cross-border region to identify assets and growth areas;• Pilot an online sense of place and associated media training programme targeted at communities, tourism related SME’s and entrepreneurs;• Create a sustainable online sense of place social network;• Unite community/ SME tourism/ public sectors within the project and social network. By developing the sense of place concept into a practical training toolkit with an associated social network, it is intended this pilot will kick-start a process of creating a recognisable tourism brand of specific benefit to communities in the cross-border region, by achieving the following: • Establishing cross-border cultural links;• Identification of new sustainable tourism/ social enterprise business opportunities;• Providing lifelong learning and skills development for communities;• Community regeneration through sustainable cultural tourism and job creation.