“draft agora strategy for sustainable tourism development in the baltic sea region” agora -...

“Draft Agora Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region”

Agora - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region

Project part-financed by the EU

Lighthouse project

Draft Agora Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development

in the Baltic Sea Region

- Friday, September 7, 2007

Wolfgang GüntherInstitute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe, N.I.T.,Kiel

www.nit-kiel.dewww.agora-tourism.net




Lighthouse project

Overview

Intention of this meeting

About agora

Development of the agora Strategy

Contents of the strategy

Work ahead




Lighthouse project

Intention of this meeting• Introduce the agora Strategy

• Discussion:

- Which activities do you run at the moment?

- How do your activities fit to our strategy?

- How we can link and coordinate our approach

with your activities in order to join forces?

• Identification of the 10 most important (relevant,

urgent, feasible) activities for the next two years

• Draft work plans for their implementation

• Discussion on future cooperation on Sustainable

Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region




Lighthouse project

Project background The agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region, Baltic 21

Initiators

Baltic 21 Tourism Task Force (TOUTF) Members: Representatives national tourism authorities and associations from all over the BSR as well as from international organisation.




Lighthouse project

agora project idea

Compile and integrate knowledge & experiences on sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR)

Make it accessible for the tourism development in the BSR and Europe

Strengthen the competence and capacity of tourism stakeholder in the BSR and join there forces in a common network Develop a strategy for sustainable tourism development in the BSR




Lighthouse project

Pan-Baltic approach

BELARUSDENMARKFINLANDESTONIA GERMANYLATVIALITHUANIAPOLANDRUSSIASWEDEN

44 partners from 10 BSR states involved!

Lead Partner:University of Greifswald,

GERMANY

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Steingrube Head of the Institute of Geography and Geology




Lighthouse project

agora Strategy Factory:Development process of the agora strategy

Adoption of a work plan (September 05)

SWOT

Identification of objectives and aims

Adoption of terms of reference for the strategy development

Mandate for a Drafting Group

Discussion and improvement of the draft

Communication and implementation




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Focus on selected aspects of strategic importance and activities which are relevant, feasible and effective from the Strategy Factory’s point of view.

Vision Baltic 21 Common Vision of a Baltic Sea Eco-Region

Strategy: Target orientated, focused action plan for sustainable tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region




Lighthouse project

Baltic 21 Tourism Task ForceBaltic 21 Tourism Sector Report 7/98Three main overarching objectives

UN Task Force Sustainable Tourism12 aims for Sustainable Tourism (2005)

EU Tourism Sustainability GroupReport: Action for More Sustainable European Tourism (2007)

Starting points




Lighthouse project

Baltic 21 Tourism Sector Report 7/98

To sustain a sound environment, safeguarding the recreational quality of natural and man-made landscape and integrating natural, cultural and human environments;

To promote and sustain the competitive quality and efficiency of the tourism business;

To create satisfactory social conditions for tourists and the local population.

Objectives …




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Ex: “Making Tourism More Sustainable“ A guide for policy makers,UNWTO/UNEP, 2005

12 Aims for Sustainable Tourism

… and aims




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take into account and make use of existing approaches promoting sustainable tourism (BSR, EU, worldwide) and the Baltic 21 Common Vision of a Baltic Sea Eco-Region;

be short, simple and easy to communicate;

focus on aspects of strategic importance;

give concrete and feasible recommendations;

have a clear profile and message;

consider the practitioner’s perspective; and

include a communication strategy and an evaluation procedure.

Terms of reference for the agora strategy




Lighthouse project

Aiga Petkevica (Ministry of Economics, LV)

Bjarne Rasmussen (Region Sjaelland, DK)

Christa Morawa (Federal Environmenmtal Agency, D)

Zivile Eteviciute (Thomas Mann Centre, LIT)

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Steingrube (University of Greifswald, D)

Assisted by:

Wolfgang Guenther

(Institute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe, D)

Drafting Group for the agora Strategy




Lighthouse project

Strategy for sustainable tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region

Focused on five fields of action:

Policy for Sustainable Tourism

Knowledge & Competence Development

Product Innovation and Marketing

Destination development

Cooperation and networking

for each field: Key aspects & recommended activities

plus: Recommendations for involvement and implementation




Lighthouse project

(1) Policy for sustainable tourism

Economic, ecological and social costs of tourism products and public as well as private policies have to be visible and comparable for the customer and the public.

Financial support by public authorities and private institutions for tourism projects should be

dependent on passing an ambitious sustainability check.

Baltic Sea tourism needs to prepare for coping with future challenges like global competition, demographic development and climate change internationally as well as on national and

destination level.

Examples of key aspects




Lighthouse project

(2) Knowledge and competence development

Sustainability has to become a key issue in tourism education at schools, universities and in business trainings.

Tourism competence clusters and knowledge networks should be identified or initiated and used as a stimulating environment for knowledge building and effective use of existing resources.





Lighthouse project

(3) Innovation and product development

More sustainable tourism products should be developed. They should make use of Baltic

natural and cultural assets, offer high quality experiences rather than only services and contribute to a Baltic Sea Region branding.

A stringent customer orientation and coordinated market research in product development is crucial.

Professional innovation systems, IT and e-media solutions have to be employed.





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(4) Destination development

Tourism development should be linked to Local Agenda 21 processes, respecting local

communities as well as cultural and natural values.

Synergies of rural-urban tourism cooperation should be exploited.

A pan-Baltic project on sustainable destination development with a limited number of case

studies should generate transferable models for other destinations in the region.





Lighthouse project


(5) Cooperation and networking

Networks of excellence and strategic alliances in sustainable tourism on provider, tour operator and destination level should strengthen the competitiveness of Baltic Sea tourism.

The significance of sustainable development in existing tourism networks has to be fostered.

People-public-private-partnerships should be employed to implement the participatory

approach of sustainable development.




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Broad involvement of key stakeholders and decision-makers in tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region – expressively including the local level - is needed.

We would like to and have to join forces with all other stakeholders interested in a Sustainable Tourism Development in the BSR

Implementation requires a responsible coordinating body. Proposal: Baltic 21 Tourism Task Force

Involvement and Implementation




Lighthouse project

Still work ahead

• High dependence

on TOUTF resources

• No time schedule

• No clear budget

• Not well known yet

Here we need your advice and cooperation!




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Thank you!




Lighthouse project

- Which activities do you run at the moment?

- How do your activities fit to our strategy?

- How we can link and coordinate our approach

with your activities in order to join forces?

Discussion

“draft agora strategy for sustainable tourism development in the baltic sea region” agora -...

Documents