AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region

Tourism – Chances and Challenges, Reykjavik, 15 February 2008

Project part-financed by the EU

Project approved as a Baltic 21

Lighthouse Project


Betina MelissUniversity of GreifswaldGERMANY





Lighthouse Project

• Lead Partner University of Greifswald, DE

• Project partners 44 partners from all Baltic Sea States, incl. Russia and Belarus

• Programme INTERREG III B, Baltic Sea Region

• Duration July 2005 – December 2007• Approach Cross – sector approach

Pan – Baltic approachStrategic approach

approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project

2005 - Project AGORA approved!





Lighthouse Project

Lead Partner

University of GreifswaldInstitute of Geography

GERMANY





Lighthouse Project

BELARUSDENMARKESTONIAFINLANDGERMANYLATVIALITHUANIAPOLANDRUSSIASWEDEN

44 partners from 10 Baltic Sea States:

Pan Baltic Approach





Lighthouse Project

Most important results of the project Agora:

www.agora-tourism.net





Lighthouse Project

• a data base including information about (more than 200) tourism related projects which have been part-financed by different European programmes (e.g. INTERREG II A, C, INTERREG III A, B, C, LIFE, LEADER+….) as an expandable data base of tourism projects,

• to save existing knowledge and

• to make it easily and free accessible to the public

Most important results I

YepaT – the Service Hub of Tourism Projects





Lighthouse Project

Most important results II

Sustainability Check for Tourism Projects

• to measure sustainability of tourism projects

• as a mandatory part for assessing tourism related project applications and

• as a precondition for granting projects.

• to stimulate sustainable projects and

• to avoid the support of projects with negative impacts

Its flexibility allows to use it

• for different kinds of tourism,

• on different levels from local to international.





Lighthouse Project

Economy Society Environment

Strengthen local/regional

economy

Satisfaction of most stakeholders

impacted by project

Minimise resource use

Employment of local people

Participation of local people in

decisions

Reduce environmental load

Sustainable capacity planning

Respect for local/regional

culture

Preserve biodiversity

Frame: 9 Sustainability Objectives





Lighthouse Project

Dimension Economy

ObjectiveStrengthen local/regional economy

Employment of local people

Sustainable capacity planning

AspectsAdded value Employment Meeting market

requirements

Diversity Qualification

Stability

+ Professional economical expertise involved

Aspects





Lighthouse Project

Dimension Society

ObjectiveSatisfaction of most stakeholders impacted by the project

Participation of local people in decisions

Respect for local/regional culture

AspectsAccess for the disabled/elderly

Local opinion & transparency

Culture

Gender equality Tradition

Capacity limits

Access (to project benefits)

Satisfaction (of people affected)

+ Professional social expertise involved

Aspects





Lighthouse Project

Dimension Ecology

ObjectiveMinimise resource use

Reduce environmental load

Preserve biodiversity

AspectsLand Waste Number of

species

Water Emissions Composition of species

Energy Water pollution

Renewable energy

+ Public awareness (of environmental issues)

+ Professional ecological expertise involved

Aspects





Lighthouse Project

Fields 1 Policy for sustainable tourism;

2 Knowledge and competence development;

3 Innovation and product development;

4 Destination development; and

5 Cooperation and networking Discussed by Agora partners and approved during the final meeting

Stakeholder Meeting involving international organisationsBerlin, 7 September 2007,

Agreement on implementation Agreement

on further close cooperation

on 10 most important actions for next 2 years

Most important results III

Strategy concept for developing sustainable tourism in the BSR





Lighthouse Project

Participating Organisations

Baltic 21

ICLEI, Local Governmemnts for Sustainability

VASAB Secretariat

Baltic Sea Tourism Commission (BTC)

Union of the Baltic Cities (Commission on Tourism)

UNWTO Task Force Sustainable Tourism

Coalition Clean Baltic

ECOTRANS

Finnish Tourist Board

Latvian Country Tourism Association

Project AGORA and others…





Lighthouse Project

• a technical platform for exchange and networking

• for internal communication and international exchange

Database Yepat will be established there

Improved cooperation between stakeholders

For example: DESTINET Portal http://destinet.ew.eea.europa.eu

Hosted by the European Environmental Agency / DK (EEA), partnered by UN World Tourism Organisation (UN WTO) and

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),administered by ECOTRANS.





Lighthouse Project

2008 ff ?

• Agora follow-up project in preparation - strongly

involving tourism business

new partnership

Application INTERREG IV B (1st call: March – May 2008)

• Participation in different projects related to sustainable tourism development in the BSR

• Implementation of the Strategy Concept and the European Agenda in the Baltic Sea Region – BSR as a pilot region





Lighthouse Project

Thank‘s for your attention!

www.agora-tourism.net

www.yepat.info

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region

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