Ecotourism policies and planning

European Commission
Ecotourism
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication
Unit
policies andGeneviève
planning
Pons
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/
services/tourism/index_en.htm
THE WORLD ECOTROURISM SUMMIT
Québéc, 21 May 2002
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Europe is the most visited tourist region in the world, offering the highest
density and diversity of tourist attractions and heritage. Since the mid-80s, the now
15 EU Member States and the European Commission (EU executive body) more closely
consult and co-operate on tourism issues. During the 90s, this resulted in
significant action, such as the 1993-1995 EU Action Plan to Assist Tourism.
Since then, activities developed more towards co-ordinated policy formulation, lately
under the "Tourism and Employment Process". The most recent product of this work is
the European Commission communication "Working together for the future of European
tourism". Setting a framework and proposing concrete measures, this policy paper also
emphasises the importance of tourism development being sustainable.
Despite the high density of tourism in particular in Europe's coastal, alpine and
urban destinations, there are still large areas that are less frequented. From autumn
2000 to spring 2002, an EU study focused on using natural heritage to develop
sustainable tourism in these areas. It analysed recent market trends in this sehgment
and describes how information on Europe's natural and cultural wealth can be
obtained. The study presents the prospects and limits of this kind of tourism,
analyses and develops key success factors. It provides guidance how to assess the
tourism potential for heritage based tourism, how to devise a tourism strategy for a
less frequented area, and how to create a viable tourism product. Its ends with
indicating the monitoring and fine tuning mechanisms to be used, including the
application of performance and stress indicators.
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
L’Europe est la région du monde la plus visitée par les touristes, offrant les plus
grandes densité et diversité en matière de nombre d’attractions et de patrimoine
culturel. Depuis la deuxième partie des années 80, les actuellement 15 Etats membres et
la Commission européenne (l’exécutif de l’UE) plus étroitement se consultent et
coopèrent sur les affaires du tourisme. Au cours des années 90, des actions
significatives en ont résulté, comme le Plan d’actions communautaires en faveur du
tourisme 1993-1995.
Depuis, les activités se sont développées davantage dans le sens d’une formulation
coordonnée de politique, ceci dernièrement dans le « Processus Tourisme et Emploi ». Le
produit le plus récent est la communication de la Commission européenne « Une approche
coopérative pour l’avenir du tourisme européen ». Créant un cadre et proposant des
mesures concrètes, ce document politique met aussi l’accent sur l’importance du
développement durable du tourisme.
.
En dépit de la forte densité touristique, en particulier sur les destinations côtières,
montagneuses et urbaines, on compte toujours de grandes zones moins fréquentées. De
l’automne 2000 au printemps 2002, une étude de l’UE a fait le point sur l’utilisation du
patrimoine naturel pour développer le tourisme durable dans ces zones. Elle a analysé les
tendances récentes du marché dans ce segment et décrit comment l’information sur les
richesses culturelles et naturelles de l’Europe peut être obtenue. L’étude présente de
perspectives et les limites de ce genre de tourisme, elle analyse et développe les
facteurs-clé du succès. Elle donne des indications sur la manière d’évaluer le potentiel
touristique pour le tourisme basé sur le patrimoine, comment élaborer une stratégie
touristique pour une zone moins fréquentée et comment créer un produit touristique
viable. L’étude se termine en indiquant quelles sont les mécanismes de suivi et
d’ajustement à employer, y compris l’application des indicateurs de performance et de
pression.
.
.
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Europa, la región turística más visitada del globo, ofrece la mayor diversidad
y densidad de alicientes turísticos y de patrimonio del mundo. Desde mediados de los años
80, los Estados miembros y la Comisión europea (el ejecutivo comunitario) se consultan y
cooperan más estrechamente en temas turísticos. Durante los años 90, este cambio de actitud
se ha traducido en una mayor acción comunitaria como, por ejemplo, el ‘Plan de Acción para
el Turismo de los años 1993-1995’. A partir de entonces se puede apreciar un mayor énfasis
en el desarrollo de políticas de coordinación, con especial hincapié en el llamado ‘Proceso
de turismo y empleo’. El resultado más reciente de este trabajo es la Comunicación de la
Comisión europea ‘Un marco de cooperación para el futuro del turismo europeo’, que
establece un marco de acción e identifica una serie de medidas prioritarias, así como
resalta la importancia de que el desarrollo del turismo se produzca de modo sostenible.
A pesar de la gran densidad turística en áreas costeras, montañosas y urbanas, existen aún
vastas extensiones en Europa poco visitadas. Desde otoño del año 2000 a la primavera del
2002, la Comisión ha centrado sus preocupaciones en el análisis de la utilización del
patrimonio natural y cultural como vector de desarrollo sostenible en áreas turísticas poco
frecuentadas. Igualmente, la Comisión ha estudiado las tendencias más recientes para este
segmento del mercado y ha definido cómo puede obtenerse información sobre la riqueza
cultural y natural en Europa. Este estudio presenta las previsiones y los límites para el
desarrollo de este tipo de turismo y describe cuáles son los factores claves para un
gestión exitosa. Orienta acerca de cómo valorar el potencial del turismo de base
patrimonial, cómo definir una estrategia de turismo para áreas no saturadas y cómo crear un
producto turístico viable. Finalmente, este estudio identifica los mecanismos de medición e
información necesarios, incluyendo la aplicación de indicadores de rendimiento y capacidad
de carga.
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
ØSustainability
in economic terms.
ØSustainability
in environmental terms.
ØSustainability
in social terms.
§ Tourism needs travelling è the aspects and problems
related to transport.
§ Tourism installations and activities use valuable land,
natural and cultural resources.
§ The high seasonality of European tourism, and the
problems that are linked to this (e.g. unsteady income
and failure to retain workforce, low qualification of
workforce, over-capacity, overcrowding).
§ Impact on local economy and society (monoactivity,
effects on socio-cultural fabric), but also contribution
to local sustainable development.
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
(incl. regional/
local authorities)
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
• Luxembourg 4-5 Nov 1997:
European Conference on Tourism and Employment
• High Level Group on Tourism and Employment:
Conclusions and recommendations of October 1998
“European Tourism- New Partnership for Jobs”.
• Commission Communication 1999
“Enhancing Tourism’s Potential for Employment
• Council of Ministers 21 June 1999 - Conclusions
• Beginning 2000 - Summer 2001: 5 Working Groups
• November 2001: ”Working together for the Future of European Tourism”
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF 21 November 1998 on
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
TOURISM IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
COUNTRIES
The action of the Community and its Member States should aim to … help governments
to: (extract)
Ø measure the performance of the tourist industry and assess its present or potential
economic, social, cultural and environmental effects at macro-, meso- and microlevel;
Ø develop an appropriate institutional, legal and methodological framework, to
implement a strategy in coherence with sustainable development policy and local
initiatives to avoid negative impact from tourism development;
Ø ensure the participation of civil society, local communities and
indigenous peoples in the process of the development of
tourism so that they receive maximum benefit.
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
In view of the particularities of this sector, where the quality of services,
infrastructure and the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage are
essential, it is important that the public authorities ensure:
Ø the continuing development of human resources, including from the local
populations;
Ø socially and environmentally sensitive investment in related public infrastructure;
Ø the protection and sustainable management of their heritage.
The Resolution is based on the Commission Communication
“A European Community strategy to support the development
of sustainable tourism in the developing countries”
full texts:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/lex/en/tourism.htm
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
5%
Geneviève Pons
5%
12%
to identify and analyse basic information and
knowledge with regard to using natural and cultural
heritage for the development of sustainable tourism in
non-traditional tourist destinations in the EEA
best practices
conclusions, guidance and recommendations
ECOSYSTEMS LTD
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European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
%
Geneviève Pons
CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TOURISM DESTINATION
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Geneviève Pons
Sustainable:
Demand driven:
v carrying capacity
environmental, social,
psychological
5%
v
market research and benchmarking
v
12%
v participatory
approach
v
diversity of facilities - services
5%
hospitality and quality
v feedback and monitoring
v
targeted marketing and networking
Integrated:
v involvement key stakeholders
from the outset
v public authority support
v formation of business associations
v diversification through other
economic sectors
v involvement of conservation groups
v awareness of local residents
Organised:
v choice of lead organisation
v tourism strategy
v marketing strategy
v packaging
v time tabling
v SMART ventures
v sector support :
training, advice, finance
ECOSYSTEMS LTD
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate-General -Tourism
- Information
Unitand Communication Unit
Since 1971, when he was graduated with the diploma of Civil Engineer, Reinhard
KLEIN was for more than six years Scientific Assistant, Lecturer, and Chief Engineer at the
Department of Spatial Planning at the University of Dortmund, where he also made his PhD.
Already at that time, a main topic of his professional career related to tourism issues, such
as drafting the Tourism plan and the concept of areas for leisure activities of a German state
and scientific articles on tourism planning. Then, for another about six years, he became
Head of Regional Planning and Director of a Regional Planning Association in Germany.
In 1983, Reinhard Klein joined the European Commission, working for 11 years at the
Environment Directorate-General, where he was mainly responsible for the implementation
and funding of EU measures and projects for nature conservation. Then, he was coordinator of the European Community Initiative for cross-border co-operation, at the
Directorate-General Regional Policy. In September 1998 he was appointed Head of the
European Commission Tourism Unit. --- Reinhard Klein has a record of numerous scientific
publications and as a regular university lecturer as well as guest lecturer at several
European Universities. But he also performs regularly on stage for the Brussels "German
Theatre Workshop". In 1997, he passed an academic semester as EU-Fellow at the LB
Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, where he was Lecturer for EU issues
and did a special study on Environmentally friendly decision-making in structural policies.
Geneviève Pons