Final Symposium
An international symposium
was held towards the end of the ECOSERT project
with the theme of:
Tourism, Environment and
Sustainable Development: New Visions
at the:
University of Thessaly,
Volos, Magnesia, Greece
on: 5-6 September 2002
Purpose of the International Symposium
The aims of the final symposium
were to present and discuss the results of the
ECOSERT project in the form of:
- the preferred tourism development
long-term strategy in each partner region
- the experience and lessons from the pilot
demonstration projects
- the implementation of the EMAS to sustainable
tourism projects
- the marketing and promotion of eco-cultural
tourism and
related policy implications.
The experiences of related RECITE
II and other projects was also be presented
and discussed.
Symposium Venue: Saratsis
Theatre, University of Thessaly, Seafront Complex
(Papastratos Building), Volos
Conclusions of Final Symposium
- Significant results have been
produced by ECOSERT in the partner regions,
notably through the Regional Environmental Sustainable
Tourism Plans (RESTPs) prepared in each region,
the demonstration projects forming part of the
RESTP strategy, the application of the Eco Management
and Audit Scheme EMAS to pilot projects and
the formation of permanent working relationships
in sustainable tourism. The results also have
a trans-European added value in terms of the
common methodology for planning sustainable
tourism at a spatial level, expressed through
the RESTP Guidelines, the experiences and lessons
learnt from pilot demonstration projects in
all three regions, and the application of EMAS
to ensure the environmental sustainability of
tourism destinations and activities, as detailed
in the EMAS Guide.
- The inter-regional co-operation
achieved by the ECOSERT project is of great
significance and is demonstrated by the signing
of the Partnership Accord in Chester in February
2001, the Inter-Regional Partnership Agreement
signed in Avellino in May 2001 and the Declaration
of Volos for Sustainable Development through
tourism signed by the political heads of the
principal partners at the University of Thessaly
in Volos during the opening session of the final
symposium. The Declaration of Volos states the
commitment of the partners to working together
towards sustainable development through comprehensive
planning for sustainable tourism with environmental
management of tourist destinations and activities,
in accordance with relevant documents and initiatives
of the European Union, and to encourage other
local and regional authorities throughout Europe
to adopt this declaration so as to join the
partners in the establishment of a network of
local authorities working together for the sustainable
development of tourism, and in particular ecological
and cultural tourism, through the protection,
upgrading and restoration of the environment
and the preservation and promotion of the cultural
heritage in Europe, our common land.
- The political commitment and
co-operation achieved during ECOSERT is demonstrated
by the active participation and commitment of
elected councillors from the partner authorities.
Over 25 elected representatives have been involved
in the project activities and elected members
have participated at Inter-Regional Steering
Committee meetings (ten held in total), the
Technical Working Groups, the three Inter-Regional
Workshops as well as the Final Symposium.
- The RESTP Guidelines offer
a sound basis and tried methodology to plan
sustainable tourism at a spatial level. The
guidelines, first issued in draft form by the
ECOSERT Management Body in December 2000 following
discussions at the Inter-regional (Regional
Planning) Working Group meeting (Volos, November
2000), were discussed at the Inter-Regional
Workshop on Regional Planning held at Chester
Town Hall in February 2001. The Workshop included
external experts and as a result of discussions
the Guidelines were modified for the preparation
of the Draft RESTPs in the three partner regions.
They were further modified as a result of the
experience and feedback received during the
RESTP preparation and the consultation process
with actors and beneficiaries in the regions.
The final RESTP Guidelines to be issued with
the Final Report, taking into account all comments
received including the presentations at the
Final Symposium, will be available to other
regions and authorities that wish to develop
sustainable tourism with a long-term vision
and planning tool.
- Draft RESTPs have been prepared
in the three partner regions in accordance with
the common RESTP Guidelines. The planning recommendations
and preferred RESTP strategy have been publicised
locally in all respective regions. The RESTP
preparation took into account the visitor surveys
carried out using a common questionnaire in
the three regions, in order to involve the tourist
themselves in the planning process. Consultation
events have also been held in the three regions
according to a common format and institutional
surveys of actors and beneficiaries carried
out which revealed a general acceptance of the
principles, proposals and strategy in the Draft
RESTP. The Final version of the RESTPs is prepared
taking into account the results of the consultation
with actors and beneficiaries with results also
fed into the preparation of the final version
of the RESTP Guidelines.
- Environmental planning, protection, upgrading
and improvements as well as preservation and
promotion of cultural heritage can play important
roles in developing new forms of tourism and,
conversely, tourism can be an important catalyst
in encouraging and initiating environmentally
sustainable development. This is exemplified
by other related projects and initiatives such
as the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit, a practical
application of sustainable principles in tourism
destinations developed in the UK. Ecotourism
development involving local enterprises in handicrafts
in Italy and tourism promotion including eco-cultural
assets in Greece as well as the planning of
new environmentally sustainable means of access
to the countryside in the Dee Estuary are all
good examples in ECOSERT of developing new tourism
initiatives which contribute to the environmental
and social sustainability of areas suffering
from neglect.
- The conclusions of the ECOSERT
Inter-Regional Working Groups on Sustainable
Tourism and Cultural Heritage provide common
methods, procedures and tools for eco-cultural
tourism planning, management and promotion.
In particular, the conclusions of the Working
Group on Sustainable Tourism show how tourism
marketing and promotion channels can be used
to promote eco-cultural assets and attract new
visitors, through a series of leaflets (as in
the Dee Estuary Partnership area), participation
in tourism exhibitions (as by Magnesia Prefecture's
Tourism Promotion Committee and Tourism Section)
and through forming eco-cultural networks (as
developed in Italy, notably including WWF).
The conclusions of the Working Group on Cultural
Heritage culminate in the production of a method
statement on how cultural heritage assets can
be defined, categorised, evaluated and prioritised
for promoting cultural tourism and helping devise
sustainable tourism strategies. This document,
presented at the symposium, is an important
input in the development of the final RESTP
Guidelines.
- Other projects and initiatives
also confirm that sustainable tourism can be
developed through promotion of local distinctiveness
(such as the LODIS Recite II project) and through
promotion of mountain areas for agrotourism
purposes (such as a LEADER II project in Italy).
 The
implementation of the ECOSERT pilot demonstration
projects has resulted in important lessons being
learned. The time taken to gather consensus
among stakeholders needs to be addressed early
on (for example where there are conflicts between
conservation and tourism development). Also
legal and ownership issues should not be underestimated,
as most obstacles do not relate to costly technical
work or infrastructure but to institutional
and legal bottlenecks. In the case of Goritsa
Hill this related to statutory permissions from
the Central Archaeological Council in Greece,
which places strict regulations on works within
archaeological sites. In the case of the exploitation
plan for the Pelion Heritage Railway, it was
showed that the railway could be a significant
and viable tourist attraction. Heritage railways
can contribute to regional development through
sustainable tourism by creating new employment
opportunities in preserving industrial heritage,
improving the environment and attracting new
visitors particularly by combining heritage
railways with other eco-cultural attractions,
as exemplified by the experience of FEDECRAIL
the European Federation of Museum and Tourist
Railways which represents heritage railways
in 23 countries. Actions in the Dee Estuary
were considered to have achieved important results
in providing tangible, on-the-ground results
to implement the RESTP strategy (from a bottom
up approach) and hence demonstrating to local
people that a strategic spatial approach to
tourism planning actually works. Experience
showed however that the amount of time required
bringing actors and beneficiaries together and
reach consensus should again not be underestimated.
Administrative bottlenecks in carrying out infrastructure
works on the demonstration project at the Conza
Oasis in Avellino were considered to be more
onerous than the actual works successfully carried
out. The project demonstrated that enthusiasm
at community and political level could be generated
from ecotourism projects in isolated areas,
and that these could be a springboard for other
actions in accordance with the RESTP strategy.
- The Eco Management and Audit
Scheme, EMAS, an important tool of the European
Union towards environmental sustainability (though
a voluntary scheme at present), can set the
framework for the development of policies and
procedures that lead to the continuous improvement
of the environment in tourism areas and activities.
The pilot application of EMAS in sustainable
tourism destinations and activities were successfully
carried out, even in the case of the smaller
projects in the Dee Estuary which were confirmed
as feasible by the Institute of Environmental
Management Assessment in UK. All partners of
the project agreed that EMAS can be beneficial
for their tourism projects and that each had
had a positive experience with the procedure.
However, although providing a feasible framework
to carry out distinct and well-specified targeted
environmental improvements and reduce impacts
from tourism to sustainable levels, the actual
process of seeking EMAS registration was sometimes
considered to be demanding. The complexity and
costs of the EMAS application may need to be
reduced to make it more appealing to a wider
base of users.
- The World Tourism Organisation
(WTO) has had a pioneering role in the sustainable
development of tourism by generating awareness
on issues related to sustainability as well
as providing a bank of knowledge, which has
been disseminated worldwide. In the International
Year of Ecotourism in 2002, as designated by
the United Nations and WTO, a number of policy
and planning approaches have been proposed by
WTO to which ECOSERT and the RESTP methodology
in particular has proved to be very complementary.
These notably include the requirement for a
tourism policy at national, regional and local
levels (the RESTP responds to regional and local
planning tiers), the need for such a policy
to be a result of a participatory process of
all interested parties (the intra-regional networks
set up under ECOSERT and included as part of
the RESTP process is directly relevant), the
promotion of a comprehensive approach involving
all aspects of tourism (ECOSERT has involved
the innovative participation of a wide rang
of actors and beneficiaries involved in tourism,
most of having previously worked in isolation),
and the recommendation for an integrated approach
whereby tourism is not planned in isolation
from other development efforts (the RESTP is
one such tool to integrate tourism planning
spatially and with other policies and plans
for environmental protection, socio-economic
regeneration, land use planning etc). Other
policy recommendations, namely the need for
environmental impact assessment techniques and
continuous monitoring are also reflected in
ECOSERT, respectively through the use of EMAS
and long term monitoring recommendations under
the RESTP. Finally ECOSERT also responds to
the need for greater partnerships between the
private and public sectors as well as encouraging
people to participate in ecotourism and enhancing
stakeholder co-operation in tourism development
and heritage development, as recommended at
the World Summit on Sustainable Development
in Johannesburg.
- The ECOSERT results can make significant contributions
to EU policies related to tourism, which have
assumed increasing importance in recent years.
A shift towards more integrated approaches and
policies in the 1990s and the issuance of the
Green Paper on the Role of the Union in the
Field of Tourism in 1995 has been followed by
policies which recognise tourism's potential
role in creating jobs and reducing regional
and socio-economic disparities. More recently,
the European Commission through Communication
COM (665): Working Together for the Future of
European Tourism (November 2001), recommends
policy instruments for sustainable tourism to
which ECOSERT can contribute. This includes
the setting up of an Agenda 21 for sustainable
tourism (Measure 8), a network of pilot regions
to promote sustainability in tourism, increasing
political co-operation and partnership and enhancing
co-operation and consistency in tourism policies
among the stakeholders involved in tourism (including
the European Commission, Member States, regional
and local authorities, industry, associations,
and the tourist destinations themselves). Based
on the Communication 665, the Council of Ministers
adopted on 21st May 2002 a resolution specifically
on the Future of European Tourism urging closer
monitoring of the impact of EU legislation on
the tourism sector. The European Parliament
also expressed the need for tourism to be integrated
with the use, promotion and enhancement of environmental,
artistic, historical and cultural resources.
The ECOSERT Partnership can contribute to all
these policy initiatives and through the RESTP
methodology and the EMAS applications it presents
a tool to improvee the quality of tourist products
(notably eco-cultural assets) whilst promoting
environmental protection and sustainable development
of tourism. The RESTP plans in each region meanwhile
can contribute towards the more equitable distribution
of tourism activities in favour of disadvantaged
regions or areas, and hence can contribute towards
more balanced socio-economic development in
Magnesia, Dee Estuary and Avellino. The "Declaration
of Volos for Sustainable Development through
Tourism", signed by the ECOSERT principal
partners at the symposium, is also an initiative
with a direct contribution to the policy of
creating a political body and a network of pilot
regions to promote sustainability in tourism.
- In discussing the way ahead,
panel members from the partner regions highlighted
initiatives for post ECOSERT work in the field
of sustainable tourism. In Greece inter-regional
co-operation, the RESTP and the EMAS work had
created unique opportunities to pursue sustainable
tourism projects throughout the region. The
setting up of a new company to manage and promote
the Pelion Railway was one example of a project
that could now be taken forward and extended.
The work undertaken for ECOSERT in Avellino
Province has provided valuable experience and
the RESTP could now be used to carry out important
policies on tourism and environmental improvement
in the sub-region. Future commitments have already
been made for continuing the work of the RESTP
and the intention to make the plan and its methodology
a role model for other regions in Italy. Two
initiatives were planned in Avellino; firstly
to strengthen the relationships established
with the local authorities that participated
in the Avellino RESTP (such as simplifying bureaucratic
procedures to implement eco/cultural tourism
projects) and secondly to reinforce policies
with the European Commission to help expand
the concept of ECOSERT at pan-European level.
The Dee Estuary also stressed the benefits of
inter-regional co-operation and the usefulness
of the deliverables of the project including
the RESTP for the Dee Estuary and the EMAS methodology.
It was observed that the RESTP should be a living
plan and that there should be dissemination
initiatives to make sure that the methodology
can benefit other potential partner authorities.
This will allow other regions in Europe to undertake
similar initiatives to plan eco/cultural projects
and devise a spatial strategy for tourism.
- Closing remarks commented on the importance
of the planning tools discussed at the symposium
in instigating bottom up approaches to the strategic
policies devised at pan European and world-wide
level for sustainable tourism. Policy initiatives
on tourism from the European Commission and
the European Parliament as well as those from
the World Tourism Organisation will depend on
effective working processes and partnerships
developed at regional, sub-regional and local
level. It is hoped that ECOSERT will contribute
to these needs and act as a role model for other
European regions to undertake integrated, environmentally
sustainable tourism planning at a spatial level.
- The overall conclusion of the
symposium was that there are now considerable
strategic policies in place which promote the
use of sustainable tourism through partnerships
and more integrated approaches towards tourism
planning that was lacking in past decades. This
augurs well for the future demands of tourists
and the successful exploitation of tourism's
potential as a powerful catalyst to increase
jobs and investment in disadvantaged areas.
ECOSERT and the tools tested and refined under
the project provide an important step in instigating
such policies and in bringing a spatial dimension
to the planning of sustainable tourism. It is
hoped that the ECOSERT project can act as a
springboard for similar partnership initiatives
in the future as well as use of the RESTP methodology
to prepare spatial sustainable tourism plans
in other parts of Europe. The ECOSERT Partnership
can also be the embryo from which the political
body and the network of regions can be set-up
as the principal partners expressed their commitment
through the signing of the 'Declaration of Volos"
at the University of Thessaly, with the University
of Thessaly providing the basis for the "tourism
observatory" also recommended in the EC
Communication COM (665). |
