2nd Inter-Regional Workshop
on :
Applications of Eco-Management
Audit Scheme (EMAS)
in Tourist Destinations and Attractions
Monday 15 April 2002
At:
Labein Centro Tecnologico
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
The Aim
The purpose of the ECOSERT project, in the EU
Inter-Regional Co-operation programme Recite
II, is to introduce an innovative, pan-European
approach and working method to plan tourism
at a regional or sub-regional level towards
balanced and environmentally sustainable development.
To ensure that new tourism developments, proposed
as part of a Regional Environmental Sustainable
Tourism Plan (RESTP), are environmentally sustainable,
the ECOSERT project methodology is applying
the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) to
key demonstration projects in each of the three
partner regions, namely Nomos of Magnesia (Greece),
Dee Estuary area around Chester (UK) and Avellino
Provincia in Campania (Italy).
The application of EMAS to particular
tourist attractions and destinations, covering
specific sites for conservation, restoration,
promotion of cultural heritage and accessibility
to tourists, is an innovative feature of the
ECOSERT project. Guidelines have been prepared
on how to implement EMAS in sustainable tourism
projects and tourist destinations and attractions.
The overall aim of the Workshop
was to engage discussion and gather the opinion
of participants on the merits of the approach,
methodology and principal components of these
EMAS guidelines and their application to the
demonstration projects carried out under the
ECOSERT project, towards future developments
and applications of EMAS in planning for sustainable
tourism.
Overall Conclusions
a) The ECOSERT Project has proved that EMAS
can be properly implemented by organisations
that manage tourism sites.
b) EMAS is a useful measure for
the sustainable development in a wide range
of tourism destinations, in order to enable
these areas to attract high quality tourism,
to build on a more reputable image and to exploit
resources in an optimal way.
c) EMAS seems to be an appropriate
tool for the environmental management of tourism.
However, its application seems to be difficult,
complicated and inefficient for smaller organisations.
Therefore it is desirable to find ways to simplify
the EMAS procedure, without going to the extreme
of not applying it properly and only in a formal
way.
In general, whenever an
organisation plans to introduce EMAS, a cost
benefit analysis has to be made, in order to
ensure that it can be implemented effectively.
If the EU or the nation
states' central governments aim for a wider
and comprehensive application of EMAS, it will
be essential to provide incentives (financial,
tax, regulative) to registered organisations.
The ECOSERT Project was
an application showing that EMAS can be successfully
implemented in all kinds of branches (apart
from industrial ones), especially in the services
section.
The Tourism Industry can
greatly benefit, especially in the marketing
activities from EMAS applications. Moreover
EMAS can be a great help in ensuring sustainable
environmental development and economic benefits. |
