Innovative Features of the RESTP

The planning of tourism development at a spatial level is not in itself innovative on a world scale: indeed it has been the subject of technical studies such as those carried out by the World Tourism Organization (WTO). Often however these have taken place in developing countries where institutional systems are less well developed than in Europe and where there are less sophisticated local and regional planning systems. Moreover, these plans are usually carried out by a central planning authority (such as a provincial tourism administration) and interaction with actors and beneficiaries is limited, either because supporting organizations are less well developed or because there are little effective consultation procedures. Europe is fortunate in that most countries of the EU have mature tourism industries and highly experienced, diverse and skilled supporting organizations working either directly or indirectly with tourism. These, coupled with well-developed local and regional/sub-regional planning systems, provide good opportunities to plan tourism spatially through the involvement of numerous actors and beneficiaries. Up to now, however, there has been a significant lack of co-operation among both the public and the private sector to plan tourism over a long-term horizon and covering a distinct geographical area. Innovatively, the RESTP methodology now provides a framework to allow this to take place. Specifically the innovative features of the RESTP methodology include: setting out a framework for all relevant actors and beneficiaries potentially related to tourism to identify, plan and implement sustainable tourism actions and projects as part of a spatial strategy integrating tourism planning as part of a wider land use/environmental/transport framework over a specific region or sub-region, taking into account the various needs, issues and background of different European situations setting out a co-ordinated programme for priority and future action areas and projects, integrating these as tourism circuits as part of the overall spatial strategy setting up a precise time horizon for the planning of tourism actions at regional and/or sub-regional level, identifying suitable phasing over the 20-year plan period (i.e. short, medium, and long term) using a consistent set of indicators to assess potential tourism assets and the environmental and socio-economic benefits of new eco/cultural tourism developments setting up a framework for consultation of both tourists and actors and beneficiaries (typically those involved in tourism, land use planning, conservation, cultural heritage and environmental protection) setting up a permanent framework to co-ordinate such actors and beneficiaries (including key stakeholders) so that the plan may be implemented, monitored and reviewed through time. Ultimately the RESTP methodology is intended to be used as a working tool at pan-European level, specifically in regions and/or sub-regions where sustainable tourism is seen as a vital contribution to reducing socio-economic imbalances and pursuing environmental protection and improvement. In this respect the RESTP will be a prototype planning tool for groups of authorities and stakeholders to pursue such key objectives in a region or sub-region as: redistributing tourism activities spatially and increasing seasonality improving the environment through tourism by strengthening conservation measures and promoting environmentally sustainable tourism planning additional eco/cultural tourism activities making better use of environmentally sustainable transport and travel carrying out greater promotion and marketing setting-up priority and future tourism action areas installing greater intra and inter-regional co-operation procedures.