diversification of economic activities in rural areas in
TRANSCRIPT
Diversification of economic activities in
rural areas in SEE through rural tourism
Agricultural Policy Forum
9 - 10 October 2019 Ohrid, North Macedonia
#APF2019 #RuralTourism #ValueNotVolume
Topics
Rural Tourism – What & Why
Good Stories & Problems to Solve
Key Success Factors
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Rural is important in all of this!
Rural Tourism
Ecotourism incl. Wildlife Conservation
Adventure Travel
Mountain Tourism
Cultural & Heritage Tourism
CulinaryExperiences
Sports Tourism(Leisure)
Health & WellnessTourism
Other Special Interest (SIT)
Voluntourism& Working Holidays
Rural Tourism by Core Location and Main Offer
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Farm: On farm and its environment.
Agro: agricultural land, meadows, pastures and forest land
Rural: territories with natural and cultural attractions; lakes, mountainous, natural forestry parks, in or near protected areas
Farm: Farm life, accommodation.
Agro: rural way of
life, rural holidays,
trades of agro-food
products, F&B
Rural: rural
environment
with natural
and cultural
attractions,
recreational
activity that are
basis for rural
holidays
Source: Bojnec, S.: Rural Tourism, Rural Economy Diversification and Sustainable Development, Koper, Slovenia 2010
…as to increase the number of choices.
Always act so...
H. von Förster (1911-2002, Austrian American
scientist combining physics and philosophy)5
…because our guests are not the same as in the 70s!
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They want good reasons to stay longer & spend more locally!
Diversified traveler motives
New kinds of expectations
Educated, travel experienced, aware of (ecology, safety, social…)
Individuals, not herds
Digital, mobile, spontaneous
New socio-demographics - source countries - travel patterns
Photo: www.montenegromountainguide.me
Diversification best practice example
Fallängetorp in Sala, Sweden
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https://fallangetorp.se
Destination Management Organisation: https://vastmanland.se/en/
„Make and cooperate!“
Anitha Barsätter´s message to us…
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Maintain or develop: Small-scale community services,
such as village schools, meeting rooms, elderly care.
Develop communication: Broadband,
alternative public transport.
Think innovative: In the development of business in the
countryside, towards new "green services" e.g. in health and
environment.
Healthy pricing: Provides additional payment to rural services
and raw materials at fair value, e.g. raw materials for food,
health and sustainability services.
...for rural areas to stay alive and have a
good chance of success:
Talking value &
branding…
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70g powder,
15€…and no
plastic!
Why rural tourism? Because…
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Can
ShouldLike
Because we can
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Have ǀ Find ǀ Create#DesignOfMemories
“The Balkans are Europe the way most Americans imagine, but most of Europe no longer is.“ Jim Johnson, Founder and CEO Biketours.com
Because people like it
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#PeaksoftheBalkans
#ViaDinarica
… and more!
Because we should
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…disperse from „hotspots“ to wider regions
Because we should
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Net Migration Rates 2000/2015 (migrants per thousand population)
Country
/ Year
Albania BiH Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Kosovo
2015 -6,37 -8,89 -0,5 -0,99 -2,24 n.a.2000 -11,53 -8,37 -0,85 -7,00 -10,24 n.a.
…help stop depopulation & brain drain.
Source: https://knoema.com/
Because we should
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…increase their number of choices
Because we should
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…reduce seasonality
Because we should
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…gain repeatead guests
Because we should
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…increase cross-border cooperation
Because we should
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…attract the right kind of guests – value, not volume!
We have here good stories…
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…but also problems, between strategies and
realisation (not only funding!):
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Albania: Human resources,
coordination/implementation
of all projects, NPs under risk
BiH: Public structures, weak framework,
communication/coordination (including
donors), no IPARD
Kosovo: Lack of data. No linkages /
connection with many different
strategies (some underway still)
North Macedonia: Access to data;
institutional memory non-existing
Serbia: Cooperation
between Ministries;
weak products (not
only „bed & food“)
„killing small
entities“, corruption,
disabling environment
Montenegro:
Human resources,
communication/coordination across all
levels (horizontal & vertical), non
existing destination management
Top challenges (as per SEDRA meeting in Pogradec, Albania, June 2019)
2008, Boan – Javorje
Montenegro
What a promise we gave! With new infrastructure,
education, standards, promotion, 6.000km…
… 2019, on a National “Top Trail” for cycling & Via Dinarica, connecting villages…
10 years no maintenance → No product…
A riverside walk in Berane, MNEAround Lake Skadar, MNE
Via Alpe Adria, village Varch, ITA
These things must change now. For citizens and visitors.
Key Success Factors (I) –
Destination management
(not only marketing!)…
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Efficient system of support for beginners in rural tourism business:
information, education, consulting, favorable financing, joint
marketing strategy and action planning.
Development of new managerial and entrepreneurial knowledge
and skills – focus on generation change & gender equality.
Integration of agriculture and tourism as a lever of rural
development (e.g. local value chains).
If it´s not sustainable, it´s not development.
… bringing together rural and tourism policies with
global sustainable destination development standards
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https://www.gstcouncil.org/ + more: see presentation by Ioannis Pappas, 20.06.2019
Why has sustainability become a key issue?
Benidorm, Spain Photo: V. Crego „The Venice Syndrome“, a film by A. Pichler, 2012
Trailer: vimeo.com/52491214
Budva, Montenegro28 Our lakes, rivers & oceans
Key success factors (II) Early & continued local
community involvement…
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“The concept of true social sustainability
is to share the business with
the local community,
not just the profits
in form of pay / service jobs.” Dr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General 2010-2017 at the
#ATWS2019 closing panel
Destination Development is a Management Process
Analysis:
Where arewe?
Goals: Where do wewant to go?
Strategy:What canwe do?
Realisation:How do we
make ithappen?
Monitoring:Are we on the right
path?
Community-based rural tourism is their best
option. That is why local people cry out to…
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#SaveTheBlueHeartofEurope
#SaveSinjajevina
#SaveSalina
#SaveSkadarLake
#DaljeNecesMoci
#NeKapBukovice
#etc. etc.
Key Success Factors (III) Education &
cooperation, for products & marketing
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Quality standards – with local authenticity.
Protection of rural identity and natural-cultural landscapes.
Incentives for cooperation & innovation.
Cross-sectoral cooperation – from national to local levels.
Transparency, communication, facilitation,
hands-on support
Key Success Factors (IV): The right indicators
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How does success look like in 20, 30, 50 years?
Challenge in all tourism: Stop chasing volume, start chasing value!
What you don´t measure
you cannot manage.
ANN HEIDI HANSEN Visitor Management Pilot Project Nordland County
Council: Accelerating Smart Sustainability for Destinations, The Regional
Perspective Presentation at #ATWS2018
Tourism needs to be measured not by visitor numbers
alone, but its efficacy in creating prosperity, full-year
employment, a healthy environment and benefits to the
destination → the local communities. Cillian Murphy, The Loop Head Peninsula, adjustments by K.H.
Making and measuring what matters
What are the impacts of our decisions on…
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People?
Planet?
Profits?
About SDGs and tourism: https://tourism-sdg.nz/2018/07/02/tourism4sdgs/
Key Success Factors (V): Networks. Check, involve
& support the functional ones; link with Europe
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Region
Albania: anrd.al
BiH: alterural.ba, ruralnamreza.ba
Kosovo: facebook.com/nordkosovo
Montenegro: ruralholiday.me, ruralportal.me
North Macedonia: ruralnet.mk
Serbia: selo.rs/rs, ruralsrbija.rs
Balkan Rural Development Network (7 members)
European Federation of Rural Tourism, eurogites.org
European Network for Rural Development
https://enrd.ec.europa.eu/
Enabling joint competitiveness
Building good management (LAG → DMO)
Understanding our existing and potential customers
Creating market-resonant experiences
Keeping promises: inbound & outbound
Making & measuring what matters
Wrap up. Diversification through rural tourism
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38 Read & watch the full story in:
https://openexplorer.nationalgeographic.com/expedition/exploringwesternbalkans
Ideas? #happytohelp
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Kirsi Hyvaerinen
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kirsi.hyvaerinen
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