Developing Sustainable Rural Tourism

THEMATIC GUIDE ONE

DevelopingSustainableRural Tourism

E U R A C A D E M Y T H E M A T I C G U I D E S E R I E STHIS PROJECT HAS BEEN CO-FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,DIRECTORATE GENERAL EDUCATION AND CULTURE, LEONARDO DA VINCIPROGRAMME

European Summer Academyfor Sustainable Rural Development

EURACADEMY

THEMATIC GUIDE ONE

Developing SustainableRural Tourism

Developing Sustainable Rural Tourism

ISBN: 960-87327-5-1

Athens, March 2003

Published by PRISMA - Centre for Development Studies on behalf of the EURACADEMY partners

17 Empedocleous Street, GR-116 35 Athens, GreeceTel.: +30 210 7525660, e-mail [email protected]

This Guide is based on texts written by the EURACADEMY partners, andedited by Professor Michael Dower of the University of Gloucestershire, England and Dr Fouli Papageorgiou, Managing Director of PRISMA -Centre for Development Studies, Athens, Greece.

The EYRACADEMY patners are:ü Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Rural Development Centre, Sweden

contact: Thomas Norrby, [email protected], tel. +4618 671889

ü PRISMA - Centre for Development Studies, Athens, Greececontact: Fouli Papageorgiou,[email protected], tel. +30 210 7525660

ü University of Ioannina - Medical Technology & Intelligent Information Systems, Greececontact: Demetrios Fotiadis, [email protected], tel. +30 26510 98803

ü Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Regional Studies, Hungarycontact: Iren Kukoreli, [email protected], tel. +3696 516570

ü University of Helsinki, Seinajoki Institute for Rural Research and Training, Finlandcontact: Juha Niemela, [email protected], tel. +3586 4213300ü Nicolaus Copernicus University, Department of Sociology, Poland

contact: Andrzej Kaleta, [email protected], tel. +4856 6789394

ü Masurian Academy, Faculty of Marketing and Management, Polandcontact: Tomasz Laskowski, [email protected], tel. +4887 5103133

ü Mediterranean Institute for Sustainable Development (IMEDES), Spaincontact: Raul Abeledo, [email protected], tel. +3496 3610604

ü Michael Dower, [email protected]

Preface

PART I: Rural tourism in the context of sustainable development

Introduction

Chapter 1. Sustainable rural development

Ø The changing scene in rural areas

Ø The policy framework

Ø Concepts and principles

Chapter 2. Sustainable rural tourism

Ø Tourism: its nature and potential

Ø Rural Tourism

Ø Concepts and principles in rural tourism

Ø A typology of tourism development

PART II: The six themes of developing sustainable rural tourism

IntroductionChapter 3. Creating the tourism product

Case Study 3.1: The island of Gotland, Sweden: a significant and varied tourism destination

Case Study 3.2: El Teularet: a tourism package in Spain

Case Study 3.3: Villany-Siklos Wine Route, Hungary

Case Study 3.4: Journey into Ostrobothnian Art, Finland

Case Study 3.5: A non-profit agency ensuring high-quality

tourism, in Tzoumerka, Greece

Chapter 4. Protecting and managing the heritage, with tourism

Case Study 4.1: The Walloon Ironworks, Sweden

Case Study 4.2: Heritage Trail, Slovenia

Case Study 4.3: Canoe tourism and the protection of the natural heritage in Sweden

Case Study 4.4: Finnature's birdwatching tours

Case Study 4.5: The Festival of Celtic Culture, Dowspuda, Poland

Chapter 5. Synergies: how tourism can benefit other parts of the rural economy

Case Study 5.1: Hyyppa village, Finland: promoting the whole village

Case Study 5.2: Eco Agro-tourist Farm in Gize, Poland

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Case Study 5.3: Adding value to wood through tourism, Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Case Study 5.4: Desa, Croatia: tourism-related enterprise for refugees

Case Study 5.5: Mortelenboeren, the Netherlands: a joint enterprise to

encourage synergies

Chapter 6. Entrepreneurship: how to encourage enterprises related to rural tourism

Case Study 6.1: Koskenkorva Banquet Catering Service, Finland

Case Study 6.2: Women's Cooperative, Agios Antonios, Central Macedonia, Greece

Case Study 6.3: Szelle Stableyard, Hungary

Case Study 6.4: Gervide Gard, Gotland, Sweden

Case Study 6.5: A Sami entrepreneur in northern Finland

Chapter 7. The local community: how to involve and sustain the local people through tourism

Case Study 7.1: Hultsfred Rockparty, Sweden

Case Study 7.2: Xativa, Spain: communal enterprise in tourism

Case Study 7.3: Pusztamerges, Hungary: ambitious communal enterprise

Case Study 7.4: Syvota, Greece: local action on the impact of tourism

Case Study 7.5: Community Sensitisation in the island of Scopelos, Greece

Chapter 8. Strategic planning: a formal approach to the long view

Ø The purpose of planning

Ø The planning process

Ø Techniques

Case Study 8.1: Rural Tourism Working Group at national level, Finland

Case Study 8.2: A Tourism Theme Group at regional level, Finland

Case Study 8.3: Zala-KAR Association, Hungary

Case Study 8.4: Morella, Spain: strategic planning of local development

Case Study 8.5: A national partnership for rural tourism in Estonia

Chapter 9. Further Reading

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T his Thematic Guide is offered to you -the practitioner-student- as a provocation. It is not a text-book. Nor

is it a definitive Guide to how to achieve sustainable rural tourism. The Guide acted as a reference tool in

the 1st Summer Academy held in Gotland, Sweden between 10-21 of August 2002 and has been revised in

the light of the discussions there and enriched with examples brought by participants.

It aims to stimulate your thinking on developing sustainable rural tourism. Namely, it is a collection of ideas and exam-

ples which may help you to think round the whole subject of sustainable rural tourism. You may ask yourself:

Ø How can tourism be developed in a sustainable way?

Ø How can each area gain a unique tourism product?

Ø How should tourism relate to the natural and cultural heritage?

Ø How does it bring benefit to other economic sectors?

Ø How can the local community be involved and sensitised?

ØWhat is the role of animators and of entrepreneurs?

To make the best of it, we invite you to:

Ø Read the Guide carefully and think about the questions at the end of each chapter.

Ø Prepare questions and think of case studies to illustrate -or to refute !- the principles suggested in the Guide.

Ø Pursue some of the further reading that is suggested

Good reading!

The Euracademy Partners

P R E F A C E

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E U R A C A D E M Y T h e m a t i c G u i d e O n e

D E V E L O P I N G S U S T A I N A B L E R U R A L T O U R I S Miv

D E V E L O P I N G S U S T A I N A B L E R U R A L T O U R I S M 1


Part I

F or us in Euracademy, rural tourism does notstand alone. It is part of a larger theme-sustain-able rural development. In this Guide, we try to

show why we take that view. Briefly summarised, we believe that tourism will onlybring real benefit to the people, the economy and theenvironment of rural regions if it is 'integrated' withother aspects of rural life. Without that integration,there are real dangers that rural tourism will fail or willbring damage to the place or the people. We explainthis later.Therefore, we begin by offering brief ideas on RuralDevelopment, in order to show how important ruraltourism may indeed be, as a sector with potential forgrowth at a time when other sectors are faltering. Wethen (chapter 2) offer a broad approach to Sustainablerural tourism. The other six chapters outline a series ofthemes which may be seen as facets of the complexprism of rural tourism. Each of these later chaptersincludes case studies. These case studies are focusedmainly on the theme of the chapter in which they sit:but inevitably they refer also to other themes, and werefer in many places to these links between chapters.

The participants to the First Summer Academy

I N T R O D U C T I O N


D E V E L O P I N G S U S T A I N A B L E R U R A L T O U R I S M2

The changing scene in rural areas1.1. This is a time of rapid change in the character ofrural areas throughout Europe, and in the policies relat-ed to them. By rural areas, we mean those territories,roughly 80% of the European land area, which are notcovered by cities or large towns. 1.2. Rural areas vary enormously in character: from theperi-urban areas around the cities to the high mountainpastures; from the Mediterranean lands of olive andwine to the reindeer grazing areas of Lappland; fromthe puszta of Hungary to the green fields of Ireland.There are no standard problems, no standard answers,in the rural development that they need. But they areall affected by change.1.3. Many of the more remote, marginal or mountain-ous regions of rural Europe have been losing popula-tion over long periods of time, and this process is stillcontinuing. In such places, the local economy tends tobe fragile and narrowly-based: it is difficult to sustainthe public services: young people tend to move awayfrom the area. By contrast, many rural regions near thecities are changing rapidly in character, as city workerslook for new homes there or urban enterprises moveout onto green-field sites. In such places, rural peoplemay be tempted away from jobs in farming or may beunable to buy houses at inflated prices.1.4. The whole of rural Europe, moreover, is affected togreater or lesser degree by the radical changes in agri-culture. Until the 1980s, the primary role of the ruralareas was seen (by the public and by politicians) to bethe production of food; and the thrust of rural policywas to encourage the production of more food, at lowprices. Then came two major events which radicallyaltered the picture. First, in the early 1980s, the successof the Common Agricultural Policy produced (for thefirst time) a surplus of milk, meat, wheat, wine andrelated products within the European Union. Second, in1989 came the collapse of the Iron Curtain and of theSoviet Union, which removed at one blow the Sovietmarket upon which Central European farmers haddepended. 1.5. European policies related to agriculture have beenchanging, quite fast but painfully, in the face of thesetwo great events. Other factors also are forcing achange in policies. World trade negotiations may obligethe European Union to reduce its financial support tofarmers and its export subsidies on food, and to openthe European food market to outsiders. There is grow-ing public concern about animal welfare on farms;about livestock diseases and their potential impact onhuman health; and about the impact of intensive agri-

culture upon the environment.1.6. For these and other reasons, the emphasis in ruralpolicies has shifted away from "more food at low cost"to a wider concern with the well-being of the people,the economy and the environment of rural areas. Inparticular, there is a concern to strengthen and diversi-fy the economy of rural regions. Farming is no longerthe only, or even the dominant, sector in that econo-my. The role of farmers is changing in many regions.They may still have importance as producers of food:but they are also perceived as (and sometimes sup-ported from public funds to be) entrepreneurs in otherfields, producers of resources to which value can beadded in the local economy, providers of space forrecreation or leisure activity, guardians and maintainersof the natural and cultural heritage.1.7. This is indeed a fertile context within which ruraltourism can play an enlarged role as one significant sec-tor within diversified local economies, and as a sourceof new activity and income for farmers.

View from the Maronia archaelogical site, an attractionfor cultural tourism, Thrace, Greece

C H A P T E R 1.

Sustainable Rural Development



The policy framework1.8. In all rural development, there is a tension betweenthe global and the local -between (on the one hand)what local people and entrepreneurs would like to do,and the potential offered by local resources, and (onthe other hand) the market conditions, policies andregulations imposed, or the support offered, from out-side. That is why you may need to understand the pol-icy framework which affects rural development includ-ing, as we shall see, rural tourism. In Europe, thatmeans particularly the policy framework of theEuropean Union, bearing in mind that the EU is rapidlygrowing in size and influence.

1.9. We describe above the shift in policy over the last20 years, from 'more food at low cost' to a wider con-cern with the well-being of rural areas. In the EuropeanUnion, this shift in policy was crystallised in a few keypolicies or initiatives:Ø The report on 'The Future of Rural Society' in 1987Ø The LEADER Initiative, launched in 1991Ø The Review of the Common Agricultural Policy,

in 1992Ø The Cork Declaration on Rural Policy 1995(see references in Further Reading, chapter 9)

1.10. These moves all applied to policy within the EU,with its 12 member states increasing to 15 after theaccession of Austria, Sweden and Finland in 1995. Butthe prospect of eastward enlargement pushed theUnion towards a further significant shift in policy, whichis reflected in Agenda 2000, the major policy statementagreed at the Berlin summit of March 1999.

1.11. Agenda 2000 has a broad concern with enlarge-ment of the Union and re-allocation of EU funds. Itspolicies cover the period 2000 to 2006. Here, weemphasise only its provisions relevant to rural develop-ment. Briefly stated, these are:

Ø A gradual reduction in funds for support of produc-tion, processing and export of food;Ø The creation, within the Common Agricultural Policy,of a 'second pillar' related to rural development;

Ø The Rural Development Regulation, under which EUmember states produce and implement their own ruraldevelopment programmes, with features drawn from a'menu' of possible activities set by the regulation: oneof these activities is the development of rural tourism;

Ø The LEADER+ initiative, aimed (like its predecessorsLEADER I and LEADER II) at promoting action by localpartnerships to pursue integrated rural development inmany regions of the EU; and

Ø The SAPARD programme (Special Aid for Pre-acces-sion in Agriculture and Rural Development) offered bythe EU to the 10 Central European countries which arecandidates to join the Union. Under this programme,the governments of these countries are launchingnational programmes of rural development. These

national programmes have a strong emphasis on meet-ing the EU standards in key fields such as food process-ing and animal welfare, as part of what is known as theacquis communataire. Non-agricultural matters, suchas rural tourism, do not yet figure strongly in them.

1.12 Agenda 2000 is thus prompting a new generationof rural development programmes, both within theexisting EU and in the accession countries. These pro-grammes are not standardised, in that governmentsare free to choose the features within the EU 'menu'that they wish to pursue. Moreover, many of the gov-ernments have their own rural development pro-grammes, in addition to those which are part-fundedby the EU.

1.13 This element of discretion, retained by the mem-ber states or candidate countries, is not only a com-monsense reaction to the impossibility of controllingeverything from Brussels. It reflects also the principle of'subsidiarity', which implies that decisions should betaken at the lowest appropriate geographic level. Whatthis means in practice is part of an evolving debatewithin Europe.

1.14 In this debate, there is a growing emphasis uponregions, which are geographic units smaller than moststates, and which some people see as the right level formaking decisions about broad issues of regional andrural development. Very often, indeed, rural develop-ment programmes are part of regional developmentprogrammes, which may also embrace the cities, largetowns, major industrial areas or infrastructure such asmain roads and railways. But the rural areas need sub-stantial attention, in their own right. This is one reasonwhy there is growing emphasis upon action and initia-tive at local level. Many people believe that rural devel-opment programmes will be more effective if they areactively supported-indeed, preferably, initiated- at locallevel. There is much talk about local partnerships, localaction groups, and 'bottom'-up' or 'grass-roots' action.Later in this Guide, we offer examples of what this canmean.

A tour in the meadows in Gervide Gard, Gotland, Sweden

Concepts and principles1.15 To complete this brief scene-setting before wemove into the subject of rural tourism itself, we offersome concepts which may help you to understand thechallenge of rural development.

1.16 Rural Development. There have been many defi-nitions of rural development. The following is one ofthe most useful:

1.17 The key points in this definition are:

Ø the emphasis on a deliberate and sustained process:rural development is not a short-life affair: it needs tobe pursued over a long period of years and in a delib-erate way.

Ø the inclusion of sustainability : see further commentbelow.

Ø the five other adjectives-economic, social, cultural,political and environmental-which show the width ofthe subject and the need to keep and take an inte-grated view (see further comment below): the word'political' is included not in the sense of party politics,but because any effective rural development involves agrowth of public awareness and confidence at locallevel and hence a subtle change in power relationships.

Ø The word change: rural development is not aboutprotecting the status quo- it is about deliberate changein order to make things better.

Ø The focus on improving the life of the local popu-lation. Too much so-called 'rural' (or 'regional') devel-

opment in the past has been motivated by nationalneeds (e.g. for electricity, water, defence, or for contri-bution to the national balance of payments fromtourism), rather than the needs of the rural peoplethemselves. National needs may indeed be met in ruraldevelopment, and any successful meeting of localneeds will contribute indirectly to national well-being.But the modern concept of rural development has aprime emphasis on the needs of the local population.

1.18 Integrated rural development. In both the devel-oped and the developing world, there has been a grow-ing emphasis on the need for an integrated approachto rural development. What does this mean? It indi-cates four things:

Ø the focus should be on society and economy andenvironment; Ø the development should be both 'top-down" and"bottom-up": it should embrace the policies, moneyand support of government (at all levels) and the ener-gy, resources, and commitment of the people;

Ø it should involve all sectors-public, private and volun-tary;

Ø it should be based on partnership and collaboration.

1.19 Four 'legs' or 'pillars' of rural development. Toillustrate and dramatise the idea of an integratedapproach, we offer the concept of four legs or pillars ofrural development, which - like the legs of a horse, orthe pillars of a building - need to be kept in balancewith each other. The legs or pillars are:Ø The people, with their skills;

Ø The economy;

Ø The environment; and

Ø Ideas, institutions and power structures.

Paragraphs 1.22 and 2.14 show the links between thisidea and the principle of sustainability.

1.20 Community-based development. Ruraldevelopment should be based on the inter-ests, and the involvement, of the communityliving in the area. By 'community', we mean allthe people living in a given rural area. They arethe basis for sustainable rural developmentbecause:

Ø they know best what are their problemsand needs;

Ø they control many of the resources -land,buildings, local products- upon which devel-opment is based;

Ø their skills, traditions, knowledge and ener-gy are the main resource for development;

Ø their commitment is vital (if they do notsupport an initiative, it will die).Moreover, the more lively and active a com-munity is, the more likely it is to attract peopleto move into the area, and to keep people



Rural Development is a deliberate processof sustained and sustainable economic, social,political, cultural and environmental change,

designed to improve the quality of life of the localpopulation of a rural region.

Visitors to a traditional wooden church in the Carpathians, Poland



from moving away.

In chapter 7, we explorehow local communitiesmay be involved in theprocesses of rural devel-opment, including ruraltourism. We address thereissues such as capacitybuilding, conflict resolu-tion and the creation ofpartnerships. These issuesare also explored in otherchapters.

1.21 Sustainable devel-opment. All public bod-ies, and many privatecompanies, are nowapplying the word 'sus-tainable' to their pro-grammes or products.What they mean by theword is not always clear.We need to be as clear aspossible if we use it aboutrural development. Theunderlying concept isoffered by the famous Brundtland definition of 1987,that sustainable development is:

But that definition provides no basis for assessingwhether a particular programme or project is truly sus-tainable. We need a definition which assists such assess-ment, and which reflects the emphasis (above) on anintegrated and community-based approach. The nextparagraph offers such a definition.

1.22 Sustainability in rural development, includingrural tourism. Sustainability is not simply a matter ofrespect for the environment. It relates to all four of the'legs' or 'pillars' of rural development - people, econo-my, environment and institutions. People. To be sustainable, development must promote:Ø Democracy and security;

Ø Fairness, or equity, including special help for thepoor and a concern for women, children and ethnicminorities;Ø Quality of life for all the people;Ø Leadership by the people, in partnership with gov-ernment; andØ Respect for the memory of ancestors, and for therights of people not yet born.Economy. To be sustainable, development must:Ø Help to strengthen and diversify the economy ofrural areas;

Ø Ensure that local people gain substantial benefitfrom the local activity;Ø Look to the long-term prosperity of rural areas,rather than simply their short-term benefit; and Ø Avoid harmful side-effects elsewhere in the national,regional or local economy.Environment. To be sustainable, development must:Ø Respect natural systems, the cultural heritage andthe integrity of the environment;Ø Minimise the use of non-renewable resources;Ø Consume renewable resources no faster than naturecan renew them;Ø Make efficient use of all resources used; and Ø Avoid causing pollution and other adverse impactson the environment.Institutions. To be sustainable, development must:Ø Be within the capacity of human institutions to con-trol and manage, in a way that meets the other criteriastated above; and Ø Not be the source of unsupportable costs in thefuture.

1.23 These ideas offer, in fact, the beginnings of acheck-list which may permit one to judge how sustain-able a particular policy, programme or project may be.Such a checklist may be turned into a set of indicators,which permit the measurement of the impact of a pol-icy, programme or project. This is further explored inchapters 2 and 8.

Traditional barn converted to simple accommodation for walkers, Peak National Park, England:this brings extra income to the farmer

Development that meets the needs of the presentgeneration without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs.



Questions, arising from chapter 1,for you to reflect upon

For this chapter, we invite you to focus both uponyour whole country, and upon the rural area in whichyou work or a specific rural area with which you arefamiliar. 1. What kinds or rural areas are there in your coun-try? How important are these rural areas in the lifeand the economy of the nation?2. Do you recognise the description (paragraphs 1.1to 1.7) of the broad changes affecting rural areas?What effects have these, and other, changes hadupon the rural areas in your country? 3. What policies and programmes are in operationwhich affect the rural development in your chosenrural area? 4. At which geographic level -European, national,regional, local -are these policies and programmesbeing decided ?5. What do you think of the principles and conceptsstated in paragraphs 1.16 to 1.22? Do they ring truewhen you think about your own work in, and experi-ence of, rural development?6. Can you improve upon the criteria for sustainabil-ity stated in paragraph 1.22 ?

2.1 In this chapter, we define what we mean bytourism. We then:

Ø describe the character and growth of tourism;

Ø outline the nature, and the potential benefits anddangers, of rural tourism; andØ offer concepts and principles for sustainable ruraltourism, parallel to those which we stated in chapter 1for sustainable rural development, and ideas towards atypology of rural tourism.

Tourism: its nature and potential2.2 A definition. Tourism is a multidimensional, multi-faceted economic activity with a strong social element.In 1991, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) offeredthe following definition:

Tourism may include holidays (main or second holidays,short breaks or day trips), business trips, visiting friendsor relatives, travel for education, sport, health or reli-gion. It includes movement by people within their owncountry, and travel between one country and another.It is closely connected to recreational and sportingactivity by people in the countryside near their homes,since this activity may use the same resources as areused by visitors from further away.2.3 Rising demand. The demand for recreation andtourism is rising very rapidly, particularly in the devel-oping world. It has been stimulated by greater accessi-bility of tourist destinations as well as increased mobili-ty, income and free time of the tourist-consumer.World tourism grew by an estimated 6.8 per centbetween 1999 and 2000, its highest growth rate innearly a decade. Moreover, despite the grim expecta-tions following the international crisis of September2001, world tourism showed a 3.1% increase in interna-tional arrivals in 2002, when international arrivalsreached a record 714.6 million, proving the sector'sresilience to unforeseen events (table 1). Tourism hasbeen growing faster than even the most ambitiouspredictions. According to the WTO's long-term forecastin "Tourism: 2020 Vision", international tourist arrivalswill top one billion by 2010 and reach 1.56 billion by2020.

2.4 Economic importance. Tourism has been a majorgenerator of income and employment, at national,regional or local level. It has been estimated thattourism accounts for 10.1% of the world's GDP and10.6% of world employment.2.5. A volatile industry. Tourism is a volatile industry, inthe sense that demand for it can fluctuate verymarkedly in response to economic cycles and to otherevents, notably disasters, hostilities or rapid politicalchanges. For example, the tourism industry in Greeceand the Middle East suffered severely during the GulfWar in 1991: the foot and mouth disease in UK slashedthe demand for tourism there in 2001: the terroristattack on the Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 dra-matically affected international tourism, leading severalairlines to close or shrink.



C H A P T E R 2.

Sustainable Rural Tourism

Tourism comprises the activities of persons travellingto and staying in places outside their usual

environment for not more than one consecutive yearfor leisure, businesses and other purposes.

Region

WorldEurope

NorthernEurope

Western EuropeCentral/Eastern

EuropeSouth Mediter-ranean Europe

InternationalTourism,

2002

Growth rate(%)

Arrivals(millions)

714.6411.0

42.5

141.4

81.1

146.1

Marketshare (%)

10057.5

5.9

19.8

11.3

20.4

2000/1999

6.85,8

1.2

4.0

4.1

10.4

2001/2000

-0.5-0.3

-5.9

-1.6

1.6

1.6

2002/2001

3.12.4

2.3

1.8

3.9

2.2

MeanAnnualgrowthrate (%)

1990-2000

4.33.6

4.3

2.2

5.8

4.0

TABLE 1. INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS

Source: WTO (January 2003)

Winter Conference brings life to Slovakian town

2.6. A highly competitive industry. Tourism is also ahighly competitive industry. This means that those whodepend upon continuity or growth in demand fromtourists must put constant effort into sustaining thequality of their "product", marketing it effectively, andadjusting what they offer to suit changes in demand.Current trends in tourism include a shift towards short-er but more frequent breaks; expectations of higherquality and value for money; and a growing interest in"environmentally friendly" forms of tourism.

Rural tourism2.7 A small but growing sector. Within the total worldmarket for tourism, rural tourism forms a relativelysmall sector, but one of growing importance. The rea-son for this is that a very large part of tourism till nowhas been concentrated on the coast and in the cities. Ifgovernments and the tourism industry wish to developnew regions for tourism, they may look to the ruralareas which till now have been little developed fortourism. Local authorities and other bodies throughoutEurope are indeed looking to rural tourism as a key partof their efforts of local development. Of the 900 localaction groups operating under the EU's LEADER II pro-gramme, over 70% sought to promote tourism, usuallywith a specific focus on use of the local heritage. Manyparts of Central Europe have similar hopes.2.8 Contact with nature, and rurality . Rural tourismmay be defined simply as that tourism which takesplace in a rural context; or as an economic activitywhich depends upon, andexploits, the countryside.For the visitor, rural tourismoffers something differentfrom familiar models oftourism. However, it isargued that rural tourism ismore than an alternative toother, more conventionalforms: it is a state of mindwhereby tourists are active-ly seeking a leisure experi-ence in a rural environment.The actual or perceived"rurality" of a region may beattractive, as a contrast tomodern, urban life. Rural tourism offers a renewedcontact with nature. This explains why agro-tourism,eco-tourism and a host of the so-called "alternative"forms of tourism have become so popular during thelast decade, helped by intelligent marketing and by sig-nificant financial support from national and regionalgovernments and from the EU.2.9 Economic benefit. Rural tourism can make a verysignificant contribution to the economy of ruralregions. This contribution may be judged not only interms of gross output and employment figures, butalso in the broader economic benefits that it can bring.

Rural tourism can serve to diversify the local economy;to provide new markets for local products and services;to provide new sources of income for farmers and oth-ers whose livelihood is threatened by changes in agri-culture; and to prompt the creation of new businesses.Tourism can be the new "cash crop" in rural areas,changing the balance between the primary industriessuch as agriculture and the tertiary or service sector.2.10 In many remote or marginal areas, rural tourism isseen by both local communities and policy makers as aprimary driving force for revitalisation. Indeed, it issometimes seen as a panacea for the problems facingthese communities. But there is danger in over-dependence upon tourism in areas with a fragile econ-omy. Such over-dependence can make the area morevulnerable to the effects of demand fluctuations. Weexplain this further in chapter 5.2.11 Other benefits. Tourism can also bring social andcultural benefits to rural areas. They may include socialand cultural contact between local people and visitors;increased awareness, among both visitors and localpeople, of the value of the heritage and the need forits protection; a strengthening of the identity andcohesion of the local community; and fuller use of, andthus greater viability for, local transport and other serv-ices. At its best, therefore tourism cam help rural com-munities to find new strength in their local economy,while preserving their quality of life, heritage and socialvalues.2.12 Dangers. However, there are also dangers associ-

ated with tourism. They mayinclude a greater cost onpublic services; an increasein land values or in the costof houses, to the disadvan-tage of local people; unbal-ance in the job market, witha heavy emphasis on sea-sonal, part-time or femalejobs; temptation to peopleto leave their traditionalwork in agriculture or othertrades; congestion andcrowding that impinge onthe quality of life and priva-cy of local residents; a clash

of culture between local people and visitors; anincrease in crime and anti-social behaviour; or pollutionand over-use of the physical environment. For good orbad, the self-perception of residents and local identitymay also be subtly affected when the local heritage andculture become 'commodified' into tourism products.

Concepts and principles in Rural Tourism2.13 How can one ensure that rural tourism brings thebenefits described above, and that the dangers areavoided? We offer concepts and principles which may



Economic benefit through tourism : farmer selling vegetablesand fruit to tourists on the island of Aegina, Greece

help you to answer this question.2.14 Sustainable tourism. The main answer to thatquestion lies in the concept of sustainability. Howshould this concept be applied to tourism? WTO offersthe following definition of sustainable tourism:

Sustainable tourism does not however imply an anti-growth attitude. Rather, it favours development whichsets limitations to growth and encourages tourismwithin these limits; sets realistic short and long termobjectives; and emphasises the importance of satisfy-ing human needs and aspirations.2.15 Relation to the pillars of rural development. Thedefinition above relates to all the four pillars of ruraldevelopment to which we referred in the last chapter.Indeed the criteria for sustainability set out at the end ofthat chapter can be very aptly applied to rural tourism.2.16 Planning and management. One of the out-comes to the Earth Summit of 1992, where the con-cept of sustainable development was given world-widerecognition, is the Agenda 21 for Travel and Tourism.This stresses the benefits that tourism can bring to ruralareas, but also the vitalneed for planning and man-agement of rural tourism.This requires a long-termperspective, and carefulconsideration of the manyways in which tourism andthe environment interre-late. Ideally, tourism activi-ties and facilities should bekept within the carryingcapacity of an area so thatits natural features are notdamaged and the localcommunities are not dis-turbed.2.17 This, however, demands a global view of the fac-tors that affect sustainability (economic, social, cultural,political, managerial, equity and fairness); understand-ing of how market economies operate; the ability toresolve conflicts of interest over the use of resourceswhen they arise; and the participation of all stakehold-ers in the decision-making. Applying Integrated QualityManagement (IQM) is a new practice which bridges for-ward planning and everyday management and helpsattain the global view mentioned above. Case study 3.4provides an example of IQM in practice. The principles of

IQM, and many examples, can be found in the EuropeanCommission publication, 'Towards Quality Rural Tourism'(European Commission, 1999).2.18 Impact assessment. Planning and managementof tourism can greatly benefit from constant monitor-ing and assessment of the impact of tourism upon thelocal resources-human, physical, cultural. For this, it isaccepted to use indicators, which help to quantify im-pacts and adjust planning objectives in a tourist area.Examples of indicators suggested by the WTO are:Ø visitor numbers (per annum/peak month)Ø social impact (ratio of tourists to local inhabitants)Ø carrying capacity (the ability of the site to supportexisting and future levels of visitors)Ø Income and jobs generated by tourism for the localpopulationØ critical ecosystems (number of rare/ endangeredspecies).In later chapters, we pick up many of these points.2.19 Integration. An integrated approach to develop-ment, with a focus on society and economy and envi-ronment, based on the involvement of all sectors (pub-lic, private and voluntary), and on local partnership andcollaboration, is imperative for achieving sustainablerural tourism. It is also essential that the supply of ruraltourism is balanced with the other uses of the country-side so that harmony is attained and conflict betweenuses is avoided. However, in reality, it is hard to findtrue examples of integrated tourism development on

the ground, despite thesupport this concept hasreceived over the pastdecade. This, arguably, doesnot reflect a lack of intent ordesire by the local commu-nities to achieve integration;rather, it implies a lack ofunderstanding and informa-tion about the nature ofsustainable tourism and ahesitation to build a long-term vision for the future.2.20 Community involve-ment. A feature common inmuch of the literature on

sustainable tourism is the assertion that a "community-based approach to tourism development is a prerequi-site for sustainability". This implies a bottom-upapproach whereby self-regulation and participation ofthe local community are promoted, vis-a-vis externallyimposed regulatory frameworks. Community-basedtourism planning is seen as vital for two reasons. Firstly,to avoid conflicts and tensions that are likely to occur ifthe development of tourism is not compatible with thecommunity's desires and objectives; this may happenwhen outside interests dominate local tourism.



Acheron is a popular river for rafting in Epirus, Greece

Sustainable tourism development meets the needs ofpresent tourists and host regions while protectingand enhancing opportunities for the future. It is

envisaged as leading to management of all resourcesin such a way that economic, social and aestheticneeds can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural

integrity, essential ecological processes, biologicaldiversity and life support systems.

Secondly, local residents, arguably, have the moral rightto be involved in the development of an industry whichis likely to result in both benefits and costs to theircommunity. This is particularly true in the rural contextwhere, frequently, local people have a "symbiotic rela-tionship" with their environment. 2.21 However, it is not easy to integrate tourism devel-opment into a community or destination without caus-ing pain to some local people, because tourism canbring both opportunities and threats. But that processis much more likely to succeed if the local people areinvolved in the decision-making process, and if they canfeel that the development will bring real benefits tothem. We explore this theme further in chapter 7.2.22 Conflict or co-operation? The planning and man-agement of rural tourism may involve, in any rural area,a large number of individuals and organisations, fromthe public, the private and the voluntary sectors. Thepublic sector may focus mainly on provision of publicservices, policy-making for rural development (includ-ing tourism) and land-use planning. The private sectoris usually focused on providing accommodation andother services, with a profit motivation. The voluntarysector may include conservation bodies or pressuregroups, concerned with the natural or cultural heritageof the area, or village groups concerned with variousaspects of local development. 2.23 These different 'stakeholders' can find themselvesin conflict over the objectives, and the methods of ruraltourism development. Creative ways must be found toresolve such conflict, and to nurture communicationand co-operation between the different interests (forexample, bringing them all together in a constructivepartnership). Also, education is needed, both of visitorsand providers, to spread public awareness of sustain-ability and to build the capacity of all stakeholders toprotect and preserve the local resources, upon whichthe very vitality of rural tourism is dependent.We explore this further in later chapters.

A typology of tourism development2.24 We emphasised in Chapter 1 that the rural regionsof Europe vary enormously in their geographic location,in their character, their position vis-a-vis the cities, thestrength of their local economies etc. We stressed thatthere can be no standard answers in rural developmentwhich can apply equally to all rural regions.2.25 That principle applies equally to rural tourism.Regions vary greatly in their capacity to attract and toabsorb tourism, and indeed in the extent to whichtourism is already developed. Looking broadly at alltourism regions (urban, coastal and rural), Cohen(1972) grouped them into four categories, which takeinto account the capacity of the destination to receivetourism and the nature of the tourists' experience. Thistypology, which applies to tourism in general, reflects acontinuum from organised mass tourism to the

"authentic" experience of "undiscovered" places, includ-ing:Ø Organised mass tourism destinationsØ Individual mass tourism destinationsØ Explorers' destinationsØ Drifters' destinationsRural regions may fall anywhere in that continuum. Oneof the main factors that differentiates categories is thetourist's wish for adventure and his/her expectationsconcerning available facilities and services. The organ-ised mass tourist is seen as the least adventuresomeand most demanding while the drifter/explorer is moti-vated to search for adventure offered by authenticexperiences rather than plush facilities and services.2.26 The above classification of tourist destinations isuseful to guide policy. Mass tourism destinations,whether organised or individual, require strict planningand management measures to protect the environ-ment and safeguard sustainable development. Suchdestinations offer the opportunity to local people tomake a living solely from tourism, so that the latterbecomes the dominant economic activity. On the otherhand, explorers' destinations are natural areas, oftenprotected by designations, which require the minimumintervention in the form of visitor management. In suchareas, tourism is expected to play a small complemen-tary role in the local economy.2.27 Taking as a starting point the importance oftourism in the local economy, another useful way todistinguish different models of tourism development isby reference to the scale or impact of tourism:Ø Modest tourism-in which tourism development is ofsmall scale, and plays a complementary rather than pri-mary role in the local development process. Mild formsof tourism, such as agro-tourism, eco-tourism, culturaltourism etc are more likely to be developed under thismodel, providing income to individual farmers or otherentrepreneurs, but accounting for only a small propor-tion of the local economy. More benefits than dangers



Walkers on Hadrian's Wall, England

are likely to be perceived by the local community,matched by a desire for further development.Ø Dominant tourism-in which tourism is a leading sec-tor in the local economy and may have more impor-tance than farming and crafts. The tourism develop-ment may be mainly in intensive forms, though withmild forms in a complementary role. Over-dependenceon tourism may lead to an unbalanced productivestructure, matched by an influx of outside investorsand over-exploitation ofnatural resources. Thedangers of non-sustain-able tourism develop-ment are more likely to

appear in extreme form under this rather than othermodels.Ø Balanced tourism-In which tourism is a dynamic sec-tor in a balanced local economy, in which farming,forestry and other traditional activities retain theirimportance. This is an ideal situation to develop sus-tainable tourism. Some intensity of development isexpected, combined with mild forms. This situation typ-ically evolves through effective diversification of the

local economy, and thedifferent sectors aremore likely to supportand benefit from oneanother than in othermodels.




For this chapter, we invite you to focus both uponyour whole country, and upon the rural area in whichyou work or a specific rural area with which you arefamiliar. 1. What is the scale and trend of tourism to andwithin your chosen area? In broad terms, where dotourists come from, where do they go, and what dothey do?2. Within this overall pattern, how significant is ruraltourism?3 Can you apply the typologies of paragraphs 2.24 to2.27 to this area?4. To what extend the "type" of your area reflects thelocal tourism policy? Or the national tourism policy?5. Are the concepts and principles set out in para-graphs 2.14 to 2.23 helpful to you in thinking aboutthe potential for rural tourism in your area?6. What benefits does this tourism appear to bring tothe area? What dangers does it hold for the area?What are the conflicts, if any, that it gives rise to?7. To what extent is the local community involved inthe development of tourism?8. Is there a partnership between public, private andvoluntary bodies in your area, relevant to rural devel-opment and rural tourism?



Part II

So, rural tourism is a complex and multi-facetedthing. We urge you to look at it 'in the round', ina holistic way, so that you have the best chance

of keeping the pillars (explained in chapter 1) in bal-ance. In this way, rural tourism may be truly sustainable.In reality, however, not everyone can float, in theirmind, high like an eagle looking down on the wholescene. Rural tourism is a very practical business, downto earth. Each person involved-the hotelier, the farmer,the national park warden, the marketing expert, thelocal resident, the strategic planner-starts with his orher own perspective. The challenge for you, as you tryto make good things happen, is to see the thing fromtheir perspective and take the wider view.That is why the rest of this Guide is structured by refer-ence to six themes:

Ø Creating the tourism product (chapter 3)

Ø Protecting and managing the heritage, with tourism (chapter 4)

Ø Synergies: how tourism can benefit other parts of the rural economy (chapter 5)

Ø Entrepreneurship: how to encourage enterprise related to rural tourism (chapter 6)

Ø The local community: how to involve and sustain the local people through tourism (chapter 7)

Ø Strategic planning: a formal approach to the long view (chapter 8)

These six themes are simply a conven-ient way of 'cutting the cake'. You willsee, as we describe each theme, howwe link it to the others. We urge you tobear in mind the whole picture as youfocus on each theme.

Visitors to Morwellham Open Air Museum, based on a historic copper-mining port in Devon, England

I N T R O D U C T I O N

3.1 In this chapter, we outline how the resources of anarea can be turned into something that the touristsmay buy.3.2 The consumer's view. It can be useful to start fromthe perspective of the tourist. If you want to attract vis-itors to your area, try putting yourself in their position.then remember two things:Ø This holiday, or business trip, may be a big event forthem, and a big expenditure.Ø They may have a wide choice of places that theycould go to.This means that they will be thinking hard about theexperience that they may have, and the cost. They mayneed to be persuaded that you are offering a uniquetourism product, or at least one that is especially attrac-tive.3.3 Remember also that the visitors may start consider-ing your area for one particular reason -the mountains,the fishing, the music festival or the conference- buttheir holiday or business trip will consist of more thanthat. They may need accommodation, food, informa-tion, transport, entertainment, activities, a variety ofservices. They need to be convinced that these ele-ments will be available.3.4 A tourism product is the combination of the aboveelements, which can be marketed under its own dis-tinct brand identity. It may consist of a unique combi-nation of different components, such as accommoda-tion and catering facilities, tourist attractions, arts,entertainment and cultural venues and the naturalenvironment. 3.5 A tourism destination is a place which offers one ormore distinctive tourism products. The profile of a ruraldestination is defined by the experience it offers to vis-itors, depending among other things, on its accessibili-ty or remoteness, its rural identity and the specialresources it makes available to tourists (ecological, ther-apeutic, cultural, sports etc). This is well illustrated bythe description of Gotland in case study 3.1. 3.6 However, the overall tourism experience consistsof more than the visit to the destination. It can includethe preparation for the trip, the journey to and fromthe destination, the visit itself, and the resulting mem-ories. Thus, it may be seen to consist of five separateand identifiable phases, as follows:Ø the anticipation phase;Ø the travel to the destination;

Ø the experience at the destination;Ø the return travel home; andØthe phase of recollection.Source-R&J Sharpley, 1997: p. 693.7 The heart of this is, of course, the experience atthe destination. The quality of that experiencedepends upon all these factors that make up thetourism product. These factors may include the qualityof accommodation, adequacy of facilities, opportunityfor activities, contact with local people and with othertourists, the weather, prices and the sense of value formoney, the attractiveness of the rural setting. Atourist's dissatisfaction with one of these elements mayspoil or diminish his or her overall tourism experience.For example, the enjoyment of a visit to the country-side may be spoiled by high prices of local food ordrink, by traffic jams in the way back home, by over-crowded sites or by the sight of ugly buildings.



C H A P T E R 3.

Creating the Tourism product

Climbers on cliffs purchased by the Peak National Park authority, England

3.8 The tourism package. Sometimes, the differentelements which a tourist needs are all part of a 'pack-age' which he can buy. For example, the organisationCenter Parcs offers holidays in rural locations in theNetherlands, England and some other countries, whereholiday-makers occupy chalets in woods or aroundlakes and can take part in sporting activities and enter-tainments, all within a single large complex. The com-plex at El Teularet in Spain, described in case 3.2 below,is self-contained in a similar way. A smaller example isthe Gize agro-tourist farm in Poland, described at case5.2 in chapter 5. In all these places, the visitor may findall that he needs within a single site and through a sin-gle enterprise; and may not need to use the services ofother firms or to move around the countryside once hehas arrived.

3.9 Co-operation. In most rural areas, however, theattractions and facilities are not under the control ofsingle companies. Thus, as the tourists pursue theirvisit, they will find themselves visiting facilities providedby many different people and enterprises. This has theadvantage that the economic benefits from the spend-ing by visitors are spread through the local economy,which may not happen where the enterprise is concen-trated in a single company. But it also implies that thequality of the visitors' experience depends upon theaction of many different providers; and that the effec-tiveness of the destination, and of its marketing,depends upon co-operation between those providers.Case studies 3.3, 3.4 and 4.2 offer examples of such co-operation.3.10 Investment. Whatever the structure of thetourism industry in a given rural area, a key need is forinvestment in the creation and good management oftourist facilities and services. This is essential in order toensure that services of the right standard and qualityare available, to meet the expectations of tourists. Weemphasise the word standards: tourists vary in the typeand level of facility that they expect, and the price thatthey are willing to pay. Each area, each entrepreneur,must be clear what kinds of tourist they are aiming at,and then ensure that the resources are to the standard

and quality that they will expect.3.11 Long-term management. Moreover, in a compet-itive and constantly changing industry, tourismproviders may need constantly to raise the standard,and adapt their offer to changing demands, whileensuring that the rural setting remains attractive. Thisimplies a long-term effort of physical maintenance andeffective management, based upon observation of theperformance of the tourism enterprises and cruciallyupon monitoring of visitors. This monitoring shouldrelate not only to how many people come, but alsowhere they came from, what they did, what they likedand disliked, what they would like to do more etc. Themost successful rural tourism enterprises really listen totheir guests and act on what they learn. Also needed isa constant effort of monitoring of the impact oftourism on the local community and environment, inorder that it shall remain truly sustainable. We developthese points further in chapter 8.3.12 Labelling and quality assurance. The Tzoumerkaassociation in Greece (case study 3.5) provides anexample of co-operation among tourism enterprises toensure the qualitative upgrading of the tourism prod-uct of their area, through the introduction of a qualitylabel. Another example of quality branding is providedby the Swedish Eco-tourism Association which, in co-operation with the Swedish Travel and Tourism Council,had launched a powerful labelling system for tour oper-ators who organise eco-friendly activities. The objectivehas been to ensure high quality travel experiences andenvironmental conservation by guiding customers'travel choice towards branded eco-tourism operatorsand their tours. The small size of most culture andnature tourism operators can make it difficult for themto market their products efficiently. A labelling systemmakes this easier for all parties.3.13 Innovation. Tourism providers may also need tobe innovative in developing new products of ruraltourism, responding to potential "niche" markets withparticular expectations: Finnature (case study 4.4) pro-vides an example of this. However, any new tourismproducts that are developed, in order to enhance theappeal of an area, should be compatible with the essen-tial character of the area. For example, in theKalampaka area of central mainland Greece, which isfamous for the sight of the monasteries on theMeteora Rocks and which attracts many visitors, it wasrecognised that some alternative tourist attraction wasneeded in order to extend the tourism season. TheLocal Development Agency, in collaboration with otherLEADER Local Action Groups in Scotland and Sweden,organised there in June 2000 the first competition ofmultiple sports as part of the "European round ofadventure races": these used the hard and level groundwhich surrounds the rocks.3.14 Marketing. Success in rural tourism depends uponeffective marketing. It is not enough to create a finetourism product. You must ensure that there is a mar-



Visitors enjoying the heated pool in Center Parks holiday camp,Sherwood Forest, England

ket for that product, and that the prospective visitorsare told effectively about the product. This implies theneed for:Ø proper assessment of markets from the outset, look-ing at existing local patterns and not just local trends;Ø a focus on 'market segmentation', that is the differ-ent kinds of visitors, across a wide spectrum from daytrips by people from the local town to specific types ofinternational visitor; you may need to decide who ismost relevant in your product, who will be most easy toattract immediately and who may be attracted later;Ø applying skill, energy and resources to marketing,and working closely with established outlets such astourist boards and tourist information centres;Ø being prepared to keep going overt the initial leanyears until visits start to multiply. To achieve this may demand the hiring of marketingexperts, who will analyse the market and advise whichkinds of visitors may be interested in your area andwhat kind and standard of services they may be lookingfor. The description of Heritage Trails (case study 4.2)shows plainly the relationship between markets andproducts.3.15 Co-operation in marketing. Marketing can bedone by individual enterprises: indeed, as we describebelow, the Internet is making this more possible today.But most marketing is done on a wide basis, either fora whole region as a destination or for specific types offacility (such as farmhouse accommodation, or youthhostels) which are found in many regions. In eithercase, a co-operative effort may be needed, bringingtogether all the main parties in a region or many entre-preneurs in a specialist sector. Examples of co-opera-tive effort on a regional basis are provided by casestudies 3.3, 3.4 and 4.2. Quality labelling is also an indi-rect but effective way of cooperative marketing, as dis-cussed above (see case study 3.5). 3.16 Destination Branding. For those who seek tomarket particular destinations in a highly competitiveindustry, a powerful weapon is destination branding.The point of this is that every region in the world, whenpromoting itself to potential visitors, may offer superbresorts, hotels, attractions and facilities and claim tohave the friendliest people. So, it is not enough to offerthe same in your region. There must be somethingwhich is truly unique to the place, and which is basedupon the essential character of the place, as perceivedand valued by its own inhabitants. For example, visitorsmay be much attracted to characteristic local products,such as traditional food or local wine. This principle isillustrated by the example of the Villany-Siklos WineRoute (case study 3.3).3.17 The Information Society . The management andpromotion of the tourism product of a rural area canalso benefit from the Internet and other tools of whatis called the "information society". The use of informa-tion technology can help the managers of small and

medium-sized tourism enterprises, for examplethrough Computer Reservation Systems (CRS),Destination Management Systems (DMS) and marketingon the Internet. We give examples in later chapters ofindividual farm tourism enterprises who get most theirclients through marketing and booking on their ownWebsite. The wine routes and heritage trails, featured inthis or other chapters, have used the Internet to publi-cise their activities and to attract customers-see, forexample, case study 3.3.Note: the Information Society, and the contribution that itcan make to rural development, is the theme of theEuracademy Second Summer Academy, to be held inIoannina, Greece in July 2003. A Thematic Guide, similar to thisone, will be produced on that theme.

3.18 An institutional framework. This need for long-term effort, and for maintaining standards in facilitiescontrolled by many different people and organisationsin a given area, points towards the value of having aninstitutional framework that can take a long-termresponsibility for creating and promoting the tourismproduct. There is no single model for this framework. Insome places, the local authority provides the focus. Inother places, the role is played by the Chamber ofCommerce, the Syndicat d'Initiative (France) , theRegional Park or a local association of businesses.3.19 Local organisation. In case studies 3.3 and 4.2, wedescribe the Villany-Siklos Wine Route Association whichinitiated and managed the wine route of their region;and the Heritage Trail Associations set up in Slovenia to



Marketing local quality products through the Internet,women’s cooperative of Agios Antonios, N. Greece

of a company limited by guarantee, are providing lead-ership in the economic development of their areas,including tourism, beyond the time limits of the EUfunding provided by that programme. A local organisation which represents the different sec-tors (public, private and voluntary) in its area has a bet-ter chance to develop, monitor and manage thetourism product of the area in an integrated way thanany agency based outside the area.

create and then to sustain the Heritage Trails there.These are both examples of local organisations whichhave been set up specifically to manage and market thetourism product. But the task of securing continuity inthe tourism product may also be undertaken by localorganisations with a more general remit. For example,the Local Action Groups set up under the LEADER pro-gramme, which in many countries take the legal form


We invite you to focus upon the rural area in whichyou work, or upon a specific rural area with whichyou are familiar. 1. Is your country, or your chosen region, wellrecognised as a tourism destination? If so, what areits key characteristics which appeal to tourists? Ifnot, how might it establish an image as a destina-tion?2. What are the main tourism products offered byyour chosen area?3. How do these products relate to specific tourismmarkets?4. How effective is the tourism marketing effortrelated to the area ? How could it be made moreeffective?5. Is there a good degree of cooperation, betweendifferent tourism enterprises and agencies, in prod-uct development and in marketing of tourism in thearea? Is this expressed in formal structures?6. Is good use made of the Internet, and of otherelements of the Information Society, in the tourismindustry in the area? How might that use be furtherencouraged?



The Ist EURACADEMY Summer School was held onthe Swedish island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea.This is a large island, 7,500 square kilometres,

almost wholly rural, with large areas of productive for-est and many farms. It has a population of 58,000, ofwhich about 22,000 live in the capital Visby. The islands'economy is mixed, with emphasis on farming, forestry,fishing, manufacturing and tourism.Tourism on the island started in the 19th century, andby 1900 there were about 8,000 visitors from outsidethe island each year. These numbers increased gradual-ly to about 100,000 by 1960, and then accelerated inresponse to growing leisure time and income amongthe Swedish population. By 2001, the numbers reached700,000 a year. A majority of visitors come fromSweden, notably Stockholm and its surrounding region,but there are also significant numbers from otherNordic countries and from England, Germany etc. The major assets of Gotland for tourism are its temper-ate climate, the sea and the coast, the natural and cul-tural heritage, the opportunity for outdoor activitiessuch as horseback riding, sailing and cycling, and thesense of adventure. The capital Visby is centred on awalled mediaeval town, of World Heritage status, andoffers a popular mediaeval festival in August. Almost allother tourism on the island is truly rural, and there is awide variety of accommodation, from camping sitesand holiday cottages to high-quality hotels. ManySwedish people from Stockholm and elsewhere ownsecond homes on the island. Tourism in Gotland is highly seasonal, with about400,000 visitors present in July, 250,000 in August,175,000 in June and much lower figures in the othermonths. This seasonality is welcomed by many tourism entre-preneurs, who say that they can earn enough in a shortseason to be viable: some of them have other sourcesof income in the off-season. However, others would liketo see a longer season. The Gotland Tourist Associationis actively campaigning to attract more visitors in thelow season, in the context of the vision of the island'slocal authority which wishes to create 500 new jobsmainly in the tourism and service industries and thus toretain a higher proportion of the young people on theisland. The Association's marketing activity is focused onGotland's overall image as a destination, an island richin nature and in history, offering a wide variety of(mainly outdoor) activities. The rural side is not sepa-rately emphasised. But many of the entrepreneurs in

the rural areas undertake their own marketing, with astrongly rural emphasis; and there are two large agen-cies based on the island which handle the marketing ofmany hundreds of tourism enterprises.

Contact: http://www.gotland.com, [email protected]



Case Study 3.1The island of Gotland, Sweden: a significant and varied tourism destination

The Open Air Bunge Museum shows how the Gotlandic peasantsof the past lived

An open air dinner is part of the Mediaeval Festival, Visby

EL Teularet is a tourism development projectpromoted by "La Confederation Sindical deComisiones Obreras", a confederation of trade

unions. It is sited in the mountains, near the village ofNavalon in Valencia.The aim of the development was to provide holidayfacilities, of varied kinds, for members of the tradeunions, and for members of the general public, notablynature lovers and people who seek mountain sportsand recreation. The centre also provides courses forschoolchildren in environmental awareness. The project started in 1996. To date, the investmenthas exceeded 2.5 million Euros, with funding from theregional authority and from the EU through the LEADERII programme. Private sector investment has also beenattracted, and this has affected the scale and design ofthe development. The project has progressed in phas-es: first a camping site, then facilities for environmen-tal education, and later a hostel, hotel and cateringfacilities.The complex now provides a number of complementa-ry services:Ø Overnight accommodation, including a hotel and ahostel, with a combined capacity of 85 guests, and acamping site with 70 tent or caravan places;Ø Refreshment facilities, including bars and a restau-rant serving traditional food;Ø Facilities for environmental education and research;Ø Facilities for sport and recreation, including a sportscentre within the complex, and activities in the moun-tains such as tracks for mountain bikes; Ø A supermarket, and an infirmary.

Visitors to the complex come mainly from the Valenciaregion, whose population is less inclined to travelabroad after the terrorist attacks of 11 September2001. Marketing is based on a Website run by theConfederation. Use of the complex is also promoted byorganisations like the Education and Youth Federationand the Caravan Association, who tell their membersabout the "alternative holidays" which are offered there,

and who organise excursions and courses at the centre.Word-of-mouth publicity also plays an important role. Experience in running this popular rural complex hasshown that the creation of such a centre must be fol-lowed by a continuing process of strong and commit-ted management. This is essential in order to remainalert to changes in demands made by visitors, and toadjust the product accordingly; and also to ensure thatthe tourist activity does not over-run the carryingcapacity of the mountain ecosystem. The managers arealert to the need for environmental protection, forexample by removal of all garbage. The project shows that the social sector, represented inthis case by the trade unions, can play an importantrole in creating "alternative" forms of tourism, showingthe way to the private sector when the latter does notdare to embark on innovative and risky developmentprojects. However, cooperation with the private sectorproved to be an advantage, permitting more substan-tial investment and a wider range of facilities and serv-ices. The project has stimulated the interest of othertourism enterprises in traditional cuisine, in sustainableenergy and ecological agriculture.

Contact: http://www.ccoo.es/servicios/teularet.html



Case Study 3.2 El Teularet: a tourism package in Spain

Refreshment facilities in El Teularet, Spain

Promoting the use of sustainable energy sources

T his wine route in south-west Hungary is an ambi-tious example of a form of tourism product whichis found in many parts of southern Europe. It is

bringing significant benefit to the local economy. The aim of the Villany-Siklos Wine Route Association isto promote tourism in the region in a way which addsvalue to the wine and related culture of the area; andthus to create jobs, to bring additional income to theinhabitants, and to make the region more attractive tooutside investors. The Wine Route runs through eleven communes inBaranya County, on the southern periphery ofTransdanubia, close to the Croatian border. This is aregion with a weak economy and low average incomes.Its main assets for tourism are an attractive landscape,traditional architecture and wine. However, tourism waslittle developed before the early 1990s. Then, the lead-ers of the County recognised that the quality of thewines and the expertise of wine makers in the Villany-Siklos micro-region were high enough to support awine route of European appeal.The communes of the micro-region responded withenthusiasm to this proposal by the County Council. Themayor of the smallest community, Palkonya, who hadalready started an effort to promote tourism in themicro-region, took the lead in creating the wine route.In 1994 the Villany-Siklos Wine Route Association wasestablished. Local authorities, civil associations, privatepersons and small and medium sized enterprises joinedthe organisation. The "concept" for the wine route was produced byexperts in tourism, regional development and wine pro-duction from the government. Funding of 20 millionHUF (82,000 Euro) came from the EU through the PHAREprogramme. A well-designed 30 km-long wine route wascreated, linking a series of tourist attractions and variousfacilities for tourists. These included accommodationunits, wine tasting and wine selling places, which createdan integrated tourism product for the area.From the beginning, the Association organised trainingbuilding courses for local people, to prepare them forthe creation and running of the wine route. It alsosecured further funds to improve the wine route "prod-uct", for example by running a training course forunemployed people and small entrepreneurs, and byproviding interest-free loans to local entrepreneurs tocreate jobs in tourism. The Association established anoffice in Siklos, the capital of the micro-region, fundedby PHARE and staffed by a regional project manager.They produced a strategic plan and operational pro-

gramme for the Wine Route, followed by a quality con-trol system, a tourist information service and a market-ing plan. Standards of high quality were demandedfrom all tourism services related to the Wine Route,including accommodation, wine tasting, wine selling,recreation activities and eating places.Today, the Villany-Siklos Wine Route offers 60 placeswhere wine is sold, 50 places where wine can be tasted,8 restaurants or inns, 3 wine shops, 10 hotels or pen-sions, 32 farms offering farmhouse accommodation, 2camping sites, 1 horse-riding establishment and 1museum. The Association has created a corporate iden-tity for the wine route, with a clear brand image; set upa Website for its marketing; and established a unifiedsignposting system and a series of "information points"along the route. In 2001 the Association started a trav-el agency in Villany, which operates as a non-profitorganisation, dedicated to the successful marketingand selling of Wine Route products and services. Theagency offers up-to-date information; guides the wine-loving guests to follow specially planned local tours (oftwo to three days' duration); creates tailor-madeschedules to suit the visitors' needs; and promoteshigh-quality wine tasting facilities and accommodation. The Association has established close links with morethan 30 scientific and professional bodies and counts91 entrepreneurs as members. The Villany-Siklos WineRoute has become a model for the creation of similarprojects in Hungary. Over the past two years, five newwine route associations were founded in SouthTransdanubia. These new Associations joined forceswith the Villany-Siklos Association to create a singleregional system of quality control and uniform infor-mation signing. The South Transdanubian Wine Road, anetwork of the local wine routes, is due to come tooperation before the next tourism season.Contact:Mrs Leonora Becker, H-7771 Palkonya Fo u. 70. e-mail:[email protected] http://www.borut.hu



Case study 3.3 Villany-Siklos Wine Route, Hungary

Cultural sites incorporated in the Wine Route

..

"T he Journey into Ostrobothnian Art" is a cultur-al trail which encourages visitors to passthrough part of western Finland, visiting art

museums and other features on theway. The idea of creating the trail wasborn in early 2000, as part of a cul-tural tourism project of SouthernOstrobothnia initiated by staff of thecommunes and the art museums inthe area. Their aim was to create newculture-related tourism products forthe region. They organised six work-shop sessions, during which they dis-cussed:Øwhat new product can we create,

and with what image?Øwhich are the target groups for

this product?Øwhat would the customers need?

Øwhat kind of experience will the visitors have?

Øwhat are the strengths and weak-nesses of the project?

At the end of the workshops, the product descriptionwas written down; prices, providers, cooperating bod-ies and the timetable were defined; and marketingmeasures were discussed. The Journey into Ostrobothnian Art forms a trail ofabout 160 km, passing through the area of threemunicipalities, Kuortane, Alajarvi and Ahtari. It combinesthe services of three art museums, three farm hotelsand one wine producer.All the partners were already well established, andknown for the high quality of their services, but theyhad not previously cooperated closely. They have devel-oped the Art Journey together and have harmonisedtheir marketing: for example, the bed-and-breakfastprices are the same at each farm hotel. The marketingis aimed mainly at elderly people who make one- ortwo-day bus trips to the area, in small groups. The winefarm and its products offer an additional attraction, notdirectly related but complementary to the Journey. The Art Journey offers an entertaining tour, which can bebought as a unit or can be tailored to the needs of a spe-cific group. It features its own brochure folder, whichcan be filled up with the material of the alternative sight-seeing themes which the customer chooses. It is mar-keted by the Southern Ostrobothnian Tourist Service.

The Art Journey is a good example of how to create anew tourism product by bringing together differentfeatures, thus creating a varied and more interesting

experience for the touristout of already existingservices and sights. Thistourism product is per-ceived as a novelty inFinland and is attractingincreasing numbers oftourists. It offers a goodexample to tourism profes-sionals from other parts ofFinland, who come toOstrobothnia to participatein the Art Journey in orderto gain experience todevelop similar projects intheir area.

Contact info:

www.epmatkailu.fi and [email protected]



Case study 3.4Journey into Ostrobothnian Art, Finland

Interesting encounters in the Art Journey

T his is an example, from a mountainous area inGreece, of a non-profit agency which uses a LocalAgreement on Quality Control (LAQC) to secure

the qualitative upgrading of the tourism product ofthat area.The LAQC idea is used in various parts of Greece. It isexpressed through the creation of a civil, non-profitagency in which a variety of tourism enterprises such ashotels, restaurants, traditional food or crafts businessesmay participate. They enter a 'quality contract' witheach other, which commits them to respect, preserveand disseminate the local tradition and heritage; torespect tourists and protect them from exploitation;and to refrain from unfair competition among them-selves. The Tzoumerka LAQC brings together 24 businessesfrom 7 mountainous villages, with apopulation of 6,800 inhabitants. Theregion suffers from economicdecline and depopulation, with aGDP that is less than 70% of thenational average. Tourism, especiallywinter tourism, is a fast developingsector in the area, offering a goodprospect for economic regeneration. A small but dynamic group of localentrepreneurs, most of whom wereinvolved in the local LEADER pro-gramme, decided to proceed with aLAQC, encouraged by their RegionalDevelopment Agency. The aim wasto make their area known and estab-lish its identity as a high qualityresort with a traditional flavour,accessible to middle-income tourists; and to benefitcollectively from services which individual businessescannot afford, such as expert advice, training, advertis-ing, participation in tourism fairs and publication ofbrochures.The members of the Tzoumerka LAQC must meet atleast two out of five criteria or "quality peaks" set out bytheir contract - traditional character of the furnitureand equipment of the premises; high standard of serv-ice offered to tourists; high quality of food and drink,including traditional produce, dishes and wines; tradi-tional architecture; and a commitment to environmen-tal protection and cleanliness. The certification of the members of the LAQC, and theirmonitoring on the basis of quality peaks, is carried outby a committee consisting of representatives of the

Regional Authority, the Prefectural Authority, the localauthorities and the Regional Development Agency. Theambition of all LAQC members is to become certified inall five peaks. The quality peaks are displayed on thepremises of each business, and all businesses certifiedthrough the system are shown on an information boardat the entrance of each village.The members of the LAQC have started collective nego-tiation with tour operators; have had a joint presence intwo big tourism fairs in Athens and Thessaloniki; andhave published a tourism brochure for their area. Theyintend to create a joint booking system on the Internet,and to organise training courses for the entrepreneursand their staff. They hope to take part in EU pro-grammes and initiatives.The first two years of the Tzoumerka LAQC have not

been easy. The 24 entrepreneurs had to put aside thesuspicion and mistrust that naturally grows in smallplaces, when the pie is small and the competitors many.The culture of collectivity had to be developed and thistook time. The benefits of the LAQC have begun toappear, and the mentality of the local businesses hasalready changed substantially. The LAQC members areenjoying better business and are proud of their newrole as guardians of local tradition and defenders ofquality.

Contact: Ms Stavroula Karavasili, President of theTzoumerka LAQC, tel +30 26850 22250



Case study 3.5A non-profit agency ensuring high-quality tourism in Tzoumerka, Greece

Panoramic view of the village of Vourgarelli, the seat of Tzoumerka LAQC

4.1 This chapter focuses on how rural tourism may bothdraw upon, and contribute to the protection of, thenatural and cultural heritage. The symbiosis betweenheritage and tourism is a key aspect of the search forsustainability, as described in chapters 1 and 2. 4.2 The wealth and diversity of the European her-itage. The rural regions of Europe are rich in culturaland natural heritage. Moreover, this heritage is highlyvaried from region to region, reflecting the intricatelandform and changing geology of the continent, thewide variation in climate, the diversity of wildlife and ofland use, the historic evolution of human settlementand other factors. 4.3 Heritage as a resource for tourism. This heritageand this diversity are massive assets for those who wishto develop in rural tourism. They offer the tourist astrong contrast to the modern man-made environ-ments of the urban world, and they provide a starting-point for articulating what is unique about each place,which can enable it to compete in attracting tourists.Historical settings, cultural activities and traditions,archaeological finds, beautiful landscapes, wild-lifeexperiences and adventures are appealing in them-selves, and they can help people to connect to theirown origins and identity and to the world in which theylive. They can release the sense of creativity, beauty andplay. 4.4 Sustainable use. But if these assets are to be usedfor tourism, it must be in a sustainable way. Tourism isunique, as an economic sector, in that the customerscome to the product (whereas in agriculture, for exam-ple, the products are transported to the customer).

This means that the rural area, which is the destination,receives the visitors and everything that goes withthem-their cars or coaches, their sports equipment,their dogs and mobile radios, their social customs.These things can have an adverse impact on the qui-etude of the countryside and the quality of its heritageand environment. This environment is the setting oflocal people's lives and the resource for agriculture andother economic activity. It is also the major attractionfor future tourists. For this reason, unsuitable or exces-sive tourism which may damage the environment orannoy the residents must be avoided, in order toachieve sustainability. 4.5 Eco-tourism. There is in fact a rising awarenesswithin the tourism industry, and among tourists them-selves, of the need to respect the environment and theheritage of receiving areas. People recognise thattourism should be compatible with, indeed ideallyshould actively assist, the conservation of natural andcultural resources. This is shown by the growth of 'eco-tourism', nature-based tourism, alternative tourism,and the like. In 1994, The World Wildlife Fund sum-marised ecotourism as being:

A responsible travel to natural areas that conserves theenvironment and sustains the well-being of local people

4.6 The Swedish Ecotourism Association has launched alabelling system that confirms the standards adoptedby members of the Association who provide eco-friend-ly holiday activities. These standards require them to;Ø respect the limitations of the destinationØ support the local economyØ make all their company's operations environmentally

sustainable Ø contribute actively to conservationØ promote the joy of discovery, knowledge and

respect.Ø ensure quality and safety all the way through.

More detail can be found on www.ekoturism.org. Agood example of this approach is also provided byFinnature case study 4.4.

4.7 Standards of this kind are valid for all kinds of ruraltourism, not only for those with an "eco-label". The prin-ciples of sustainability, as outlined at the end of chap-ter 1, should be applied. How is this to be achieved in



C H A P T E R 4.

Protecting and Managing the Heritage, with Tourism

The Byzantine Castle of Ioannina, a major tourist attractionin the remote region of Epirus, Greece

practice? How can one so organise tourism that theimpact upon the environment is reduced to an accept-able level? How can one ensure that the income gener-ated by tourism contributes to the monitoring ofeffects of the tourist activities, and to the maintenanceand management of the resources? Can the tourists'use of the heritage be so managed as to strengthen thelocal social capital, spread the income from the touristindustry within the community, raise the awareness ofthe value of the heritage within the local community,and support institutional development?4.8 Carrying capacity . One answer to these questionslies in the idea of carrying capacity. This suggests thatthe type and volume of tourist activities and facilitiesshould be kept within the carrying capacity of an area,so that its natural features are not damaged and thelocal communities are not disturbed. The SlovenianHeritage Trail (case study 4.2) provides an example ofhow carrying capacity may be assessed, and then usedto achieve a sustainable result. 4.9 The idea of carrying capacity, and the techniquesfor applying it, can help you to assess how muchtourism, of what type, can be accommodated in anarea without damage to the heritage and the local peo-ple. But the assessment must then be applied. This mayinvolve the acceptance, by visitors, entrepreneurs andothers of constraints upon their activities. In somecases, they may need to make a significant change inwhat they have been doing or an investment inimproved facilities. Sometimes, controversial decisionsmay be involved, such as stopping a tourism activitywhich has been of economic benefit for some people. 4.10 Conflict resolution. Sustainable management inrural tourism may therefore involve a process of nego-tiation between different interests in an area, includinglandowners, tourist entrepreneurs, different groups ofresidents, environmentalists, local administrative andpolitical bodies. They may have conflicting interests andideas concerning the management of an area or a par-ticular resource. For this reason, systems of conflict res-olution may be needed in order to support a construc-tive process. Case study 4.3 illustrates how the adverse

impact of canoe tourism on a lake system in Swedenwas resolved in a way that has been accepted by thetourists, the landowners and the authority responsiblefor nature conservation. Syvota (case study 7.4) illus-trates how action can be taken to remedy the adverseimpact of tourism on the environment.4.11 Guidance to visitors. If tourism is to be madecompatible with the environment and the interests oflocal people, the tourists must be guided towards theplaces and activities which are acceptable, and awayfrom those which are not. This should be a positiveprocess, in the spirit of saying 'Yes, but…' rather than'No' when the tourist seeks to do something. Thosewho manage tourism have many different tools thatthey can use to guide the tourist. These tools include:Ø Publicity of all sorts, which (as with the Heritage Trailsdescribed in cases study 4.2) can focus on those siteswhich have the capacity to receive visitors, and avoidmention of those which do not Ø Information to visitors, which can say plainly wherethey are welcome and ask them to avoid other areas oractivities (case study 4.3 provides an example of this)Ø Sign-posting, which can help visitors to find their wayaround an area or a specific siteØ Positive physical signals, such as car parks and pathswhich appears welcoming to the visitor.

Ø Physical barriers, to prevent or discourage access tosensitive areas: these barriers may be obvious (such aslocked gates) or subtle (such as prickly bushes)Ø Direct advice to visitors by wardens, rangers and oth-ers. 4.12 Raising public awareness. The methods describedabove can help to prevent negative impact of visitorsupon the place or the local people. But an even greatergain can come from creating a positive link betweenthe visitor and the place, by raising the awareness ofpeople about the heritage. Moreover, this awarenesscan fruitfully start among local inhabitants, who canoften be quite unaware of the quality of their local her-itage: if they come to appreciate that heritage, they



Open air agricultural museum in Hungary

The Merry Cemetery in Sapanta, Romania is an unusualexample of fine folk art

may not only help to protect it but may also encouragevisitors to appreciate it too. That is why many managersof heritage sites put effort into telling local people andvisitors about the heritage, seeking to raise their aware-ness and interest in the wildlife or the history of theplace, and to enlist their practical or even financial sup-port for the efforts to safeguard that heritage. This maybe done through leaflets, on-site interpretation, visitorcentres, rangers or wardens, guided walks, events andso on. 4.13 A vivid example of this process of raising publicawareness is the Frojel Discovery programme, based onthe Viking harbour at Frojel on the west coast ofGotland. The harbour, dating from the Middle Ages, has

disappeared under farmland. Over the last five years, onthe initiative of a professional archaeologist and thelocal history group, it has been progressively excavated,using volunteers from many parts of the world. It is thesite of much local enthusiasm and attracts a growingnumber of visitors. To serve these visitors, members ofthe local history group have converted a disusedschool-house into a cafe and a rural museum, to displayartefacts discovered on the harbour site. More detailscan be found on http://www.vikinggotland.com 4.14 Resource management. Harmony betweentourists and the receiving environment depends alsoupon active management of resources. Such manage-ment can ensure that damage is avoided, for exampleby skilful siting of tourism facilities, as shown in theexample of canoe tourism in case study 4.3; and by

actions such as ensuring the regular collection andremoval of litter or the repair of damage to public facil-ities. Management can also increase the capacity offragile places. Examples of this are the system of board-walks that have been installed at Plitvice National Parkin Croatia, to carry visitors across the wetlands and sen-sitive limestone features; and the steep stone-set pathswhich allow walkers to climb the hills in the English LakeDistrict without causing erosion of the hillsides. Anotherexample is the silent boats, driven by electric power,which carry visitors into the quiet reed-beds of theBroads National Park in England. 4.15 Symbiosis. The relationship between tourism andthe heritage need not be seen only as a matter of cau-

tion and the avoidance of negative impacts. There aremany examples of positive symbiosis between tourismand heritage. Europe is rich in examples of tourismfacilities which bring visitors into direct contact with theheritage, and which thereby help to sustain the her-itage and to promote local development. For example,many buildings of heritage character are used toaccommodate tourists, including: Ø Portuguese posadas, Spanish paradors, the castlehotel at Otocec in Slovenia and many other historicbuildings used to provide high-quality tourist accom-modation; Ø Traditional buildings used by visitors, such as thetourist accommodation on many tens of thousands offarms throughout Europe (see description in chapter5); and



....

The Dourankoulak nature reserve, a stop on the Dobroudja Heritage Trail, Bulgaria

Ø Hundreds of youth hostels based in castles, manorhouses, mills and other buildings.4.16 Heritage-based attractions. Many thousands oftourist attractions are based on heritage features. Theyinclude the World Heritage village of Holloko inHungary; the Italian village of Alborobello, with itsremarkable trulli houses; the historic houses and gar-dens which are conserved and opened to the public bythe National Trusts in the United Kingdom; the Walloonironworks (case study 4.1); the Iron Age farmhouse atGervide Gard (case study 6.4); and the historic towns ofXativa (case study 7.2) and Morella (case study 8.4). Insuch ways, the historic heritage can indeed become anasset for local development, and local development canhelp to sustain and enhance the heritage.

4.17 Events related to the cultural heritage can be amajor attraction for tourists. An example is provided bythe Festival of Celtic Culture, at Dowsupada in Poland(case study 4.5). Also in Poland, many thousands of vis-itors experience each year a re-enactment of the greatmediaeval battle of Grunwald. There, on 15 July 1410,the army of the Teutonic Order led by Urlich vonJungingen was destroyed by the Polish, Lithuanian,Russian and Czech armies. The great Master of theTeutonic Order was killed together with many of hisknights, which ended the power of the Order. Everyyear, on the anniversary of the battle, a Grunwald Dayis organised by scouts, Polish knights and the localGrunwald Association. The biggest attraction is a re-enactment of the battle by 1000 Polish knights.




We invite you to focus upon the rural area in whichyou work, or upon a specific rural area with whichyou are familiar. 1. What are the most significant elements of thenatural and cultural heritage in your chosen area?2. Is that heritage well cared for?3. Do the people living in the area already have astrong sense of pride in the natural and cultural her-itage? If not, how could their awareness and pride inthe heritage be enhanced?4. Is the heritage seen as a significant asset fortourism in the area?5. Are visitors introduced well to the heritage?6. How could the heritage in the area be used morefully as an asset for tourism?7. Conversely, how could the interest and spendingof tourists be used more fully for the conservation ofthe heritage in the area?



"V allonbruk i Uppland" is a non-profit organisa-tion, with the aim to conserve, describe,revive and market a region with historic iron-

work sites in the Swedish province of Uppland. In pur-suing this aim, it makes a substantial contribution totourism, and thereby gains income and public supportfor its work. During the 17th century, about 20 ironworks wereestablished in Uppland province. Smiths from Wallonie(now part of Belgium), whose skills in high-quality steelproduction were the most advanced in Europe, werebrought in to run the works. These works were of majoreconomic importance at that time, and are now signif-icant parts of Swedish industrial history. Apart from theironworks, the sites include manor houses, villages forthe workers, churches, schools and gardens. The sur-rounding countryside was also much affected by theactivities of the works, for example through the cuttingof the forests for firewood. The last ironwork was closed down during last century,yet people still live in these villages. The Walloon worksare thus a living cultural heritage from the 17th to 19thcenturies, and a great tourist attraction. Tourists canjoin guided tours at the works, see the old smithies,learn about the history and traditions of the works, andalso see varied exhibitions and enjoy musical events.Last year, about 220,000 tourists visited the worksbetween May and August, which is 70,000 more thanfive years ago. The works are also open all year for con-ferences and group visits. The initiative to develop these ironworks as tourist attrac-tions came from the County Administrative Board. Theywished to promote heritage-based tourism through net-working and close collaboration with local people andactors. To start with, they advertised for interested part-ners, and organised meetings and site visits in order tobuild up a network of interested people.The non-profit organisation "Vallonbruk i Uppland" wascreated in 1995. It has only one full time employee, plusone person employed by the County AdministrativeBoard working one day a week. 'Vallonbruk i Uppland'also has a project leader working part-time with the dif-ferent projects, depending on money from the EU andco-financing from within the region. But the strengthof the organisation lies in its links with five distinct net-works. These include several hundred people involvedin local development groups; 40 to 50 tourist guides;the owners and employees at inns and mansions; theowners of cafes; and a number of artists.Much of the organisation's work is focused on support

for the local enterprises, through marketing and thedisplay of information, and also through projects andeducational programmes to increase the skills of thoseinvolved. These programmes have been funded by theSwedish Council, the EC's Leonardo da Vinci pro-gramme and the European Social Fund (ADAPT pro-gramme); and also assisted by the Swedish University ofAgricultural Sciences and tourism organisations. To minimise the wear on the cultural heritage, theorganisation works closely with the County Antiquarian.Many of the buildings in the sites are listed 'culturallyvaluable buildings' which implies that specific regula-tions need to be followed. According to the organisa-tion, the tourist activities present no significant risk ofwear on the cultural heritage.The organisation is very dependent on financial supportfrom the local partners, and from the EU through proj-ects. Today, it is supported by local companies, theCounty Council, the public transport authorities, localdevelopment groups and other organisations and peo-ple in the counties of Uppsala and Stockholm. Theturnover of the organisation varies from year to year. In2001 it was almost 110,000 Euro. The activities of the organisation offer an example ofhow to support tourism through encouraging ruralenterprise and raising public awareness of cultural val-ues. To people interested in setting up similar organisa-tions, 'Vallonbruk i Uppland' would emphasise the needto involve all actors at the local arena and to establishbroad networks among them.

Contact: Ann-Charlotte Ljungholm, tel +46 295 20220 http://www.vallonbruken.nuhttp://www.vaxtkraft.com/

Guided Tour in Walloon Ironworks

,

Case study 4.1The Walloon Ironworks, Sweden



T he Dolenjska/Bela Krajina Heritage trail in Slovenia isan ambitious tourism product, of which the aimwas to help the regeneration of the local economy

by skilful tourist use of the natural and cultural heritage.Many European regions are rich in "heritage" sites -suchas castles, churches, historic villages, natural caves,viewpoints, museums and art galleries- which could beused for tourism. But the challenge is to bring them intosuch use in a way which truly benefits the people andthe economy of the area; and which is sustainable, sothat the tourism does not damage the heritage sites.The Heritage Trails project -initiated in 1995, jointly byEcotourism Ltd, ECOVAST and PRISMA- was designed toaddress that challenge. It was funded by the TourismDirectorate (DG XXIII) of the European Commmission,and by the governments and local authorities of thetwo pilot regions chosen for the project, Dolenjska/Belakrajina in Slovenia and the Dobroudja region of Bulgaria. The project team defined a Heritage Trail as "a regionalnetwork of natural and cultural heritage sites which iscreated within a well-defined product identity, in orderto support an interesting and varied tourist visit of upto one week". In each of the two regions, the teamstudied a range of heritagesites; identified those siteswhich might attract visitors;and worked closely with thelandowners and with localpeople to decide whetherthe sites had the capacity toreceive visitors. This assessment of carryingcapacity had two elements-physical and social. On thephysical side, the projectteam (which included archi-tects and planners) assessedwhether each site couldaccept a significant flow ofvisitors without damage to the site and without risk tothe visitors; assessed the capacity of the access roads,car parks and other facilities; and talked to the ownersor managers of the site to ensure that they had thedesire and the ability to receive visitors. On the social side, the team pursued a process of pub-lic consultation, by which local people were firstinformed and then given an opportunity to considerwhether they wished to accept tourism in their villageor area. A judgement was then made as to whether thesite or the village did or did not have the capacity to

receive visitors: if it did not have that capacity, it wasomitted from the Trail. The team then undertook a detailed marketing study,to establish which kinds of visitors might be attractedto the region; prepared an outline of a Trail whichmight be marketed; undertook intensive consultationwith local authorities and others to complete an agreedTrail; and helped to create a Heritage Trail Association.This Association is responsible for the setting up andmarketing of the Trail. The project team gave detailedadvice on standards and product quality to the hotelsand other enterprises who will service the Trail. The Slovenian Trail was initially marketed at the WorldTourism Fair in 1966, on the stand of the SloveniaTourist Board. Marketing brochures were produced inSlovenian, German, French, Italian and English, to suitthe markets which had been identified. Travel agents and jounalists were invited to visit theTrail, and the interest gradually increased. Over the lastsix years, a constant programme of Trail developmenthas been pursued. This includes sign-posting along theTrail; improvements to the main publicised sites, includ-ing on-site interpretation boards; and production of a

set of site-related interpre-tation brochures. Trainingcourses have been offeredfor providers of bed-and-breakfast and other accom-modation in the farms andvillages, and many newenterprises have been cre-ated. The marketing materi-al now includes a Trail guidewhich gives details of allaccommodation, restaurantsetc that can be used by vis-itors. The number of Slove-nian and foreign visitors hassteadily grown.

The success of the Heritage Trail has prompted theadjoining Slovenian region of Kocevje to create a secondTrail, while a third Trail was started in central Slovenia;and the Slovenian example has inspired the creation ofa Heritage Trail across the border in northern Croatia. Contact:Tourist Association of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina,Novi trg 6, 8000 Novo Mesto, Slovenia.Tel +386 7332 2184, fax +386 7332 2187, e-mail [email protected],http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/heritage

Case study 4.2Heritage Trail, Slovenia

Water-powered saw-mill on the Heritage Trail, Slovenia

An example of the deliberate management ofrecreation, in harmony with nature, comes fromthe lake system of Dalsland-Nordmarken in the

Swedish province of Dalsland.This system of lakes and rivers, covering almost 10,000sq.km, includes an extensive nature reserve for protec-tion of birds. It has also, since the 1970s, been used foroutdoor recreation, following a decision by the CountyAdministrative Board. Some campsites were built atthat time, and the activities were jointly financed by theBoard and the municipalities in the region. A union of the municipalities in the area, DANO(Dalsland-Nordmarken), was also established to pro-mote canoe tourism, which has become very popular inthe area and now attracts about 60,000 tourist guest-nights every year. Most of the canoe tourists comefrom Germany and Denmark. In Sweden, the Right ofPublic Access gives people the right to move freelythrough wildlife areas. About ten years ago, it became clear that the sheernumber of canoe tourists was beginning to threatenthe sensitive lake system. During 1994 and 1995, DANOconducted an extensive inventory of the natural values

in the area, and put in hand a programme for the pro-tection and sustainable management of these values, inconsultation with the County Administrative Boardwhich is responsible for the bird protection system.DANO now seeks to discourage wild camping by askingtourists to stay at prepared campsites within the lakesystem, where there is access to fire place, garbagecans and dry toilets. These campsites are located inplaces which are attractive for tourists but which bringthe least possible disturbance to wildlife. To finance thecampsites, a nature protection fund has been set up, to

which all tourists pay a fee of 2 Euro per person-day. DANO wants to find a sound balance between tourismbusiness and nature conservation in the area. They arein a continuous dialogue with the landowners. Alllandowners receive some compensation for the use oftheir land, but most of them place more importance onDANO's supervision of the movement of visitors. There is also a continuous dialogue with the canoeentrepreneurs. DANO seeks to ensure that they under-stand the nature protection regulations, respect thegarbage separation and collection sites in the lake sys-tem, as well as the directions of the Right of PublicAccess. The entrepreneurs are asked to advise thetourists on how they should act to show considerationto the landowners. However, the tourist industry is nota formal partner in DANO, because DANO wants to stayneutral in relation to its task of superintending theimpact of that industry on nature. DANO's experience suggests that finding a sound bal-ance between tourism enterprise and nature conserva-tion in such a place depends upon a good understand-ing between the local actors, notably the land-ownersand the tourist entrepreneurs. It is important to find

good sources of finance, so that the work is not toodependent on voluntary labour. The nature protectionfund model works very well, and the aim is to financeall the activities of DANO through this fund.

Contact: Leif Granlund, DANO, tel +46 703 560108http://www.arjang.se/turism/sjosystem/main.htmhttp://www.dalslandskanal.se/2002/pages/ nature



Case study 4.3Canoe tourism and the protection of the natural heritage in Sweden

Canoeing in the lake system of Dalsland-Nordmarken



F innature Ltd is a tour operator which specialisesin nature and birdwatching tours in Finland andadjoining countries.

The company started up in 1993, organising birdwatch-ing tours round Liminganlahti Bay in Finland. Today, thefirm has more than ten top professionals who leadgroups, mainly of foreign visitors, on tours aroundFinland (for example bear-watching and photographyon the eastern border or birdwatching on theKaamasjoki river and delta), northern Norway(Varangerfjord) and Estonia (birdwatching tours aroundMatsalu Bay).Finnature's company philosophy is to raise public per-ception of the value of Finland's natural environments,and to help preserve them for future generations. Thecompany is committed to the sustainable use ofnature. Its tours offer clients the opportunity to enjoythe wonders of nature under expert guidance. Finnature has a wide network of carefully selected part-ners - transport companies, hotels, restaurants etc -who serve the visitors and who share the ideology ofthe company. These partners are required by the com-pany to maintain a high quality of service.

Finnature's marketing is done mainly through foreigntourist agencies who specialise in nature tourism, ratherthan directly to the consumers. It aims deliberately atspecialised target groups of customers, and aims to suitthe product to those customers. It focuses mainly onforeigners, particularly British, American, Japanese,German and Austrian; and on small groups, suited insize to the accommodation offered by the partnerenterprises. For example, in the United Kingdom thetarget group was limited to elderly, wealthy customerswho are keen on birds and nature tourism. The typical

foreign customer is about 65 years old, from the uppermiddle class. Finnature supports conservation work through WWFand BirdLife Finland. In 2000, the Finnish Union forNature Conservation, the largest environmental NGO inFinland, awarded Finnature its annual environmentprize.

Contact: http://www.finnature.com/

Case study 4.4Finnature's birdwatching tours

Birdwatching in Finland

T he Festival of Celtic Culture is a substantial touristattraction based upon the distinctive cultural her-itage of a rural area.

The Festival was conceived by Roman Fiedorowicz, amayor of Raczki County. He believed that the inspiringhistory of Dowsupady County could be used to stimu-late the tourism industry and to promote the region.

The special heritage of Dowsupada arises from the factthat Sir Ludwik Micha Pac, patron of the arts and gen-eral in the army of Napoleon, was fascinated by the cul-ture of Scotland and the Celtic islands. In the early 19thcentury, he built at Dowsupada a neo-gothic palace inthe English style, and developed a model agriculturalestate. He invited a group of 500 Scottish farmers tosettle on the estate in order to promote the new trendsof British agriculture among the local peasantry. Thedescendants of these Scottish farmers still live in thearea, and the name of the nearby village of Szkocja(Scotland) marks the link. In August 1997, Raczki County Council together withthe Association of Friends of Dowsupady organised anevent in the ruins of the Pac's palace. This was the

Festival of Celtic Culture, presenting the history of theScottish settlement and the culture of the BritishIslands. It has become an annual event, now recognisedas one of the major artistic events in north-east Poland.Its setting and atmosphere are awesome, and perform-ers include the biggest names of Polish folk scene plusartists from Scotland, Ireland and elsewhere.The 3-day Festival, held each year during the last week-end of August, includes a variety of events - tourna-ments, training in Scottish, Irish and Breton dances,musical activities, competitions, exhibitions of Celticculture, promotion of books. Celtic music is presentedby both professional and amateur groups. Fans ofCeltic culture from the whole of Poland and fromabroad come to the Festival. Each concert may attractmore than 5,000 people. In 2000, the whole eventattracted about 15,000 people in 3 days. The Festival is supported by local government, spon-soring institutions and companies, local cultural institu-tions (the community centre) and music bands from allover Poland. It brings economic benefit to the area bygiving small firms an opportunity to offer accommoda-tion, board and transport for visitors to the events.

Contact: e-mail [email protected]



Case study 4.5The Festival of Celtic Culture, Dowspuda, Poland

Cultural heritage sites in Dowspuda, Poland.

5.1 This chapter focuses on how tourism can bring ben-efits to the people and economy of the receiving areaby finding positive links - or synergy - with other aspectsof life in that area.5.2 In chapter 1, we suggested that tourism should beregarded as sustainable if it contributed to thereceiving region in the following positive ways:Ø Help to strengthen and diversify the localeconomy.Ø Ensure that local people gain substantialbenefit from it.Ø Look to the long-term prosperity, ratherthan simply the short-term benefit of theregion.Ø Avoid harmful side-effects elsewhere in thenational, regional or local economy.If these things can be achieved, then there willbe true synergy between tourism and theother parts of the rural economy.5.3 Tourism is not a panacea. In chapter 2, wesuggested that tourism development canbring substantial economic benefits to a ruralarea. However, it should not be seen as apanacea for the economic survival of ruralareas. If tourism becomes too dominant in a rural area,it can cause damage to other economic sectors, forexample by making an excessive call on the infrastruc-ture of roads or water supplies or by attracting workersaway from farming and other traditional activity. A wayto maximise the benefits from tourism in rural areas isthrough the encouragement of synergies. Synergiesmay be developed at the community level, spreadingthe benefits from tourism to a wide range of enterpris-es from different sectors of the economy; or they maybe developed within an enterprise, through diversifica-tion of its activity.5.4 Synergies within the community . In many ruralareas, it is good to regard tourism as a supplementaryeconomic activity, through which other sectors maybecome more viable. This will be achieved, for example,if hotels buy their food from local farmers or suppliers,if they use local craftsmen to repair or extend theirbuildings, or if the tourists buy locally-made souvenirs.Local shops, garages, bus services and other resources-which are important to the life and the economy of thehost community will be more likely to survive if touristsspend their money there. The local tax revenue gener-

ated by tourism may help to sustain community facili-ties and services. Residents may gain from investmentsin infrastructure which meet the needs of tourists.Local associations may gain income from direct sales totourists, or from providing services to tourism events

such as the Hultsfred Music Festival (case study 7.1).5.5 Crafts-the obvious spin-off. Tourists like to buysouvenirs which are useful and distinctive. This desireprovides an opportunity for craftsmen in the receivingarea and is, indeed, one of the most direct and populartypes of synergy to emerge in a tourist destination. Thisis well illustrated by the Valle d'Aosta (case study 5.3).The ceramic crafts industry on the Greek island of Sifnosincludes over 30 workshops which produce traditionalcrockery and decorative items for tourists, providingjobs for over 200 people. In many areas, crafts whichwere at risk of disappearing have been saved or evenrevived in response to demand from tourists. Examplesof this are the revival of traditional pottery and embroi-dery in the Alentejo region of Portugal; the work ofDesa in Croatia (case study 5.4); and the revival of theonce famous but later declined wood-carving work-shops of Vytina, in Arcadia, Greece.5.6 Business networks. The local economy benefitsthe most out of the creation of local synergies, if thelocal businesses co-operate to keep the income direct-ly or indirectly created by tourism within the communi-ty. Such co-operation may be formal or informal.

C H A P T E R 5.

Synergies: how Tourism can benefit other parts of the rural economy

Partners in a LEADER Group, Sweden



Formal networks may take several forms. For example,the LEADER Initiative encouraged the creation of LocalQuality Control Agreements among different kinds ofbusiness, aiming to set and maintain certain standardsof quality services, through the implementation of alabelling system to the enterprises that met the stan-dards. Such Local Quality Control Agreements haveoperated successfully in 16 areas of Greece, bringingtogether in a registered association several hotel andguesthouse owners, restaurateurs, craftsmen, foodshopkeepers and farmers producing for the touristmarket (see example in case study 3.5). Besidesupgrading quality standards, these associations propa-gated local produce and local tradition, thus directingthe income from tourism to local businesses, boostingat the same time local pride and preserving heritage.5.7 A systematic approach to synergy-building.Synergies of the type outlined above can be promotedby any of the actors involved in tourism in an area - thefarmers, the hoteliers, the craftsmen, the visitors them-selves. A neat example of simple cooperation betweena few enterprises is provided by case study 5.5. But thegreatest benefit will come from a systematic approachto the issue by a leading organisation or group. Such anorganisation may be a Local Development Agency (e.g.those established in the context of LEADER); an associ-ation created to promote and manage a specifictourism product (such as the Wine Route Association ofcase-study 3.3 or the Heritage Trail Association of case-study 4.2); a local authority or a voluntary body (such asDesa in case study 5.4). 5.8 An organisation wishing to promote synergies mayuse different means, for example:Ø The compilation of an inventory of the area'sresources, which may then be assessed as to theircapacity for absorbing direct and multiplier benefitsfrom tourism: this may then lead to the organising ofevents or other activities which encourage the gainingof such benefits. Case study 5.1 is an example of thisapproach.Ø The creation of a focal point, such as the 'House ofthe Apple and the Pear' in Normandie-Maine RegionalPark, described in 5.14 below.Ø The encouragement of networks among local pro-ducers and service providers in the tourism sector, suchas the Local Quality Control Agreements describedabove or the networks created by different types oftourist routes or trails.5.9 Synergies within an enterprise. Synergies may bealso created internally, at individual enterprise level,among the main activities of the enterprise and theservices developed for tourists. In Chapter 1, wedescribed the changes which have affected farmers inrecent years, and the strong need which many farmersnow have to diversify their sources of income. Tourismis one option which many farmers have chosen toexploit: indeed, some farmers now make more money

from tourism than from their farming activity. Thereare many ways to create synergies between farmingand other activities that a farmer may choose to under-take to serve the tourists. Offering accommodation inthe farmer's house or other suitably converted farmbuildings, providing sporting or other nature-basedactivities, direct sales of farm products to tourists -properly packaged or processed- and catering facilitieswith a distinct identity are the most common ways usedby farmers to target the tourist market.5.10 Agrotourism. Many thousands of farmers inFrance, Germany, Italy and other countries gain a sig-nificant second income through offering accommoda-tion or activities to tourists. These services, oftenreferred to as agro- or agri-tourism take a variety offorms, for example: Ø Bed and breakfast - the visitor is accommodated inthe farmhouse and offered a substantial breakfast aspart of the service. Some visitors stay one night or two,others for a week or more.Ø Half, or full, pension - an evening meal may be added(half pension) or both mid-day and evening meals (fullpension), all provided by the farmer. In France, theoffer of evening meal is called table d'hote (the host'stable): this means eating, with the farmer, a generousmeal with dishes made from the farm's own products,with local wine. In this way, the farmer offers a specialexperience to the visitor, and adds value to his ownproducts.

Ø Self-catering accommodation - many farmers do notwish to cook for their visitors, but have buildings whichthey have converted into holiday flats or cottages,equipped so that the visitors can cook their own meals.Ø Activities for visitors - who may either be staying onthe farm or simply coming in for the day. The activitiesmay include horse-riding and pony-trekking, fishing,shooting, water sports, educational visits, and opportuni-ties to 'pick your own food' (such as soft fruit). Gize farm



Dinner lounge in a farmhouse waiting for a group of tourists,Tverdica, Bulgaria

(case study 5.2) provides a versatile example of this.5.11 Such farm-based holidays bring money into thefarm economy, and promote contact between ruralpeople and town-based visitors. The work of Desa inattracting French visitors to the farms of resettledrefugees in Croatia (case study 5.4) is a poignant exam-ple of this. Moreover, farm-based holidays can help tosustain the traditional features of the rural landscape.For example, in the National Parks of England, manytraditional barns are no longer used for farming. Severaldozen of them have been converted into campingbarns, which provide a new life for the building, simpleaccommodation for walkers, and a modest secondaryincome for the farmer.

5.12 Many of these farm-based services are marketedthrough national organisations, such as Gites de France,Urlaub auf dem Bauernhof (Germany), Magyar FalusiTurismus (Hungary), Irish Farm Holidays, Agriturist (Italy)and Privetur (Portugal). The quality of the accommoda-tion, and of other services provided, may be regulatedby these associations or by national tourist boards.5.13 Direct sales of farm products.Another response by farmers to thefinancial pressures upon them is toadd value to their products by pro-cessing them and by direct sale tocustomers. Tourism can greatly assistthis process. Tourists may visit thefarm, or stop at a stall run by thefarmer beside the road or in the localmarket town, in order to buy pre-serves, sausages, cheese and otherdairy products, wine, cider and otherdrinks, items made from wool or ani-mal skins, and so on. The Villany-Siklos Wine Route (case study 3.3),the Slovenian Heritage Trail (casestudy 4.2) and the Zala Wine Route(case study 8.3) all encourage visitorsto call at farms during their journeythrough the area. The Cilento regionin Italy has achieved a remarkablegrowth of the mozzarella cheeseindustry, following an effective andclever marketing of this traditionalproduct through direct sales totourists at farm outlets along mainroads. Local hotels and restaurantscan also be a significant market forlocal farm produce, such as meat, fruit and vegetables. 5.14 At Barenton, France, the Regional Park authorityof Normandie-Maine has converted a group of tradi-tional farm buildings to form the "House of the Appleand the Pear", where visitors can discover the local tra-ditions of growing fruit and producing cider, calvadosand other drinks. From the centre, the car-bornetourist can follow itineraries to visit farms to sample and

purchase these products. Thus spending by visitorsflows out into the local economy and helps to sustainthe traditional farming activity and the landscape whichis created by it.5.15 Farm restaurants. Styria, in Austria, providesanother example of adding value to farm products. Ithas a provincial law which permits farmers to run farm-based restaurants, which are called 'buschen-schenken'because their standard symbol is a cut bush mountedon a pole. The law imposes two conditions: that thefarmer may not offer hot food, which would competedirectly with traditional restaurants; and that at least80% by value of the food and drink sold in the buschen-schank shall be produced by the farm itself. The resultis that several hundred farms are able through theirfarm restaurants to get full retail value, plus a servicecharge, for their wine, cider, meat products, bread,vegetables, fruit, milk etc; and the people from sur-rounding towns are able to find an agreeable meal in arural setting.



Farmers' wives selling onions to tourists, Potes, Cantabria, Spain

5.16 Creating a culture of synergy. Certainly, synergieswill not fall from the sky. They are the result of a longprocess that involves the building of trust amongenterprises, understanding the opportunities for co-operation, introducing a collective dimension in busi-ness thinking. In other words, a culture of cooperationshould emerge among local enterprises, to make syner-gy possible. Such a culture can bring the benefits of a

better circulation of information; opening up of newbusiness opportunities; learning from other tourismenterprises; improving quality of service; establishing acloser relation to the market. The creation of synergiesis often related to the process of community participa-tion and involvement in local decisions about tourismdevelopment. These issues are further explored inchapters 6 and 7.5.17 Local Economic Analysis. A Local Economic

Analysis, depicting and analysing the flow of money andresources within the local area, may uncover strategicaspects of the local economy that need to be strength-ened in order to get a better balance. If the analysis ismade with active participation of the local population,it may also increase their commitment to and under-standing of the importance of developing synergies asa way of boosting local incomes.




We invite you to focus upon the rural area in whichyou work, or upon a specific rural area with whichyou are familiar. 1. What place do you perceive that tourism has in thelocal economy of your chosen area?2. Does tourism appear to complement, or to com-pete (for labour, resources etc) with other sectors inthe local economy of that area?3. Does the spending by tourists, or by tourismenterprises, bring visible benefits to other sectors ofthe local economy, such as crafts or shops, garagesand other rural services?4. Are there business networks which can be used topromote synergies between tourism and other partsof the local economy?5. Is agro-tourism well developed in the area? Wouldit meet the real needs of farmers? How could it befurther encouraged or developed?6. Has there been any formal analysis of the eco-nomic impact of rural tourism in the area?



H yyppa village, in Southern Ostrobothnia, pro-vides an example of a systematic initiative todevelop synergy between tourism and a wide

range of enterprises and services within this rural com-munity.Hyyppa is said to be the longest village in Finland - 40km long! It has 1,100 inhabitants. At one end of the vil-lage is Lauhavuori national park; at the other end isHyyppa dale, a national cultural landscape. Nature isthus a major attraction for the Finnish and foreigntourists who come to Hyyppa.In 2001 the project "Hyyppa for tomorrow" waslaunched, funded by the LEADER+ programme. Theaim of the project was to market all the resources ofthe village as a tourist attraction. The first step was tolist all the services in the village - craftsmen, artists,food producers and processors and all kinds of enter-prises including those related to tourism. These includ-ed bed and breakfast accommodation, cultural sites,hunting trips, field trips into the surrounding wilder-ness, snow-mobile safaris etc.All these services were then described and indexed in abrochure "At the Hyyppa village". This brochure also list-ed events to be held throughout the year, such ascross-country skiing, mud jogging, art exhibitions, artcamps, church services and the Hyyppa marathon heldon 21 September. This brochure is widely publicisedand distributed.To attract further publicity and sales, Hyyppa village hasits own stand at the annual Kauhajoki Food Fair. Thisstand presents the products and the skills of the village-for example, potatoes prepared to a special localrecipe, and displays by a felter, a field guide, a candle-maker, musicians, a butter-maker and others. Visitors tothe fair are invited to take part in events in the village.The next step in the "Hyyppa for tomorrow" project is totailor different kinds of trips for specified tourist groupsand to have a single telephone number from which allservices can be ordered. Hyyppa has just been chosenas the village of the year in Southern Ostrobothnia.

Contact: http://hyyppa.kauhajoki.fi

Case study 5.1Hyyppa village, Finland: promoting the whole village

Tourists have the opportunity to enjoy the tranquillityof unspoilt nature

A dancing trip in the forest

An imaginative example of tourism develop-ment on a farm is provided by the enter-prise of the Marczak family on their farm at

Gize, in north-east Poland.This farm, about 20 hectares in extent, is set in a pic-turesque area of hills and forests in the Mazurian LakeDistrict. It is within easy reach of features for walking,cycling, canoeing and scenic driving, such as theKurtynia River, the Augustowski Canal, Wigry Lake withits 18 islands, the primeval forests of Borecka andRominicka, and the Baltic coastline. The aim of the Marczak family is to offer a completeholiday on their farm. Tourists can relax in comfortableconditions and a clean environment, and enjoy a differ-ent kind of entertainment. The house is built in localstyle, with comfortable rooms for up to 20 guests. Thefarm includes a 4-hectare park with two small lakes anda beach. The lakes offer fishing for carp, tench, stur-geon and pike; guests can use a rowing or sailing boator a raft. Children can use a fine playground with atower, swings, sand-pit and chutes; and can also play inan 'Indian village', where there are tepee tents for 12people, near the lake and the forest. Guests can sleepin tents even during very cold nights, particularly whenthey make bonfires: near the tents, there is a large grillwith benches for up to 40guests.The farm prepares its ownfood, not only for the guestsbut also for other tourists. Thisincludes fish, and a variety ofvegetarian food - vegetables,fresh fruit (apples, pears,cherries, sour cherries, plums,gooseberries and blackcur-rants), honey, pasteurised jamwithout sugar, also dried fruitsfrom the Marczaks' farm. The farmer's pride and joy arethe wholemeal flour products,such as onion rolls, apple pieand plum pie. Excellent bread,pasta, cheese or apple rolls arebaked of wholemeal flour,called Torka. Recently, thefarmer planted a hazel grove (with 350 trees) and rasp-berries. The family has received an Ecoland certificatefor the quality of their organic wheat and vegetables.There are two full-time employees in the farm, alsosome part-time during the tourist season.

Mr and Mrs Marczak were educated as German languageteachers. They have proved their success as farmersand as tourist entrepreneurs. Their son and daughterhave grown up into the business: they are excellentguides to the Mazurian Lake District, and they speakEnglish and German very well. They plan to publish aspecial tourist guide for the area.

Contact: Anna Marczak, Gize 41, 19-411 Swietajno, Poland,tel./fax: (087) 565 12 99, e-mail: [email protected]://www.e-agroturystyka.pl



Case study 5.2Eco Agro-tourist Farm in Gize, Poland

Traditional food products prepared in the farm

View to a lake in the Eco-agrotourist Farm in Gize



Valle d'Aosta in Italy provides a very long-estab-lished example of how a rural community maycreate income and jobs through adding value to

forest products, with substantial help from tourism.Valle d'Aosta is an autonomous region in northern Italy.It has a long wide central valley in the Alpine mountains,with many side valleys. It has been populated for manythousands of years: the main town of Aosta was found-ed during the Roman Empire two thousand years ago.The economy of the valley rests mainly on up-landfarming; some manufacturing and service industries;and particularly tourism. Tourists come throughout theyear, to see the mountain scenery and to walk, ski etc. The flanks of the valley contain forests of pine, birchand other trees. The people use the timber from thisforest to make houses, furniture and tools and for fire-wood and other purposes.They have developed, over avery long period, a strong tra-dition of craftsmanship inwood. This tradition is reflect-ed in a remarkable heritage ofskills and products in wood,which is strongly supportedby the public authorities. Ineach of the side valleys, theregional authority gives finan-cial support to a trainingschool, where young peoplecan learn the craft skills. In thisway, the long-establishedskills are continued, and thereis also constant innovation,with new and imaginativeproducts in wood.Every year, on the last twodays of January, a fair-la Fieradi Sant'Orso - is held in thetown of Aosta, as it has been since the year 1001 AD. Inthose two days, the craftspeople and the students inthe training schools assemble to meet each other andto show their products to the public. The streets arelined with hundreds of stalls selling different productsmade of wood by local people -bowls, sculptures,carved flowers, jugs, boxes, ladders, barrels and manyother items. Thousands of visitors come to buy theproducts. The workshops of many of the craftsmen areopen for visiting for the last six days in January. Theproducts are then on sale all round the year, at shopsmuch visited by tourists; and are also exported from

the valley for sale.This long-standing tradition produces full-time jobs formany people in the valley, and extra income for manyfarmers and others. Value is added to the wood grownin the valley and to the skills of the people.

Contact: http://www.santorso.com

Case study 5.3Adding value to wood through tourism, Valle d'Aosta, Italy

A stall-holder at the Fiera di Sant' Orso

Desa is a women's organisation based inDubrovnik. It was founded in 1993 as a peaceand humanitarian NGO to meet the psychologi-

cal needs of women victims of the war, both displacedwomen from Croatia and refugees from Bosnia. Today,nine years later, Desa's main aim is to promote eco-nomic and community development through publiceducation, while continuing to provide a space forwomen to support one another.Desa's initial programme was a response to the situa-tion in which Dubrovnik found itself in 1991-92, a citycrowded with refugees and displaced persons in anenvironment devastated by the war. Desa chose tooffer help to refugee women who were wanderingaround aimlessly in a traumatized state, with nothing todo but queue up for humanitarian aid. The aim was tooffer some activity which could keep them busy andhelp them feel useful, in order toregain their self-esteem.Desa organised workshops in hand-icraft activities: this represented aform of therapy, and the finishedproduct could be sold and thusprovide a small income. As therefugees started returning to theirhomes, Desa put more accent onself-help activities, with courses insewing, weaving and traditionaldecoration of homes. Many of therefugees came from the nearbyregion of Konavle, which had a tra-dition of fine embroidered cos-tumes. To make new costumes,they needed silk thread. Desatherefore secured from France asmall quantity of silkworm and pur-chased 1,000 saplings of dwarfmulberry tree, as the start for a silkproject. Today, about 25 families inthe Konavle region are engaged insilk-worm breeding, and the pro-duction of embroidery has started.Embroidered items are sold totourists in the fine show-room that Desa has created,alongside its weaving workshop, in the historic quaran-tine building outside the great walls of Dubrovnik.Since the main economic activity of the Dubrovnikregion is tourism, Desa gave priority to educational pro-grammes aimed at enabling women to take part intourism-related activities, using their homes, the pro-

duce from their land, their animals, and their rich envi-ronment. Desa sees the rural tourism project as a "returnto life" programme, a form of self-help activity, whichcan further the economic well-being of the local farm-ing population in the most environment-friendly way, bybringing potential customers directly to the farmers'doorsteps, and with them a new life to the community. The rural tourism project was first started in the year2000, in cooperation with the French organisation'Accueil Paysan' based in Grenoble, which agreed topublicise in their French brochure the farmhouseaccommodation in the rebuilt houses of the Croatianvillages of Popovici and Radovcici. After the first year'strial experience, Desa organised in the spring of 2001 aseries of educational programmes for the local hosts, toenable them to improve their hospitality options and tocommunicate better with their clients. This included a

course in French language andbasic requirements of Frenchtourists. The result is that a mod-est flow of French visitors hasbegun to arrive, bringing much-needed income to these poorfamilies.Desa hopes that this kind of proj-ect will persuade the younger peo-ple to recognize the job opportu-nities within their home region.With the tourist economy devel-oped, more young people maystay on with their families, insteadof thinking about emigrating else-where.During the 2002 summer seasonDesa intends to organise specialcourses in embroidery and silkspinning, for the holiday-makingvisitors. This will serve as the plat-form for Desa's future educationalprogrammes, which will relate toorganic farming, alternative waysof exploiting the endemic flora,the introduction of new species of

fruit or vegetables, and new technologies in vine andolive growing.

Contact: Jany Hansal, Desa, Frana Supila 8, 2000 Dubrovnik,Croatia. Tel +385 20 420145, fax +385 20 411 033e-mail [email protected], http://desa.dubrovnik.org



Case study 5.4Desa, Croatia: tourism-related enterprise for refugees

Jany Hansal, founder of Desa, with a refugeeefrom Bosnia in the show-room in Dubrovnik



DEMortelen is a protected landscape area situ-ated between 3 cities -Eindhoven, Tilburgand Hertogenbosch- in the Netherlands.

A few years ago five entrepreneurs-3 farmers, aninnkeeper and a miller - who live near the reserve cametogether to set up a combined venture, under thename 'Mortelenboeren'. This offers to visitors a recre-ational package, which brings benefit to all the part-ners. People visit them for one day and go from farmto farm by covered wagon. A short description of the day. The visitors:Ø Start at the cafe, with coffee and a regional delicacy.Ø Visit a water mill, where the miller tells them aboutthe history of the building and shows his professionalskills. His wife bakes fresh bread, which can be tasted.Ø Visit a goat farm. They are guided around the farmand are told aboutthe keeping ofgoats, their health-care and breeding.They see differentkinds of goats andalso get the chanceto taste goat milkand goat cheese.Ø Visit a free-rangechicken and cattlefarm. A typical regio-nal lunch is servedhere, and then thefarmer shows themaround his farm andtells them about lifeon the farm.Ø Visit a dairy-cattlefarm. An expert gui-de describes the his-tory of the areaaround this farm andthey visit the littlechapel, which standsclose to the farm.After that the farmer's wife lets them taste her home-made ice cream. Ø Drink a special liqueur in the covered wagon on theway back.Ø Finish their visit back at the cafe, with soup andbread and butter.Two years ago, the partners produced a brochure for a

wide range of specific regional products and touristactivities. This includes, for example, an activity-farmwith camping, a deer-farm with a picnic place and pos-sible overnight stay, a cheese-maker, an asparagusgrower, a fruit grower, a vegetable grower, a plantgrower, a gardener, home made ice-cream, flowerarranging, a water-mill and Limousin meat. Recently thepartners organised a special day, on which people wentfrom one enterprise to another by bicycle. This was agreat success. In this triangle are several landscape reserves. The gov-ernment is making plans to connect all these reserveswith each other with ecological zones. All the landscapereserves together will carry the name 'het GroeneWoud', which means 'the green forest'. It will be an attractive region for tourists, but also for

weekend-recreationfor the people fromthe surrounding ci-ties. This develop-ment wil offer moreopportunities forthe local entrepre-neurs.

Contact:e-mail [email protected] or

[email protected] www.mortelenboeren.nl

Case study 5.5Mortelenboeren, the Netherlands: a joint enterprise to encourage synergies

Rural attractions in Mortelenboeren

6.1 This chapter focuses upon entrepreneurship, whichis a major driving force behind rural tourism. As a grow-ing economic sector, tourism depends upon substantialinvestment and upon effective management. A largepart of the action lies within the private sector, or with-in organisations which (whatever their legal status) areobliged to operate in an entrepreneurial way. Thosewho wish to promote tourism in an area therefore needto understand the nature of entrepreneurship, andhow it may be encouraged and supported.6.2 The nature of entrepreneurship. What is entrepre-neurship? It may be defined as:

the skill of creating and running organisations orbusinesses whose viability depends upon income

secured in the open market

This definition implies that entrepreneurship is anactive, creative and inventive process, whose successdepends upon the ability to 'read' and respond to themarket, to take well-calculated risks in production andin investment, and to make effective use of resourcessuch as staff, money, buildings and raw materials. 6.3 It has been said that "entrepreneurs are born, notcreated by education". Indeed it is true that many ofthe most effective entrepreneurs in tourism, as in otherfields, are natural businessmen, without much formaleducation. Nevertheless, many of the skills essential toentrepreneurship can be learned, and it is certain thatmany entrepreneurs emerge through personal devel-opment on the job. Moreover, a striking characteristicof many entrepreneurs is that they and their enterpris-es evolve, change and grow over time, in response totheir own growing confidence as well as to the oppor-tunities or difficulties presented by the market.

6.4 This pattern of growth helps to explain why, at anypoint in time, the enterprises in a particular area mayvary greatly in size and in professionalism. Within theprivate sector of tourism, one may find enterprisesessentially of three types:

Ø the individual or family business Ø the small company Ø the larger company.

These three types are briefly described below.6.5 The individual or family business usually operateson a relatively small scale, often within or very close totheir home, with limited capital commitment and main-ly using their own labour. Such enterprises can makedecisions easily, and can cope with fluctuations in tradeby economising where necessary. But they may find itdifficult to raise the capital for significant expenditure,and to keep abreast of changes in the 'climate' of mar-kets, regulations, tax systems etc within which they areoperating. They tend to expand their business in a step-by-step way, avoiding risky adventures. Most farm-based tourism enterprises, small guest-houses andtourist-related shops fall within this category. Fineexamples are the farm at Gize (case study 5.2),Koskenkorva Banquet Catering Service (case study 6.1),and Szelle Stableyard (case study 6.3). 6.6 Running a tourism business within a single family canput great strain upon that family, particularly where thetourism season is long. This may prompt the family toseek help, and to move towards the small-companymodel. A neat example of this is the holiday camp ofSudersand Semesterby on the Swedish island of Faro.This was previously owned by the municipality, but wasbought in 1994 by two couples working together. Tospend 215.000 Euro to buy it, and have invested a fur-ther 430.000 Euro since then, ploughing back all profitsinto the enterprise. The annual turnover has increasedfrom 140.000 to 355.000 Euro. The camp consists of 42rentable cabins, and a youth hostel, plus a restaurantwhich is now let to another entrepreneur. During thetourism season, the two couples are able to alternate onthe management work, so that the strain is reasonable;the two husbands have other jobs in the off-season.6.7 The small company, with up to (say) 25 employees,is usually controlled by a family or a small number ofpeople who are locally based. Such companies tend tohave a loyalty to the local area, and to be ready there-fore to employ local people, use local suppliers etc.



Farm shop selling local products in Smaland, Sweden

C H A P T E R 6.

Entrepreneurship: how to encourage enterprises related to rural tourism



Their staff often includes part-time or seasonal workers,to suit the pattern of tourism and therefore of work,and this enables them to control costs and to cope withfluctuations in trade: a fine example of this is providedby Gervide Gard, Gotland, Sweden (case study 6.4). Theteam of staff in such an enterprise may be largeenough to allow the manager or others to specialise onmarketing, regulations, accountancy and other aspectsof the business; and their level of turnover may allowthem to amass or to borrow capital for significant newinvestment or upgrading. 6.8 The larger company usually has multiple facilities,not always in the same region, for example a chain ofhotels, restaurants or spas. They may have no strongloyalty to any one region, and may seek their employ-ees (particularly in the higher grades) and their suppli-ers from outside the area. They are usually highly pro-fessional, and well aware of what tourists expect by wayof standards; and they command the resources need-ed to meet new market demands. 6.9 A local culture of entrepreneurship. These threetypes, or scales, of enterprise can usually co-exist wellin a rural area, because they tend to appeal to (and aimat) different segments of the overall tourism market ofthe area. They make their entrepreneurial decisionsseparately. But they usually have sufficient contact witheach other -through chambers of trade, tourism asso-ciations, rotary clubs or more informal networks- toshare a culture of entrepreneurship. This culture maybe distinctive to that particular area, and will be reflect-ed in the formal image that the area has as a tourismdestination and in the experience which it offers to

tourists. Case study 7.2 provides an example of a newnetwork of tourism enterprises set up by young busi-nessmen in a small town in Spain. A strong geographiccontrast to this is provided by the description, at casestudy 6.5, of a Sami entrepreneur in northern Finland,who bases his tourism activity on the long-establishedculture of his people. 6.10 Trust and confidence. The local culture of entre-preneurship can also be seen in terms of how entre-preneurship is valued in a community. People may notbe used to acting as entrepreneurs. The social context- such as a feudal or hierarchical structure in local soci-ety - may hinder the emergence of the confidence andtrust which are an essential basis for entrepreneurshipand for transactions between entrepreneurs. To createthat confidence and trust, a supportive network maybe needed. Studies show that successful entrepreneursspend much time networking, and that both their pro-fessional and private networks are important for theirsuccess. Therefore, support for networking may domuch to stimulate creativity and innovation and thus toenhance and diversify the tourism product of an area.Such support may well come from local authorities orother public bodies. 6.11 Motivation. Why does an enterprise start, orgrow? Very often, the answer lies in need, or in per-ceived opportunity. An example of need as a drivingforce is provided by the farm Gervide Gard, case study6.4, where the farmer felt obliged to move progres-sively out of farming and to find a new source ofincome, but also had a vision of a tourism enterprisewhich he might well have pursued anyway. An exampleof opportunity as a driving force is provided byKoskenkorva, case study 6.1, where the entrepreneursaw the potential of her manor house as a setting fortourism activity. The precise motivation will be differentfor each family or company. In a survey in 1983 in theEnglish county of Herefordshire, farmers gave fourmain reasons for their decision to provide touristaccommodation: to increase their annual income(35%), to offset falling income from agriculture (20%),to find a new use for redundant farm buildings (16%),and to enjoy the company of visitors (25%). 6.12 Stimulating enterprise. The present policy ofmost countries (WTO, 1998) is that the private sector isexpected to play the lead role in tourism development,but that the public sector should take initiative onthose things which the private sector cannot easilytackle. But practical experience in many rural regionsshows this minimalist approach is not enough, if thedevelopment of rural tourism is to be both effectiveand sustainable. The public sector can play a very effec-tive role as facilitator and stimulus for private enter-prise. This role may involve the use of a variety ofmeans, including: Ø strategic planning, to clarify the role that tourismmay play in the economy and life of the area, theTraditional craftsman in Spain

resources that may be used to develop it, the tourismmarkets which may be addressed etc: we describe thisin more detail in chapter 8Ø provision of infrastructure, such as water supplies,roadworks, public transport, public open spaces, prom-enades, sports facilities etc Ø marketing, in which the public sector may need totake the lead, though in close cooperation with the pri-vate sector Ø financial and fiscal supports or incentives, which canhelp greatly in the early stages of creating or expandinga significant tourism destination: for example, in the1960s the Austrian government gave a powerful impe-tus to the expansion of farm tourism in the mountainareas by offering capital grants of up to 60% of the costof farmhouse extensions of up to 20 tourist beds, andgave tax holidays of 10 years on the income from thesenew businesses Ø credit guarantees or mutual guarantee systems,which can help entrepreneurs to start or expand theirbusiness Ø advice and training, which can be particularly helpfulto family enterprises. Examples are the training forenterprises offered by the Walloon ironworks organisa-tion (case study 4.1); the training offered by theHeritage Trail Association in Slovenia, which has helpedover 200 householders and farmers to start or extendtheir tourism enterprises (see case study 4.2); the train-ing of craftsmen offered by the Valle d'Aosta region(case study 5.3); the training of refugee womenoffered by Desa (case study 5.4); and the nationwidetraining offered by the Irish Farm Holidays organisationto its members. 6.13. Stimulation and support for enterprise, of thekinds described above, may be needed in rural areasthroughout Europe. There is a particular challenge inthe countries of central and eastern Europe, whichhave only recently moved from the command econo-my towards a greater reliance on the market economy.Examples in this Guide - the Villany-Siklos Wine Route(case study 3.3), Gize Farm (case study 5.2) and SzelleStableyard (case study 6.3) - show that entrepreneur-ship is indeed to be found in these countries. But thereis much scope for action by public and non-profitorganisations to support and stimulate such entrepre-neurship. An example of such action is the mutual guar-antee fund, grant-aided by the Carpathian Foundationin south-east Poland, which enabled small enterprisesto secure credit on viable terms to expand their activi-ty. Case study 8.5 describes the nationwide trainingoffered by the Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation toits members. 6.14 Co-operation between enterprises. A key aspectof entrepreneurship is cooperation between enterpris-es within an area, or within a specialist sector of thetourism trade. This cooperation may relate to market-ing, as described in Chapter 3, but also to many other

aspects of the trade, such as standards, booking sys-tems, mutual help, training, advice etc. The TzoumerkaLAQC (case study 3.5) and the Walloon ironworks (casestudy 4.1) provide good examples of such co-opera-tion. The members of the Peak District Farm HolidaysAssociation in England, which was set up in the 1980s,have gained great benefit through co-operative mar-keting, a unified booking system, regular meetings anddiscussions. They recently secured a substantial grantfrom the European Union to enable all the members tobe equipped with computers and Internet access, plussoftware for handling accounts, booking systems andrelated matters. Case study 8.5 describes the nation-wide cooperation between members of the EstonianRural Tourism Organisation. 6.15 Social entrepreneurship. In recent years, therehas been growing emphasis upon a different form ofinitiative, namely social entrepreneurship. This might bedefined as 'risk-taking in the public interest'. It may bepursued by local authorities; by non-profit companies,such as the Women's Cooperative at Agios Antonios(case study 6.2) or the Vydra initiative (paragraph 6.16below); groups of enthusiasts, such as the local historygroup at Frojel on the west coast of Gotland (see para-graph 4.13); by trade unions, as in the El Teularet devel-opment (case study 3.2); or by organisations whichbring together the public, private and voluntary sec-tors, such as the Local Action Groups set up under theLEADER programme (see example on paragraph 6.17below).

6.16 Initiative by non-government organisations(NGOs). Three NGOs in the Cierny Balog area in Slovakia,who each run educational or agro-tourism pro-grammes, are now collaborating in a programme calledVrcharske Putovanie ('Walking around Polana'). After ayear of preparation (including marketing research,analysis and negotiations with entrepreneurs), thethree NGOs set up a travel agency to promote the useof tourism resources in the region and thus to create



Four shops and a cafe, all run by women in the Swedish village of Bode



employment. The resources include a variety of privateaccommodation; a range of outdoor activities, includ-ing educational tours, cycling, climbing, horse-riding,visits to nature reserves and farms; and traditionalcrafts, such as needlework and products in wood,leather and stone. The agency offers a variety oftourism products, based on 14 different combinationsof services and activities and with varied length of stay.The target markets include families with children, most-ly from urban areas; youngsters keen on challengingoutdoor activities; and couples, with an emphasis onromantic holidays. The NGOs are now planning the con-struction of an amphitheatre for sports and culturalevents in a beautiful valley. They are determined to sus-tain a creative approach to management, through con-stant monitoring and research of market needs, so thatnew attractive activities are added every season.6.17 Initiative by local action groups. In the LEADER IIprogramme in the Salento peninsula of southern Italy,

the Local Action Group made a deal with the owners ofa dozen disused houses in the small historic town ofSpecchia. The owners did not have the capital or theconfidence to renovate these buildings. The ActionGroup has taken a 10-year lease of the properties; hasrestored and converted them into modern dwellings,with LEADER funds; is marketing them as tourist flats,with the net income going to the owners; and will handthem back after the 10 years to the owners, who canthen choose whether to keep them in tourist use or todevote them to other purposes. In the Navarra moun-tains of Spain, the Cederna-Garalur DevelopmentAgency has created a "tele-library" for drawing in infor-mation on tourism facilities, services and projects andfor providing distant booking services to almost 30remote villages in the area; and a "virtual incubator" tosupport the creation of new enterprises and productsin the tourism sector by providing on-line help.


We invite you to focus upon the rural area in whichyou work, or upon a specific rural area with whichyou are familiar. 1. What is the character of the tourism industry inyour chosen rural area? What kinds of enterprises areinvolved? Do they include many individual or familybusinesses? and small companies? and larger compa-nies?2. Would you say that there is a strong culture ofentrepreneurship in the area? If so, how is this ex-pressed, in relation to rural tourism? If not, howmight such a culture be created?3. What is being done to stimulate enterprise in ruraltourism in the area, in any of the ways outlined inparagraph 6.12?4. Is there good cooperation between rural tourismenterprises in the area? If not, how might such coop-eration be promoted?5. Are there examples of social entrepreneurship inrural tourism in the area, in the sense defined inparagraph 6.15?

Koskenkorva Banquet Catering Service is an exam-ple of an enterprise based on opportunity, in thiscase the fine setting of a traditional manor house.

The Catering Service has its main facilities in an old farmmanor house, built in 1886 in a style typical of theSouthern Ostrobothnia region. The hostess PaiviKoskenkorva started the enterprise in 1997, with herhusband Martti. Her idea was to use the setting of themanor house to offer banquets, family parties and allother festivities in traditional style, but tailored to suitthe occasion and the group concerned. Her cateringhas become famous for its traditional but distinct food:she emphasises the quality of her products, and usesonly Finnish ingredients produced by herself or sup-plied by small local entrepreneurs.

The catering service is available all year, but only byorder and for groups. The customer always has his sayin the planning of the occasion. Summer is the busiestseason, when for example weddings and birthday par-ties can be arranged for up to 230 persons, and up to30 people can also stay over night. Groups travelling bybus and visiting the summer festivals of SouthernOstrobothnia can enjoy a pleasant lunch with specialentertainment and even stay overnight. In winter,groups of up to 50 people can be entertained.The setting of the manor house, with its gardens andoutbuildings, is an experience in itself. Meetings,dances and performances are held in the great barn,with the host and the hostess leading the games tomake people laugh and relax. Guests can enjoy a sauna,a walk down to the river for a swim, or rides throughthe countryside on a cart pulled by an old tractor.

Mrs Koskenkorva is now considering further investmentto create more overnight accommodation and morespace for entertaining groups in the winter.

Contact: http://www.trahteeri.com



Case study 6.1Koskenkorva Banquet Catering Service, Finland

The great barn

Organising Banquets in a traditional style



T his Cooperative is an example of social entrepre-neurship, focused on adding value to local prod-ucts and traditional skills through sales of food to

residents and visitors within a rural region. AgiosAntonios is a small village in the region of CentralMacedonia, near the city of Thessaloniki. It has about600 permanent residents and is in a relatively poor areain the mountains. The Women's Agricultural Cooperative of TraditionalFood Products in Agios Antonios was formed in thesummer of 1999. Its aim is to enhance the familyincomes of its members, to promote traditional high-quality food products, and to encourage initiatives inagrotourism.The first step was taken by five local residents, whotook part in a seminar organised by the Greek Ministryof Agriculture on "Processing and Standardisation ofTraditional Products". They immediately realised theopportunity for their village. Many of the village peopleare second-generation immigrants from the Black Searegion, who brought with them traditional domesticrecipes. These recipes might be the basis for enablingthe village women, who are low in self-esteem and haveno income of their own, to develop their personal skillsand to create products which could appeal to a 'niche'market. During the period 1997 to 1999, the women took partin a pilot project, working voluntarily and financing theirown activities through an informal cooperative. Theyhad to endure the suspicion of the rest of the villagers,mainly the men, and to fit the extra hard work into theirdaily lives: but they showed great enthusiasm and astrong determination to succeed. They had the activeadvice and support of the LEADER Development Agencyof East Thessaloniki, and encouragement from theCentre for the Study of Women's Issues set up by theMinistry of Internal Affairs under the NOW Initiative. The real breakthrough came in the summer of 1999,

when the Greek Employment Organisation gave them agrant of 82,000 Euro to start the formal cooperative.They moved into empty warehouses owned by theRegional Agricultural Cooperative, and started produc-ing a variety of traditional food products, such as hand-made pasta, pastry sheets, jams, fruit conserves, bis-cuits and cakes. They focused on quality rather thanquantity, emphasising hand-made products and usingold techniques of preparation, traditional equipment,and local raw materials such as flour, fruits, cereals etc. The cooperative now has 26 members. They have takenpart in training programmes organised by the Ministry

of Agriculture onhygiene in food pro-duction, organisation,marketing and opera-tion of a cooperative,use of computers etc.In this way, they haveincreased their self-esteem, secured forthe first time a supplementary income, and learnt howto collaborate and organise their activities. The cooper-ative has a five-member administrative committee. Allthe members attend regular monthly meetings, whenpayments are made, and an annual assembly when theydiscuss problems and opportunities.The cooperative runs a charming shop, used by localpeople and by day visitors from nearby towns, and theyalso have about 30 wholesale customers. They receiveschool groups, and demonstrate food preparation tothe children. They recently expanded their activities toinclude catering, mainly for events organised by prefec-tures and other public bodies: this provides them withwork during the summer, when they are not visited byschools and when day-visitors usually prefer to go to theseaside. They have published a recipe booklet funded byLEADER.

They are planning to give their visitors a more 'hands-on' experience, allowing them to roll out pastry or joinother steps in the food production process. They alsohope to create a small animal farm, to allow childrenand young people to familiarise themselves with coun-tryside animals which are not present in cities. Theywish to promote organic farming methods in their area,since there is a growing awareness among consumersabout the origin and quality of agricultural productsand the impact of farming on the environment. Theyhave managed to raise funds to buy land, and intend indue course to move to more modern premises. They are reputed to be an exemplary cooperative, andare visited by a growing number of schools from allover North Greece and delegations from Balkan andMediterranean countries who wish to share and learnfrom their experience. The cooperative members havemade a conscious effort to extend and to transfer theirknowledge, by taking part in tourism and rural develop-ment fairs, by presentations in TV documentaries orpress releases, and by meeting people from other local-ities who wish to set up their own cooperatives.

Contact: Ms Despina Ioannidou,President of the Cooperative, tel +30 23960 41807

Case study 6.2Women's Cooperative, Agios Antonios, Central Macedonia, Greece

Traditional handmade pastry

T his is an example of a family enterprise, which hasevolved from personal skills into a high-qualitytourism business.

Hungary has a worldwide reputation as an equestriannation. After the political changes of 1990, manyentrepreneurs realised the opportunity for tourismdevelopment offered by horse-riding. The country hasan extensive network of riding trails or open areas, in avaried and beautiful countryside.

The Szelle Stableyard, now a flourishing tourism enter-prise, has evolved from the long-established interest inhorses of Kornel Szelle, his wife and their two daugh-ters. Mr. Szelle's parents were farmers, so his love forhorses started in childhood. He studied agriculture atSzarvas College, and then worked for an agriculturaluniversity while raising chickens at home. At this timehe and his wife kept "hobby horses", so their twodaughters have been near horses since they were born. In 1990, they began to breed horses, using the 2hectares of land which Mr Szelle had inherited. From1994 they had a livery stable, and they began to offerlessons in riding. In 1998 they decided to move into thetourism enterprise, and opened the Szelle Stableyard,which has been operatingsuccessfully since then. It issituated in a beautiful partof Western Transdanubia.They built a guest-house for12 people, with six comfort-able double-bed rooms withbathrooms, and a commonmess-room where theguests can cook and eat.Nearby are the two stables,housing 15 Kisberi Halfbredhorses. They offer horse-rid-ing tuition, horseback andcarriage riding, riding toursand holidays. Much of thesurrounding countryside isunenclosed, so riders canuse it freely for trail riding.

The enterprise is run by MrSzelle, his wife, their twodaughters and a groom. Thetwo men and one of the girls work with the horses: MrsSzelle and the other girl do the housework and help theguests. Most of the guests are Hungarian in the sum-mer, but in the other seasons there are more foreign-ers, mainly German, Austrian and Swiss.

Mr Szelle says that the main assets for their enterpriseare the beautiful environment, the expertise with hors-es, the language skills and the connections they havemade with clients, in particular through use of moderntechnology. 80% of the guests are informed throughthe Internet and book the rooms by e-mail. The Hungarian Equestrian Tourism Association runs aqualification system, which gives from 1 to 5 "horse-shoes" for each equestrian enterprise. The criteriainclude environmental factors, horse keeping, aptitude,equestrian service and human skills. In 1999 the SzelleStableyard got the highest qualification, 5 horseshoes.

The Szelle family have plans for further development ofthe enterprise. They want to build another stable and abuilding with coffee-place for guests who do not stayovernight. The older daughter is studying agriculture atuniversity, and the other intends to go there when sheleaves grammar school. They intend to continue theenterprise.

Contact:e-mail [email protected], http://www.go.to/szelle



Case study 6.3Szelle Stableyard, Hungary

Horse-riding in Szelle Stableyard, Hungary



T his is an example of a family-based enterprise infarm tourism, taking advantage of the specialcharacter of an island region.

Gervide Gard is a farm, lying at the centre of theSwedish island of Gotland (where the EuracademySummer School was held). The owners of the farm usedto have dairy cows: but in 1988 ill-health obliged thefarmer to give up milk production and to consider alter-native ways of using the farm. The family decided tomove into rural tourism.

Today there are many activities at the farm. They stillhave a variety of animals, including horses, and horse-riding is one of the main activities offered. Also avail-able are clay-pigeon shooting, a Gotlandic variety ofpentathlon, sulky driving with local 'russ' horses, relayriding, axe throwing and tractor driving. The farm alsohosts the only museum on Gotland on the russ, thelocal horse breed, as well as the tallest horse living inthe world today. There is a restaurant in saloon style,and food and accommodation are offered. The owners have bought some neighbouring houses,and an old school, and have converted them togetherwith some other buildings into tourist accommodation.Every week during the peak season, there are 9 familiesliving at the farm as tourists. Occasionally large groupscome to the farm: up to 2,500 persons have beenreceived at one time. The farmland contains theremains of an Iron Age village, and one of the projectshas been to build a replica of an Iron Age farmhousenear the site; in it, feasts with historical meals areoffered, in a setting of traditional meadowland.

When starting a tourism enterprise, one must identifythe market "niche" to appeal to; in this respect, GervideGard has taken advantage of the unique culture ofGotland. The only marketing has been a homepage onthe Internet. The amount of work at the farm varies considerably.The team is focused on the owners. They can call onlocal people for occasional work, and on a wider circleof people when needed. In this way, they avoid havinga large wage bill. The capital needed to start up anddevelop the business has come from the family's sav-ings and the profits of the business.Running a business like Gervide Gard is a way of living:the family are part of the experience offered to the vis-itors. The development of the farm has been closelyconnected to their own development and their person-alities. They have developed the enterprise step bystep, and have felt comfortable throughout the

process. They are content with the current scale of theenterprise, and are not striving to increase its size fur-ther. Their message is that one should preserve avail-able resources, both in nature and in oneself, and pro-ceed from there to realise one's visions.

Contact:Eva & Tore Fahlstedt , tel +46 498 590 37,

http://www.gervidegard.com/

Case study 6.4Gervide Gard, Gotland, Sweden

The tallest horse in the world

The First Summer School participants having a goin the Gotlandic pentathlon

T he Sami people of northern Finland have tra-ditionally lived as herdsmen of reindeer.Nowadays many of them gain a significant in-

come also from tourism, and this activity is based intheir long-established understanding of the seasonsand the wildlife of that remote territory. They speak ofeight distinct seasons, unlike the four seasons thatmany urban Europeans recognise. A Sami couple livingbeside the Teno river, which flows between Finland andNorway to the Arctic Ocean, may be taken as an exam-ple. Most of their annual income of about 25,000 Eurocomes from receiving guests in their cottages, cateringfor these guests, and guiding trips for visitors. The firstBritish salmon anglers started to come in the 1950's. Atthat time, the family built their first guest cottage, andhave continued to receive guests since then. Theguests, who represent many nationalities, usually stayfor a week or two: most of them return year after year.

The activities of the entrepreneur and his wife varyaccording to the season. In the spring winter (April toMay), they collect reindeer calves for marking. In thespring, they accommodate and guide bird watchers inthe mountains, and the husband also makes the wood-en boats for the salmon season that lasts from mid-Juneto mid-August. During these hectic summer months,they accommodate and feed the fishermen, and thehusband rows the guests to the best fishing from earlymorning to late, sunny night. They also receive occa-sional customers who stop overnight when driving alongthe scenic Teno route.

September and October bring the quail hunters, whowant to train their dogs to find and point the birds. Thisis also the time when nature lovers gather to watch theblazing colours of the fall season, and when berriesoffer a rich source of additional income for eager pick-ers. The entrepreneur accommodates them and guidesthem into the mountains and the tundra or along thebeautiful banks of the river Teno.

November to December are spent in organising andleading snow scooters, reindeer sledge trips or skiingtrips for tourists. This is also the time for tending thereindeer which are collected from the mountains to beselected for breeding or slaughtered for the sale ofmeat. January and February are too cold for mosttourists, and the entrepreneur has to seek income else-where, often working as a carpenter on building proj-ects in Lappland, Norway, Sweden, Russia or Germany. InMarch and April, the high season of tourism reaches alsothe far northern mountains, and again the entrepre-neur organises and guides snow treks by scooter, rein-

deer or ski.

This description shows how the activities vary with theseason, and how they depend upon hard labour, variedskills and a mastery of the continuously changing cir-cumstances and the patterns of nature. These skills andthis mastery arise directly from the long-establishedtraditions of the Sami people. One may say that there ishere an economy based on the identity of the people.Many of the Sami wish to maintain their way of lifeherding the reindeers. But this tradition is severelythreatened by over-herding, and the rising cost offeeding the animals. So, they recognise that they mustalso accept and use modern equipment, such as snowscooters and helicopters, to sustain the reindeer hus-

bandry and to complement this with tourism activity.They want to do this without losing their cultural iden-tity. They can build upon the communal value systemswithin their community.

Extract from 'A note on identity economy', conference paper by Dr. Antti Haahti, Professor of Tourism, University of Lapland,e-mail [email protected], http://www.utsjoki.fi



Case study 6.5A Sámi entrepreneur in northern Finland

Skiing trips are often guided by local entrepreneurs



7.1 We emphasised in chapter 1 that the purpose ofrural development is to improve the quality of life ofthe local population of a rural region. We suggestedthat rural development should be based on the inter-ests, and the involvement, of the community living inthe area, for the reason that:Ø they know best what are their problems and needs;Ø they control many of the resources -land, buildings,local products -upon which development is based;Ø their skills, traditions, knowledge and energy are themain resource for development;Ø their commitment is vital (if they do not support aninitiative, it will die).7.2 Benefits and costs. These ideas emphatically applyto the development of rural tourism. As we explainedearlier, tourism can bring real social and economic ben-efits to a rural area, but can also bring real problems. Itis vital to ensure that the benefits are gained and theproblems are avoided. That is best done by enabling thelocal people to understand what is proposed by way oftourist development. Indeed, local residents arguablyhave a moral right to be involved in the developmentof an industry which can bring both benefits and coststo their community. Moreover, the involvement of localpeople may encourage them to take a positive role inthe tourism initiative. They may be more willing to ask,not only 'What can tourism do for me?', but also 'Whatcan I do for tourism?'.7.3 Involving the community. How, then, may thelocal people be involved in the process of tourismdevelopment? In many European countries, there is nostrong tradition of what has been called 'participativedemocracy'. People in many villages and small townsare not accustomed to taking part in publicdiscussion of proposals, even wherethese proposals will directly affectthem. Moreover, public bodiesmay be reluctant to sharedecision-making with thepeople, because thisimplies giving away someof their power. But thistrend towards participativedecision-making, or 'bot-tom-up' development canbe observed throughoutEurope; and the process of pro-moting rural tourism can be used as

7.4 The 'ladder' of public involvement. Where localpeople are unused to public discussion of such matters,it may be necessary to move towards public involve-ment by easy steps. This idea was expressed by theAmerican author Arnstein, who offered the idea of aladder, which people could climb. The diagram showsthis ladder, in a form which we have modified for thepurpose of this Guide.

7.5 To explain this diagram:Ø A first step may be information, by which people aretold about what is possible in terms of tourism andwhat it might do for their area.Ø The next step may be sensitisation, by which peopleare encouraged to reflect on the character of theirarea; the natural, cultural and human resources of thearea; the ways in which these resources might be usedfor tourism; the kinds of visitors who might come; and

the impact that tourism might have upon theirlives and upon the local economy and

environment. Ø This may then lead to active

participation in the debateupon the development oftourism, and in the deci-sions which are made (weexplain this process fur-ther in chapter 8).Ø This in turn may provoke

the direct involvement ofpeople in pursuing and con-

tributing to the tourism devel-opment programme, for example

C H A P T E R 7.

The local community: how to involve and sustain the local people through Tourism

INFORMATION

SENSITISATION

PARTICIPATION

PARTNERSHIPDIRECT

INVOLVEMENT

imposing a legal andregulatory framework

self-regulation andparticipation of the

local community

Means of Control of Sustainable Rural Tourism

Top-down approach Bottom-up approach

Creating constructivepartnerships betweenthe public, private and

voluntary sectors

an opportunity to encourage participation. To bridge"bottom up" and "top down" approaches in a construc-tive partnership (as shown in the "Means of control"diagram) is a challenging and demanding task, whichcan guarantee though long-term continuity of sustain-able rural tourism development.

in family enterprises or as employees of tourism com-panies, as volunteer guides and in other roles.Ø This direct involvement may then form the basis forthe creation of formal or informal local partnershipswhich may undertake aspects of the tourism develop-ment programme or of the protection and enrichmentof resources which are associated with it. 7.6. A structured process. Among the various stepsdescribed above, sensitisation is the "key" to achieve atrue "bottom up" involvement of the community in thedevelopment of tourism. Sensitisation may be definedas a process through which a community becomesaware of the capacities and talents of its members aswell as the potential of the resources that are availableto them. Then, the community may set a target forlocal development, including tourism, leading to activa-tion and participation of community members in thedevelopment process.7.7 We may also see sensitisation and activation of thelocal community as a sequence of changes broughtabout in many rural areas by the pressing need to moveon to a new phase and to consider carefully the poten-tial and prospects for future development. This neces-sitates a strategy that may include the following actions:Ø developing a grassroots planning process includingactive participation of the community;Ø establishing the objectives of tourism developmentin line with a concern for preserving community cohe-sion and the natural and cultural heritage;Ø understanding the requirements of the tourism mar-ket in order to build an appealing tourism productacceptable to the community;Ø creating a community-based tourism managementmechanism to handle change, communication, busi-ness development, etc.Glossa in the Greek island of Skopelos (case study 7.5)

gives a vivid example of a structured process, which ledthe local community, through the sensitisation andactive involvement of a women's group, to win new jobsand income for community members and to revitalisethe village.7.8 Conflict resolution. In chapter 4, we described theconflicts which can occur between different elementsof a local community, related to tourism; and the con-sequent need for efforts of conflict resolution. Casestudy 4.3 illustrates how the adverse impact of canoetourism on a lake system in Sweden was resolved in away that has been accepted by the tourists, thelandowners and the authority responsible for natureconservation. Syvota (case study 7.4) illustrates howthe enterprises in a community agreed on the actionthat was needed to remedy the adverse impact of tour-ism on the environment.7.9 The win-win-win model. A creative approach toconflict resolution is the "Win-Win-Win Model" (present-ed during the First Summer Academy in Gotland byLeonidas Papakonstandinidis). Based on the "non-coop-erative game" of John Nash and his "win-win" model(according to which both parties involved in a negotia-tion may formulate winning strategies), communityinvolvement may be seen as a three-way negotiation.Taking part in such a negotiation, each member of thecommunity should ask him/herself three questions:what is best for me? what is best for me and the oth-ers? and, what is best for me, for the others and for thecommunity? Thus, "converging individual strategies"may be created, forming a solid basis for cooperationbetween community members.



LocalAbilities Leadership

PropertiesPriorities

Flag Theme

A teampsychology is

created

A commongoal is defined

Converging individual strategies on a communitystrategy for cooperation and tourism development

Local peopletake up specific

roles

Involving the local community in a workshop, Malechowo, Northern Poland

Flow chart for the creation of a Flag Theme

7.10 Creating a "flag theme". The idea for co-opera-tion tends to evolve naturally out of a common need orinterest shared among the potential members of agroup. It may be expressed in a shared vision or a 'flagtheme', which motivates the group and sustains theiractive participation in the development process. A flagtheme provides an "umbrella" for converging individual



strategies; a central theme to build a local tourismproduct with distinct identity; and a pool to bringtogether the abilities, skills and talents of the groupmembers. An example of such a flag theme is providedby the strong wish for economic independence andreinforcement of women's role in local society, adopt-ed by the Petra women's agro-tourism cooperative inthe island of Lesbos, Greece. This led the women togreat success and made the cooperative a legendarymodel in its field throughout Europe.7.11 Training and education. The process of publicinvolvement can, indeed, be much assisted by trainingand education. Where people become interested intheir local heritage, in possible entrepreneurial activityby themselves or in communal initiatives to promotetourism, they may become open to learning more.Training may then be offered -by local authorities, localdevelopment agencies, or non-government organisa-tions- in topics such as leadership, management, prob-lem-solving, group dynamics and building partnershipsand links with other groups and organisations. There may be opportunity for public education ontourism, with a focus on the benefits and costs oftourism, the ways of which enterprises can be devel-oped, and how to cope with tourists from different cul-tural and language backgrounds. Desa (case study 5.4)and Morella (case study 8.4) provide examples of suchpublic education.7.12 Leadership, or animation. The key to the creationof groups and the pursuit of local initiative is leadership.There is no standard pattern for this. Leadership maycome from the people who have formal roles on localcommunities, such as the mayor or the priest, or fromsome person, or team, who is formally appointed asanimator. It may also come from those whom theSwedes call ' fiery spirits'-individuals of any age or posi-tion who feel the drive to improve the life of their com-

munity or to celebrate or protect a part of its heritageor social structure. This Guide is rich in examples of ini-tiative taken by different people - perceived and valuedby its own inhabitants (see, for instance, case studies3.3, 5.4, 7.1). 7.13 Technical support. Leaders may also be chosendirectly by local people through a democratic process.For example in Halsingland, Sweden, two-thirds of the27 members of the Local Action Group (working underLEADER+) are chosen at a yearly Halsingeting, which isa countryside and culture festival. The Action Groupsupports people who have ideas for tourism projects.At first, the Group encourages them to develop theirideas by offering technical support with long-termanalysis and assessment of the benefits and impacts ofthe proposed project in social, economic and environ-mental terms: this is the "Idea Development Process".This Process helps to secure better founded projects;to build the capacity of those involved in them; and tocreate networks of people who can work together.

7.14 Co-operative networks. Returning for a momentto the 'ladder' of public involvement described above,one might say that the top step would be co-operativeaction within a local community. In chapter 6, wedescribed the idea of social entrepreneurship, and ofco-operation among people in an area. Tourism, with itsmany small enterprises and the need to link togetherthe many different services which a visitor may need,offers a natural ground for such cooperation throughbusiness networks. Typical examples of such networksare offered by the various "routes" or "trails" describedin several case-studies. The wine route (case study 3.3),the art route (case study 3.4), the heritage trail (casestudy 4.2) bring together all those who would benefitfrom the spending of visitors along a route or trail, suchas craftsmen, shopkeepers, restaurateurs, guesthouseowners etc. Such projects can only succeed through acollective effort of local businesses, once commongoals have been agreed.

A village community in England, receiving a multi-national partythrough the European Rural University

A public meeting in the village of Syvota, Greece, to discusstourism developement

7.15 Local pride. An initial interest in developing tourismcan lead to an enhanced pride among the local peoplefor the heritage of their place, including wildlife, localhistory, historic and archaeological sites, traditional artand crafts, ethnic and spiritual riches etc. Raising the"local sensitivity" level in this way can be a major factorin community development and in encouraging a sus-tainable approach in local life. The South PembrokeshireAction for Rural Communities (SPARC) encouraged peo-ple in South Wales to come together to discuss the localfeatures and traditions which they themselves value andwhich might be used as the basis for tourism. From thishas risen a series of local trails which visitors are encour-aged to follow and which are presented in a standardseries of trail brochures published by SPARC. This initia-tive enabled villagers to appreciate their own heritage,become proud of it and join forces to guard it, drawingat the same time the economic benefits from visitors

through a planned tourism product.

7.16 Building local partnerships. Europe is rich in exam-ples of local partnerships or "local action groups" that areformed with a view to manage local development in ademocratic way, for the benefit of the community.Local action groups may be formal or informal. Sweden,for example, has about 4000 informal local develop-ment groups working on a village level. Many of thesewere set up in response to an offer of modest financialsupport from the local authorities, which encouragedvillagers to meet and to make a simple developmentplan for their area. Making a plan might entitle the vil-lage to a small additional sum of money, and the plancould be a point of departure for finding additional sup-port for its realisation. These plans stimulated local co-operation. Many of the local action groups in Swedenhave projects relating to rural tourism.




We invite you to focus upon the rural area in whichyou work, or upon a specific rural area with whichyou are familiar. 1. In relation to rural development generally, and torural tourism in particular, what position on the 'lad-der of public involvement' (see paragraph 7.4) has sofar been reached by the population of your chosenarea?2.Has there been a deliberate effort to sensitise thelocal community in the area, in the field of ruraltourism? If so, how successful do you think it hasbeen? If not, do you think that such an effort wouldbe useful, and how might it be undertaken?3.Are there significant conflicts between differentinterests in the area, related to rural tourism? If so,what effects do these conflicts have? What effortshave been made, or may be needed, to resolve theseconflicts?4. Who is providing the leadership, or animation, forrural tourism in the area? What effect does this lead-ership or animation have? Is something more, or dif-ferent, needed in this respect?5.Are there networks of cooperation, or formal part-nerships, for rural tourism in the area? Are they use-ful and effective? Is something more, or different,needed in this respect?



Aprime example of successful innovation intourism is the Hultsfred Rockparty, which is nowan annual festival of rock music that attracts

some 25,000 people every summer and generates sig-nificant local income and employment. It illustrateshow initiative may be taken by active local people, inthis case a group of teenagers; and how a whole com-munity may be actively involved in, and benefit from, amajor tourist attraction. The initiative started in 1981 when a group ofteenagers, frustrated by the lack of facilities for youthin the small town of Hultsfred, decided to organise arock concert. 1,600 people turned up for that first con-cert, and this encouraged the young people to contin-ue and gradually expand the annual event, which hasbecome the largest music festival in Sweden. TheRockparty has become a large business, based in thetown, employing 12 people year-round and supported(before and during concert week) by about 5,000 localvolunteers, who earn money for their local associationsby doing this work. Its large building, in the centre ofthe small town, has become a major educational anddevelopmental centre for the music industry.

During the first four years after the first concert, themembers organised various musical events in the town.Then in 1986, they arranged their first rock festival. Thefollowing year, they made a loss on the event, butthereafter the growth in interest was explosive,because Sweden did not have a music festival of thiskind. Now the festival has become one of the majorrock music events in the country. After early scepticism,the Municipality has given strong support to the festi-val, which has helped Rockparty to secure capital forfurther investment. The festival organisation has always been based on vol-untary labour. In a small town like Hultsfred, with 5,400population, it has been quite easy to generate a feelingamong the local people that this is 'their' festival.Today, many of those who volunteered in the early dayshave children who now take part.

In 1991 Rockparty decided to build its own concert hall,again largely by voluntary labour. The Rockcity buildingnow also contains a restaurant and other public spaces;and a series of offices and studios. These are occupiedby Rockparty's 6 companies, which together have anannual turnover of 6 million Euros in the field of music,media and IT; and by other companies which have spunoff from the Rockparty activities. In total, 15 companieswith 70 employees are located in the building, togeth-er with Sweden's first state-supported Industrial

Development Centre for the popular music industry.

Rockparty is also involved in a variety of educationalprogrammes, including a 3-year course in MusicManagement with the University of Kalmar; courses forevent producers, with a folk high school and a study cir-cle organisation; and courses for digital media distribu-tors. Its members sometimes teach at the Hultsfredsecondary school. The organisation seeks to inspire theyouth of the local area to be creative and to find mean-ingful occupation. Rockparty emphasises the importance of not forgettingone's roots. Although they now have paid staff andown several companies, the organisation still is, and willcontinue to be, a non-profit group based on voluntarylabour. The fact that they are rooted in the Hultsfredarea provides a good basis for their long-term develop-ment and for the realisation of visions of the members.

Contacts:

Tel +46 495 69500, http://www.rockparty.se

Case study 7.1Hultsfred Rockparty, Sweden

Hultsfred Rockparty

Anexample of communal enterprise on anambitious scale is provided by the Spanishtown of Xativa.

This town, of 25,000 inhabitants, lies about 65 kmsouthwest of the Spanish city of Valencia. About twothousand years old, it has high historic and architectur-al interest, and rich cultural traditions drawn from theRoman, Muslim and Christian periods of its history. Itgained military importance in the 13th century,defending the southern border of the Kingdom; andreached its maximum splendour between the 15th and18th centuries, before being destroyed by fire duringthe War of Succession.

Xativa is now the industrial and service centre for theCostera region, which is mainly rural. The town grewduring the last century, with new buildings and roadswhich damaged much of its historical heritage. Thiscaused the decline of the leisure and tourism sectors,which were practically non-existent until the lastdecade. Nowadays, the situation has radically changed. The oldpart of the city is alive, thousands of people visit thecity and its monuments, including foreigners. Thischange was initiated in 1995 by a small group of busi-nessmen from the leisure and tourism sector, who weremembers of the Association of Businessmen fromXativa (ADEXA). They put forward the idea that Xativashould be nominated as a World Heritage site, in orderto act as a focal point for revival of tourism and relatedeconomic activity. They gained the support of ADEXAand of the Town Council, and these two bodies thenconducted a strong public awareness campaign. Thisincluded seminars and conferences on tourism sub-jects, involving the best national specialists and theregional institutions. This alerted the town's population,and the idea penetrated each house and each shop.

The alliance has been guided by three unwritten princi-ples -the sharing of common objectives, the co-man-agement of initiatives, and the participation of localauthorities and local people. Many new activities havebeen introduced by the Town Council, with the supportof the local entrepreneurs and the residents in general.The results have been impressive:

Ø The Castle, emblem of the town, is now managedjointly by public and private agencies as a tourist attrac-tion. It receives 70,000 visitors a year, as compared with30,000 in 1997. The hill around the castle has been re-planted and several distinguishing features of the city,such as the shield, flag and traditions have been redis-covered.

Ø Several buildings have been restored in the town tohouse cultural and leisure activities, such as museumsand libraries etc. Monument trails have been definedand signposted.

Ø Publicity material had been produced in differentlanguages, to tell visitors about the attractions and his-tory of the town. Xativa is included in the regional pro-motional material of Valencia.

Ø Many cultural events are organised each year in thetown, including outdoor concerts, theatre performanc-es, a cultural "fair", a rice-cooking contest, performanc-es of mediaeval music, exhibitions and tasting of typicalfood of the Borgia era. Ø Restaurants in the town embarked in a revival ofnative culinary specialities, finding old recipes with theinvaluable help of the city's oldest women.

Ø A new enterprise network has arisen, formed byyoung entrepreneurs who have risked their savings onleisure initiatives and tourism. The number of pubs inXativa has quadrupled in the last 7 years, and 90% ofthem are small companies set up by young people.

The "snowball" continues to grow. New investmentssuch as a golf course and a theatre are in hand. Thepeople of the city feel pride of their traditions, and con-fident that the city will not retreat to the days whenthat pride was forgotten. The arrogant blood-red flagof the 'maulets', patriots who defended the city andtheir culture from the Spanish troops, again flies abovethe castle. The campaign to gain World Heritage statuscontinues.

Contact:

http://www.ayto-xativa.org/default.htm



Case study 7.2Xátiva, Spain: communal enterprise in tourism

Panoramic view of Xativa Castle, Spain



T his is a further example of communal enterpriseon an ambitious scale. Pusztamerges is a village atthe south part of the Great Hungarian Plain, not

far from the regional capital of Szeged. This territory issandy, so the productivity of its agricultural land is low.Since the 1950s, the population has decreased and thevillage now has about 1200 inhabitants, including only53 children younger than 15 years of age.

In 1992, a group of people in the village launched arural tourism programme, with the active assistance ofthe mayor. Their aim was to promote long-term devel-opment of tourism in the settlement and in the micro-region, based upon the natural endowments of the vil-lage, and its farming traditions and life style. They iden-tified a series of resources which could be used asassets for tourism. These included nature reserves,opportunities for riding and fishing, farm products suchas fruit, wine and asparagus, and local foods.

The group realised that it was essential to gain the sup-port and involvement of the local community, and ofenterprises, civil associations and local authorities, all ofwhom would be direct or indirect actors of ruraltourism. A starting point in gaining that support wasthe appearance of the village. The village leaders recog-nised that the beauty and well-kept look of the villagewas essential for success in tourism. The local authoritytherefore paid great attention to cleanliness and todecorating all parts of the village with flowers. They en-couraged the villagers to take care on the public placein front of their houses by offering free water and col-lection of rubbish: this was effective in gaining theawareness and involvement of the people. Public awareness of the opportunities presented bytourism is also promoted by courses and study tours forthe inhabitants, organised by the mayor; by the revivalof traditional customs, and by holding gastronomic andother events. These include a Festival of StuffedCabbage-cooking, a Festival of Cock Stew-cooking, aHarvest Festival, exhibitions in the community arts cen-tre, concerts by the Women's Choir, and so on.

The result of these efforts has been a useful increase intourism, with guests from Hungary and from Denmark,Germany and other countries. The local authority hasset up a tourist information office, which promotes theaccommodation and other services offered by the vil-lagers and is linked to the national tourist informationnetwork.

The outward-looking nature of the village has attractedinvestment from abroad into the infrastructure. Thus

the building of the agricultural vocational school wassubsidised by Northrhein-Westphalia, to the tune of750.000 Euro. A water processing plant were built part-ly from Italian capital. The efforts of the village havebeen recognised by the award in 1996 of first place inthe competition Floral Hungary, and in 1997 of thirdplace in the European Floral competition. In 1996, thevillage also won the Prize for European Village Renewal.These prizes have also strengthened the sense of com-munity belonging.

Contact:

Antal Borcsok, Mayor, Mora Ferenc ter 1, H-6785Pusztamerges, Hungary

Tel +36 62 286 770, Fax +36 62 286 711,e-mail [email protected]

Case study 7.3Pusztamérges, Hungary: ambitious communal enterprise

The Agricultural School in Pusztamerges

Flower beds in the village

Syvota offers an example of local partnership,including the raising of awareness among localpeople, related to the impact of tourism on the

environment and the action needed to remedy this. Syvota is a coastal village in the region of Epirus, North-West Greece. The area is designated as of outstandingnatural beauty, with a fine coastline and many smallislands. During the last two decades, it has attracted agrowing number of tourists, both domestic and inter-national. This has caused an influx of investment in con-struction of hotels and rented apartments.

The rapid development of the area, coupled with theunwillingness of local authorities to impose strict plan-ning controls, has caused serious damage to the envi-ronment. Given that most of the investment capital isowned by local people, there is in effect a conflictbetween the local community and the protection ofthe natural environment which has sustained the veryvitality of this community.The regional and prefectural authorities of the areadecided to join forces to make the local community ofSyvota aware that they are acting against their ownlong-term interests. With the help of an EC programme,ECOS Ouverture, a strategy for sensitisation of the localpopulation was designed, based on participation ofcommunity leaders and businesses. A local ConsultativeCommittee was formed, which brought together repre-sentatives of the local and regional authorities, the localtourism businesses and all other associations active ineconomic or cultural fields in Syvota.

This Committee debated the issue of sustainable devel-opment in the locality, and defined the terms and con-ditions for sustainability, taking into account the viewof the local entrepreneurs. The local town plan was dis-cussed in this context, and an open meeting of all vil-lage inhabitants was organised in the village square. Acollective decision was taken that the town plan mustcome into force as soon as possible, so that planningcontrols protecting the environment and the quality oflife of the residents would be enforced. After a year ofmeetings and debate, a sub-committee was formedconsisting of 5 local entrepreneurs, owners of hotelsand tourist apartments. They worked out proposals forthe environmental improvement of their village, includ-ing a number of measures that would improve thequality of the tourism product in their area. Prominent among these measures was the formationof a Local Agreement on Quality Control (LAQC) on themodel of Tzoumerka, a mountainous area of Epirus (seecase study 3.5). This "quality contract" drawn among

local businesses is designed to commit the entrepre-neurs to maintain high standards of service, environ-mental protection and preservation of the local tradi-tion and heritage. 25 tourism businesses have alreadyregistered their interest, acknowledging that businessinterests and environmental interests can be mutuallysupportive in areas like Syvota. The local authorityresponded positively to the entrepreneurs' need forbetter promotion of their area, funding a touristbrochure; and the Regional Authority undertook todesign a heritage and ecology trail in Syvota and topublish supporting interpretive material for this trail.The success of the Syvota project is based on two fac-tors. Firstly, the involvement of the local entrepreneursin planning their own sustainable development gave tothe local community a different understanding of thedevelopment process. Indeed, it created an alternativevision for the future viability of individual enterprisesand of the whole village, based upon the concepts of"quality" and "preservation". The setting up by local busi-nesses of an association designed to safeguard theenvironment, and thus the long-term quality of thelocal tourism product was an important step, becausethe initiative came from the entrepreneurs themselves.Secondly, a partnership has been formed between thelocal community and the authorities at local andregional level. This partnership has worked well,because all parties have shown willingness to contributeto the common purpose. The local entrepreneurs tookthe initiative to set up the association. The local author-ity supported this by producing promotional materialand bringing forward the investment in vital infrastruc-tures in the village. The prefectural authority undertookthe cost of town planning in the village; and the region-al authority established the heritage and nature trail. Itis now vital to sustain the momentum already achievedboth in terms of community involvement and partner-ship building.

Contact: Lambros Kissas, e-mail [email protected]



Case study 7.4Syvota, Greece: local action on the impact of tourism

Lack of planning controls affects a landscape of outstandingnatular beauty in Syvota Bay



Skopelos is a "green" island in the Aegean Sea andis a popular destination for both Greek and for-eign tourists. It has a long history dating back

4,000 years and was influenced by the Minoan civilisa-tion. In ancient times, the emblem of the island was thegrape and the locally produced wine was known all overGreece. The village of Glossa is located where the ancient townof Knossos used to be. It is a picturesque place, setamong pines and almond trees and featuring cobbledlanes and traditional houses. It adjoins the island Hora,an established tourist destination; but until 1999,Glossa was a small fishing village, with a few elderlyinhabitants and a very low average annual income,between 1,500 and 1,800 Euro.

In 1999, the local LEADER project organised a 6-monthtraining course for local women related to the chal-lenges and opportunities of rural tourism development.35 women took part, and this led to the formation ofthe Glossa Women's Agricultural Cooperative, whichstarted with 24 members. The aim of the Cooperativewas to support the local economy; to provide a supple-mentary income to women in the area; and to improvethe social status and cultural level of women villagers.The cooperative is mainly engaged in the production oftraditional sweets, food and drinks with traditionalrecipes and pure material to provide authentic andunique tastes. Among the delicacies they produce aresweets based on almond crumb; jams and conservesmade of seasonal fruit; pastries and other traditionalfood, such as meat or fish dishes and traditional twist-ed cheese pies. The cooperative also promotes localcustoms through organising weddings, christeningsand other public celebrations, planned in a way thatmarks the island's cultural identity. They provide cater-ing services to conferences in and outside the island.They run an exhibition hall, in the form of a popular artmuseum, where they show their products as well as tra-ditional embroidery and other handicrafts.

Over the years, the women succeeded in building ateam spirit encouraged by a small group of youngerinhabitants, who acted as an "animators team" underthe supervision of an outside expert. Through the gameof "collective choice" they found their "flag theme",namely the home-made sweets to promote the localidentity and "family games in preparing meals andsweets", which are offered during August as a culturalactivity for tourists from Hora. Awareness of local prob-lems, needs and resources was raised among the localcommunity. People got involved in the decision making

process regarding future development of their areathrough a "Business Plan" composed in the context ofthe LEADER Initiative, formed a "Local Action Group" andstarted to ask for financial resources.

Now, the Cooperative has 65 members, and the aver-age annual income per family has increased by 3,000Euro. Moreover, young people have begun to return toGlossa and the first wedding since November 1991 tookplace there in May 2001. The only primary school in thevillage, which was planned to close due to lack of chil-dren, has stayed open. The Cooperative also tries tocreate partnerships with other islands and rural areas.

Contact:

Ms Papachristou, Glossa Village Council, 370 04Island of Skopelos, Prefecture of Magnesia,tel +30 24240 33224, fax +30 24240 33364

Case study 7.5Community Sensitisation in the island of Scopelos, Greece

Members of the cooperative preparing local traditional twistedcheese pies

Exhibition of local traditional delicacies

The purpose of planning8.1 Planning is the process of preparing for the future.A person who has goals to achieve may make plans toorganise his/her time and to realise those dreams stepby step. In the same way, planning is needed for settle-ments, micro-regions, regions and whole countries.Such planning may be a complex process, concerningthe community, the economy and the environment. Itsaim may be to propose, and to achieve, those changeswhich can promote social well-being, economicgrowth, improvement of people's living standards, orenvironmental enhancement in the chosen area. It isone of the main means by which we seek to achievesustainability, as outlined in chapter 1. 8.2 Space and resources. Planning is essentially con-cerned with the allocation of space and of resources.That is why we talk (on the one hand) of spatial plan-ning, which is to do with the use of land; and (on theother hand) of economic or developmental planning,which is to do with the use of financial and other re-sources. Sometimes, these two types of planning arepursued separately, sometimes they are closely linked.8.3 What geographic scale? Planning can be pursuedat national, regional, sub-regional and local level.Indeed, it is needed at all those levels. A major chal-lenge in all countries is to ensure a coherence betweenthe planning activity that takes place at these differentlevels, so that (for example) projects at local level whichdepend upon a new supply of water can depend upontimely action at regional level to supply that water. Casestudies 8.1 and 8.2 provide examples of planning atnational and regional level which is designed to ensurecoherence between these levels, and between tourismand other aspects of development. 8.4 We described in chapter 1 the growing emphasisupon regions, which are geographic units smaller thanmost states, and upon action and initiative at local level.Our concern in this Guide is mainly with planning atthese two levels. We wish to focus upon those spatialplans, and economic or development plans, which con-tribute to the efforts of rural development, and partic-ularly to the sustainable development of rural tourism.But we need to remember that these regional or localplans may be frustrated if they do not relate well to theplans at the level of the nation or the large region. 8.5 Sectoral planning. We should remember also thatmuch planning is done on a sectoral basis, i.e. it relatesmainly to one sector such as agriculture or indeed

tourism. Such sectoral planning is legitimate, and allowsofficials and others to focus on the particular issues ofthat sector. But it carries dangers, in that it can blindthe planners to the links between sectors, the opportu-nities which one sector may offer to another or theadverse impact which single-sector development mayhave on other sectors or (for example) upon the envi-ronment. We have put this chapter last, precisely toencourage you to consider the links between tourismand the heritage (chapter 4) or between tourism andother economic sectors (chapter 5) before consideringthe role of planning.

8.6 Territorial planning. Sectoral planning needs to becomplemented by area-based or territorial planning.This is needed because rural development, includingthe development of rural tourism, may depend uponthe harnessing of resources from many different sec-tors. These may include Government Ministries or agen-cies, external agencies such as the European Union,regional and local authorities, the private sector, localself-governments, non-government organisations andthe local people themselves. An effective way to bringall these interests together, in order to pursue a practi-cal programme, may be:Ø to define a chosen Area, which is recognised by thepeople and which is suited to solving the problems: itmay be a village, a group of villages, or even a wholedistrict;Ø to set in hand a process of rural development forthat area, and to develop a programme for that area,which calls upon the resources of all relevant bodies;Ø to create a structure for effective partnershipbetween the different actors; Ø to put in place an animator (which may be an indi-vidual, or a team) whose job is to work with all the rel-



C H A P T E R 8.

Strategic planning: a formal approach to the long view

Ministries ofAgriculture,

Tourism,Environment

EuropeanUnion

The privatesector

Non-governmentalorganisations

The localpeopleCommunes

Regionaland local

authorities

Process and Programmefor a chosen Area pursued through

Partnership with an Animatorover a period of Time



evant bodies and the local community, in order tomake things happen; andØ to pursue the programme over a significant period oftime. 8.7 The micro-region. This need for a territorialapproach is reflected in the trend move towards plan-ning at what may be called the micro-region level, inboth the European Union and central Europe. Forexample, in the LEADER programme, through which (inthe second phase of that programme) over 900 localaction groups were set up in different parts of the EU,the emphasis was on rural areas each of which had apopulation of up to 100,000. In Hungary, the ruraldevelopment programme has been elaborated for thecountry, for the seven regions and for the nineteencounties but also for 207 micro-regions, which containon average a population of just under 40,000. The Zala-KAR Association (case study 8.3) is an example of actionat this geographic scale. Thus, in both LEADER and theHungarian pattern, the area covered by a plan may beseen to be large enough to contain significantresources for rural development, and yet small enoughto feel familiar and 'owned' by the people who livethere. 8.8 Local planning. Where a particular locality, such as ahistoric town or coastal village, already receives or wish-es to attract a significant flow of tourists, it may needto have a local tourism plan. This can help to ensurethat all parts of the tourism product are in balance andthat the tourism brings benefit rather than damage tothe local people, the local economy and the environ-ment. Examples of such local planning are provided bythe initiative of the villagers of Pusztamerges (case stu-dy 7.3); the action of the local authorities and enter-prises of Syvota (case study 7.4); and the local devel-opment strategy for Morella (case study 8.4).

8.9 Variety. So, planning is a very varied activity -spatialor economic; national, regional or local; comprehensiveor sectoral. There is no single approach to it, nor anystandard type of plan. To help you to think about it, weoffer ideas about processes and techniques which canbe used; and we then give a number of examples ofplanning in action, at different geographic scales andwith different emphasis.

The planning process8.10 A logical sequence. A crucial aspect of planning isthe logical link that there should be between the aimsof the plan and the proposals. This may be reflected inthe presentational form of a plan, which (for example)may focus in turn upon: Ø The strategic aims of the planØ A vision for the futureØ Objectives and prioritiesØ An action plan which leads to the achievement of thevisionØ The tools and financial resources needed to carry outthe action plan Ø The role of the different actors.8.11 A wide view. We emphasised in chapter 1 thewidth of the issues involved in sustainable rural devel-opment; and, in other chapters, the essential linksbetween rural tourism and other sectors. This width,and these links, make it essential that planning process-es take a wide view. Plans for a rural area, whether gen-eral or sectoral in scope, should: Ø be embedded into the general spatial concept of thearea, and into the national and regional plans for devel-opment or for tourism;Ø have connections with spatial development docu-

Tourist development in the Hautre Savoie, France: an example of incongruous design

ments of neighbouring areas;Ø take account of every sector of the local economy; Ø focus upon sustainability, by addressing the fullrange of criteria that are outlined in chapter 1; and Ø involve the local community in the planning process.8.12 A participative process. In chapter 7, we empha-sised the importance of involving the local populationin tourism planning. The same principle applies to anyplanning for an area. This means that the planningprocess should be an open and participative one, givingthe local people a full opportunity to contribute to thethinking, to comment on options that are beingexplored, and to influence the proposals before theyare formally adopted. A strong example of this is pro-vided by the Slovenian Heritage Trail, case study 4.2.8.13 The adoption of participative processes representsa particular challenge in countries and regions wherecentralised planning has been the norm. This character-istic is by no means confined to the former socialistcountries of central Europe. The move into a participa-tory approach -what is sometimes called 'bottom-up'planning- can represent a challenge not only to thepublic bodies who are leading the planning process, butto the people themselves. A participatory approach may demand more time and

patience than a more dogmatic or 'top-down'approach. But the reward for this can be not only agreater measure of public acceptance of the resultingplan, but also an active commitment by the full rangeof individual and organisations whose energy and re-sources are needed to carry out the plan. Examples ofthe building of this active commitment are provided bythe Villany-Siklos Wine Route (case study 3.3), theWalloon ironworks (case study 4.1) and the SlovenianHeritage Trail (case study 4.2).

Techniques8.14 Planners are trained to follow a classic sequence ofwork in preparing plans. This is based on three elements-survey, analysis and plan-making. We here outlinesome of the techniques that can be used at these threestages. 8.15 Survey. A first step in all planning is to understandthe organism whose future you are seeking to influ-ence. The famous British planner Sir Patrick Geddesused to speak of three great interrelated factors -'folk,work and place'- as the starting-point of any plan. Bythis he meant the three pillars that we emphasised inchapter 1 -the people or community; the economy;and the environment. These three aspects are likely tofigure in the surveys that you need to do. For example,you may need to gather information about:Ø People, or human resources -the demographic struc-ture, income levels, education level, skills in foreign lan-guages, the ethnic mixture etcØ The economy, including the proportion of jobs inagriculture, in secondary industries and in servicesincluding tourism, and the levels of unemploymentØ Infrastructure -how accessible the area is, the trans-port system, water supply, electricity, waste manage-ment, sewerage, solid waste, telecommunicationsØ Institutions and services in tourism, including typesof tourist accommodation, catering, commercial servic-es, safety and defence servicesØ Environment and heritage -climate, quality of theenvironment, protected natural values, the built envi-ronment and cultural heritage, historic buildings, pro-tected parts of town, ethnographical values, culturalhabits, cultural programmes, and local specialities.8.16 SWOT analysis. A very useful tool in the analysisstage is the technique of assessing Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Thisprovides a framework for taking the survey material andconsidering what it may imply for action. It can be con-ducted an any geographic scale, from a single farm toa whole country, but is particularly useful when appliedto a region or local area. One can analyse, in turn, thefour elements: Ø Strengths, that is the existing assets of the area,upon which a plan may be built. Examples of strengthsrelevant to tourism might include a beautiful land-



The town of Clervaux, Luxembourg, where the economy and environmental quality of the town centre has beentransformed in a very positive way by building a bypass

and removing the traffic



scape, or a rich gastronomic tradition. Ø Weaknesses, that is the disadvantages affecting anarea, which may need to be corrected in the plan.Examples might be a low level of education among thepeople, or an inadequate water supply. Ø Opportunities, that is things inside or outside thearea which might be exploited as future strengths, forexample specific tourism markets which are not nowattracted to the area, or the potential to add valuelocally (through tourism) to products which are nowprocessed elsewhere or not effectively used. Ø Threats, that is factors which could damage thepotential development of the area and which must ifpossible be avoided or prevented. Examples might bethe danger of forest fires (a common threat inMediterranean countries) or of environmental pollutionby industry. A well-done SWOT analysis can point towards the sort ofingredients that a general development plan, or atourism plan, might include. 8.17 Problem 'trees', and objective 'trees'. Anothervery useful tool for analysis is the 'problem tree', bywhich one can put the issues that affect an area into alogical line and work out where the priority lies. Forexample, an area which already has some tourism mayfind that the tourism season is too short to allow thetourism enterprises to make any profit. This in turn willmean that the owners cannot invest in improving thefacilities, so that they cannot compete with better-equipped enterprises elsewhere. It may also mean thatthey cannot get good staff, because the season is tooshort. This is a set of inter-linked problems. The prob-lem tree allows one to analyse which is the core prob-lem (in this case, the short length of the tourism sea-son), the causes of that problem (i.e. the 'roots' of thenotional 'tree'), and the effects of that problem (i.e.the 'branches' of that 'tree'). On this can then be builtan objective tree, which takes the same diagram andapplies an objective to every problem, cause or effect.These objectives can then feed directly into the plan-making stage. 8.18 Methods for participative planning. There arealso methods designed to support joint analysis, visionsand planning, and to spur public involvement and com-mitment in the development processes. Methods suchas Planning for Real, Future Search, Open Space, VisionWork etc all offer ways of structuring communicationwithin groups to move through the stages of participa-tion outlined in paragraph 7.4. For example, FutureSearch was used in the Swedish county of Jamtland toinvolve both the communities and the officials at vari-ous levels of the local authorities in planning processes.These methods can be useful in the planning process,especially if they are seen not as one-time events but aspart of the long-term planning and evaluation of localprojects.8.19 Impact assessment. During the planning process,

it is essential to keep an eye on the aim of achievingsustainable tourism. The proposals in the plan must becalculated to have a positive, not a negative, impact onthe people, the economy, the environment and theinstitutions of the area to which they apply (see chap-ter 1 for an explanation of the criteria for sustainabili-ty). Often, people only realise that negative impacts arehappening after they have occurred, as in the exampleof Syvota (case study 7.4). This is not good practice;one should anticipate possible negative impacts at theplanning stage, and adapt the plan to avoid them. Thatis what impact assessments are designed to achieve.These assessments may apply to all aspects of sustain-ability; or may be focused on specific issues, using thedetailed techniques involved in (for example)Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Social ImpactAssessment (SIA). 8.20 Vision. The pivot or turning-point of any plan isthe statement of a vision for the future. By 'vision', wemean the concept of what the place may be like if theplan is realised. The vision should meet the followingkey points:Ø It should reflect the strategic aims of the plan, whichare normally stated right at the beginning of the plan-ning process, but which may be adjusted in the courseof that process in the light of the realities revealed bythe survey and analysis stages. Ø It should be clear and easily understood.Ø It should be agreed with all those who have a role inmaking it happen. This means that there must be inten-sive discussion, at the stages of analysis and plan-mak-ing, with all the key actors. Ø It should be shared with the population of the area,in ways that were described in the previous chapter.The general public may find it easier to grasp, and tocomment upon, that part of the vision that directlyaffects their own locality. 8.21 The Plan. The Vision can then be used as the start-ing-point for the logical sequence that we suggestedearlier in the chapter, namely the statement of:

A local seminar bringing together planners and local inhabitantsto discuss conflict between tourism and environment in Thesprotia,

Greece

Ø Objectives and prioritiesØ An action plan which leads to the achievement of the

visionØ The tools and financial resources needed to carry out

the action plan

Ø The role of the different actorsØ A programme of action, with targets for things to beachieved in a given order or by stated dates.8.22 Implementing the plan. Throughout the planningprocess, it is vital to remember that the production ofthe plan is not the end of a story, but the beginning. Aplan may be beautiful and logical, but it is useless if it isnot implemented. Throughout Europe, too many planshave been produced and then 'put on the shelf' or onlyhalf implemented. That does not produce the resultsthat we want. At the time the plan is finalised, theremust be a clear commitment from the key actors to aprocess of implementation, with clear mechanisms ofpartnership and of action. Moreover, the action shouldinclude a monitoring process, by which the progress onthe plan is checked at regular intervals. This checking ofprogress may be much assisted by agreement amongthe actors as to the indicators that should be used. Forexample, in Syvota (case study 7.4), alternative scenar-ios of future tourism development were evaluated bylocal people on the basis of a list of indicators, as fol-lows:Ø annual tourist arrivals/increaseØ Percentage of tourism-related jobs to total number

of jobs

Ø Private investment in tourism

Ø Public investment from EC and local/national invest-ment in the area

Ø Visitor stress (ratio of permanent residents to visi-

tors)Ø Health and care facilities

Ø Communal space per resident and visitor

Ø Carrying capacity of beaches and other sensitive areas

Ø Loss of agricultural land to tourism

Ø Pollution from tourism (seawater, noise etc)

8.23 Long-term partnership . We end this chapter witha renewed emphasis on the need for long-term part-nership between those involved in the developmentand management of rural tourism in any given area.Local initiatives, particularly those which are launchedwith short-term funding, need to be linked effectivelyto existing and more permanent structures, such aslocal authorities and their tourism and developmentdepartments. Too many projects die at the end of theirinitial funding period, or when a dynamic animatorleaves. It is not always easy to achieve a balance andeffective partnership between 'bottom-up' private orcommunity-based initiatives and the 'top-down' role ofofficial bodies, but such partnership may be the bestguarantee of long-tem continuity of the benefits whichrural tourism can bring to an area. Partnerships atnational level can also do much to sustain the vitalityand the constantly updated quality of rural tourism.Case study 8.5 provides a vivid example of this, fromEstonia.



A SWOT analysis for tourism development transferred on a Master Plan for the Sapanta community, Maramures, Romania by plannersof the National Institute for Research and Development in Urban and Regional Planning - URBAN PROJECT, Bucharest




We invite you to focus upon the rural area in which youwork, or upon a specific rural area with which you arefamiliar. 1. What is the official approach to planning for ruraldevelopment generally, and for rural tourism in partic-ular, in your country? Is such planning actively pursuedat national level? and at regional level? and at the levelof local areas such as the one that you have chosen?2. Which sectors or levels of government are involvedin planning for, or influencing in a significant way, thedevelopment of rural tourism? Do they appear to beworking effectively together? If not, what is needed inorder to achieve better cooperation? 3. Is there a recognised pattern of micro-regions orsimilar areas, which can be used as the basis for plan-ning of rural development and of rural tourism, in waysdescribed in paragraphs 8.6 and 8.7?4. Is it the custom in your country or region to pursueplanning in a participative way, which allows the gen-eral public to contribute in the process and to influencethe decisions that are made? If so, does this processappear to produce effective results, in the field of ruraltourism? If not, is there a need to make the processesmore participative, and how might this be achieved?5. Have you use the SWOT analysis technique (para-graph 8.16), the problem and objective trees (8.17) orsimilar techniques? If so, were they useful? If not, wesuggest that you may like -either as an exercise or in areal planning process- to apply them to the develop-ment of rural tourism in a chosen area.6. Are there long-term partnerships in your country orregion which can serve to ensure the long-term conti-nuity of the benefits which rural tourism can bring? Ifso, how will they achieve this? If not, is there a need tocreate such partnerships?

The Rural Tourism Working Group has beenappointed by the Rural Policy Committee, which isa body appointed by the Council of State

(Government) of Finland. The composition of the Rural Policy Committee tran-scends the boundaries between different branches ofadministration. Its main task, implemented within aframework of inter-agency cooperation, is to co-ordi-nate rural development measures and promote theeffective use of resources channelledinto rural areas. To intensify the develop-ment processes on different fields, theCommittee has appointed severalWorking Groups, of which the RuralTourism Working Group was one.

The Rural Tourism Working Group had aterm of office extending until the end ofthe year 2002.Its tasks were:

Ø to draft a national rural tourism strat-egy and operational programmeØ to organise the compilation of statisti-cal data on rural tourismØ to put together quality-training pro-grammes for the rural tourism sector

Ø to develop a nationwide reservationsystem for rural tourism products in col-laboration with regional organisations Ø to launch a marketing project andcontinue it until the year 2003.

The Working Group mediated information and facilitat-ed cooperation between different development proj-ects and developers at national level. It had set up co-operative relations with the co-ordinators and develop-ers of national and regional projects in many parts ofFinland. The network has been constantly expanded toinclude an increasing number of regional actors.As a tool for strategic planning, the Rural TourismWorking Group collected information about the actionstaken by key actors in rural tourism and passed it to thegovernmental level. It also offered guidelines and sug-gestions to the regional level and supervised the imple-mentation of the national rural tourism strategy andoperational programme.

Contact: e-mail [email protected];http://www.mmm.fi/maasmatk/enggroup.htm



Case study 8.1Rural Tourism Working Group at national level, Finland

Integrated tourism development in Finland

INthe Region of South Ostrobothnia, the processof strategic planning for the period 2000-2006includes thematic programming. There are 12

different theme programmes for the new period. Eachof these is supervised by a co-ordinator working for theRegional Council, and by a steering committee.Members of the committee are representatives of dif-ferent actors (administration, organisations, enterpris-es, NGOs etc) related to the theme. In addition to theTheme Group, the assistance of other experts is also

used when needed.

This cooperative working method is seenas democratic - giving an opportunityfor different actors to give their opinion- and effective. It allows similar projectsand ideas to be brought together, andpermits new ideas to be discussed anddeveloped further on a larger forum.Tourism is seen as the most importantof the 12 themes to be tackled in thisway.

The programme of tourism is developedand co-produced by many interestedparties and is written by the co-ordina-tor. It is based on the experiences fromthe previous programming period(which was the first one for Finland as amember of EU); on the results of theseminars and workshops for the differ-ent actors (project workers, entrepre-

neurs, representatives of educational organisationsetc); and on other discussions with people working in orclose to the field of tourism. The aim of the programmeand the Theme Group is to organise tourism develop-ment in the region; to find the most important pointsof development and to direct the use of resourcestowards them; to support planning of new projects; toreduce overlapping of projects; and to create a perma-nent structure for the development, planning, supportand follow-up of tourism in South Ostrobothnia. As a tool for strategic planning, this method aims toconnect in one region as many of the different actorsof the tourism branch as possible and to give them achance to take part actively in expanding their field ofactivity.

Contact: e-mail [email protected]



Case study 8.2A Tourism Theme Group at regional level, Finland

The Manor House

Z ala county in Hungary pro-vides an example of organ-ised thinking about tourism

development. This county has acomplex structure of settlement,and (as a result) many civil andgovernmental associations whoare interested in sustainable ruraldevelopment. One of the oldestand most successful of these bod-ies is the Zala-KAR Micro-RegionalInnovation Association, working atthe north-east edge of the Countyin West Transdanubia. This micro-region, containing 18communes, is weak in socio-eco-nomic terms. It has no significantindustrial activities, and the farmeconomy has been weakened bythe collapse of the agriculturalcooperatives. Unemployment isquite high, and the area has beenlosing population. The Zala-KAR Association wasestablished in 1993 by the 18 local governments. Itsaim is to manage effectively the complex developmentof the micro-region both in the governmental, the eco-nomic and the civil sphere. The Association has initiatedand implemented many programmes, some of whichare exemplary in the field of rural development. Thelocal governments provided the resources for a co-ordination office, which has grown as the programmedeveloped. In 1994, the Association introduced a programme forthe development of rural tourism. There was no previ-ous tradition of rural tourism, and it was therefore nec-essary to plan the whole process. The main elements inthat process have been: Ø Completing an inventory of possible tourist attrac-tions Ø Shaping the entrepreneurs' attitude towardstourism, ensuring their commitmentØ Building cooperation with rural tourism organisationsat county and national levelØ Organising study tours in Hungary and abroad for thepeople who would act as hosts for the visitorsØ Organising special courses for these hosts in lan-guages, hospitality methods etcØ Preparing proposals for product development, with

help from consultantsØ Obtaining subsidies for thisdevelopmentØ Classification and quality con-trol of the accommodation unitsØ Formulation and pursuit of amarketing strategy for the micro-regionØ Elaboration of a completetourism development plan.The Association employs one per-son, with funds provided by theBusiness Development Centre ofZala County, to manage the con-crete tasks of tourism develop-ment. In 1997 the hosts of thismicro-region established an inde-pendent body, the "Association ofthe Hosts of Zala-KAR".In 1996 the micro-region gainedsubsidies from the PHARE pro-gramme. Fifteen families havereceived PHARE funding to

improve the capacity of their accommodation or cater-ing businesses. PHARE funds were also used by the localgovernments to publish tourism brochures and maps,to build unified bus stops and other street furniture,and to erect information boards.Having established a culture of hospitality, the mem-bers of the Association turned their attention to spe-cialised fields of rural tourism. In 1999, they started thedevelopment of eco-tourism as part of an EcologicalRural Development Programme. The centre of this pro-gramme is Dotk, the smallest village in the micro-region. At the same time, they started building the ZalaWine Route, with support from the strategic plan of theregion, under which entrepreneurs were able to getinterest-free loans to develop their services related towine tourism. This wine route now crosses the borderof the micro-region and is linked with other wine routesin Zala, Somogy, and Veszprem counties.The future aim of the Association is the development ofa thermal spa and pleasure spa with health services atthe centre of the micro-region in Zalaszentgrot.

Contact: Guiprechtne Molnar Erzsebet, Zala-KARTersegi Innovacios Tarsulas H-8796 Turje, Sagvari u.1,Hungary Tel +36 83 356 242,e-mail: [email protected]



Case study 8.3Zala-KAR Association, Hungary

Bridge in the Zala county

Morella provides an example of strategic plan-ning of local development, with clear politicalleadership and strong participation of the local

inhabitants. Tourism has a major role in this strategy,and is closely linked to the heritage of the town.

The town of Morella (2,791 inhabitants) is situated inthe area of El Ports, the inland region of the ValenciaCommunity (Spain). This region suffers from depopula-tion, a crisis in farming and other traditional economicactivity, and damage to its historic and environmentalheritage.

Throughout its history, Morella has been important cul-turally. It has a significant archaeological, architecturaland cultural heritage. In 1965, Morella was declared ahistoric-artistic monument by the Ministry of Education,and it has recently been given World Heritage status byUNESCO.Morella's mayor, Mr Ximo Puig, who is also a member ofthe Valencian Court, has provided the strategic vision,and social and economic leadership, for the develop-ment of the town. He took the view that revival of thetown's economy should be based upon its environmentand cultural heritage. In 1988, he set up an EnvironmentAgency, to prepare and pursue a local developmentstrategy. Later, this was complemented by the creationof the Centre of Integrated Economic Services. Thedevelopment of the town has also been linked to thewider programme of rural development in the Ports-Maestrat district through the LEADER Initiative.

Over the last decade a series of projects have been pur-sued to promote protection of the heritage and thegrowth of tourism. These projects have included:

Ø Promotional activities based upon the historicalmonuments, such as the castle, walls and churches: thishas included portable displays in museums, a mediaevalfair and international music festivals, university summercourses and the introduction of ecological walks;

Ø Creation of tourist accommodation through the ren-ovation of traditional and historic buildings and homes(Cases de Morella), accompanied by a central reserva-tion system;

Ø Promotion of outdoor activities for tourists, such aswalking, mountain-biking and climbing, particularly inthe summer months;Ø Campaigns of tourism marketing, using moderntechnology such as web sites and webcams;

Ø Introduction of special training courses, in order tostrengthen the skills of tourism and other enterprises-

languages and new technology are two key aspects ofthis training;

Ø The creation of a modern industrial park; and

Ø The support of small and medium-sized businesses,through provision of information and negotiation ofsubsidies where these are needed by businesses.

The awareness and involvement of the local populationhave been of high importance in pursuing this strategy.The town administration has made great efforts toinform and involve the people, through publicity,meetings and events such as conferences, exhibitionsand concerts. Many different local associations havebeen involved in efforts to increase the awarenessamong local people of their heritage, the history oftown and its future direction. The local community isnow unified and ready to face the challenges of thefuture.

Contact: Jordi Cerda (Manager of the SISE), e-mail [email protected]://www.morella.net



Case study 8.4Morella, Spain: strategic planning of local development

Historical church in Morella

Night-view of the Morella Castle

INEstonia, a national project (DERTAEALUP 1998-2000) funded by the Phare programme foundthat rural tourism offered the best prospects

for new economic activity in the Estonian countryside.The project experts suggested that a central, unified,professional and autonomous organisation should beestablished in order to achieve the sound and sus-tained promotion and marketing of Estonia’s ruraltourism product, both within the country and abroad. In January 2000, 19 tourism entrepreneurs establishedthe Estonian Rural Tourism Organisation (ERTO) as anon-profit body. ERTO starts from the belief that life inthe countryside may be best preserved through thedevelopment of rural tourism. Its aim is to bringtogether Estonian entrepreneurs involved in fine ruraltourism practice so that a common database may becreated, accessible to everyone who is interested in thelife of Estonian rural people and their history.

ERTO's efforts have been concentrated on developingthe organisation and establishing trust in its activities;and on bringing together rural tourism entrepreneursin order to market their activities and offer them newopportunities to sustain and enhance their operation.Training, counselling and marketing services are provid-ed to ERTO members. The Ministry of Agriculture,Ministry of Environmental Affairs, Estonian TouristBoard, Estonian Ecotourism Association and local NGOsare ERTO's most important partners on national level.There is close partnership also with foreign institutionslike the Latvian and Finnish Rural Tourism Organisationand the Scottish Agricultural College.By the end of year 2000, ERTO had attracted 195 mem-

bers. The first 100 members joined the ERTO marketingscheme, which includes web site publicity, a publishedtravel guide in 5 languages, and a hotline informationservice. ERTO's marketing strategy focused on a seriesof distinct products, aimed at targeted markets. Theseproducts included holidays on productive farms, natureand culture tourism, children and family tourism, healthtourism, active holidays, seminars and parties. ERTOworked closely with its members to assure the qualityof the package tours and other products that theyoffer, and this quality was constantly controlled andmonitored. In 2001, ERTO concentrated on further diversificationand improvement of the tourist packages offered by itsmembers, and on marketing them more effectivelythrough tourism fairs and in neighbouring countries.130 tourism entrepreneurs are now publicised throughERTO's marketing programme. By the end of year 2002,ERTO was planning to complete the first version of cri-teria for quality assurance of tourist accommodationfacilities, similar to the "star system" used in hotels.During the last two years, 180 entrepreneurs have par-ticipated in ERTO's training programmes, including 3specialised courses on active tourism, nature and cul-ture tourism, and holidays on productive farms.

Today ERTO has 266 members all over rural Estonia. Ofthese, 210 are providers of tourist accommodation,which represents about 30% of such providers inEstonia.

Contact: Kaidi Nommerga [email protected]



Case study 8.5A national partnership for rural tourism in Estonia

Scenic rural setting in Estonia



WTO publicationsAgenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry(1996), A joint WTO, WTTC and Earth Council publica-tion, outlines practical steps that governments and pri-vate companies can take to implement the goals of theRio Earth Summit and make the tourism sector moresustainable.

National and Regional Tourism Planning: Methodo-logies and Case Studies (1994), establishes the princi-pal guidelines for preparing tourism development plansat the national and regional levels with emphasis on theintegrated approach, balancing economic, environ-mental and socio-cultural factors to achieve sustainabletourism.

Guide for Local Authorities on Developing Sustaina-ble Tourism (1998), Local authorities responsible forcounties, districts, cities, towns, villages, rural areas andattraction sites are increasingly becoming involved indeveloping and managing many aspects of tourism.This book provides them with valuable criteria and tech-niques for its adequate planning and management.First edited in 1992, and totally updated in 1998,besides the general volume, supplementary volumesare also available for Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and thePacific and the Americas.

Sustainable Development of Tourism: A Compilationof Good Practices (2000). This publication containsnearly 50 case studies collected from 31 countries byWTO. The cases represent a great variety in terms oftopics and types of stakeholders involved. A methodicalpresentation of these cases allows readers to learnabout the background, success factors for sustainabili-ty and lessons derived from these experiences.

Sustainable Development of Tourism: An AnnotatedBibliography (latest issue November 1999) the mostcomprehensive and periodically updated collection ofbooks and articles on the topic, this publication is avaluable source for further information and research inthe above field. A thematic index allows an easy searchby topics.

What Tourism Managers Need to Know: A PracticalGuide to the Development and Use of Indicators ofSustainable Tourism (1996) defines a set of key indi-cators, batteries of supplementary indicators forcoastal, island, mountain, urban, cultural and naturalareas, and describes a methodology to define site-spe-

cific indicators in order to measure the environmentaland socio-economic impacts of tourism.

Guidelines for the Sustainable Development andManagement of Tourism in National Parks andProtected Areas (1992). A joint publication of WTO,UNEP and IUCN in order to assist relevant authorities toachieve a sustainable use of their National Parks andprotected areas, as prime destinations for ecotourism.A revised edition of this publication (first edited in1992) will be available in 2001.

OtherBeyond the Green Horizon: Principles of SustainableTourism, ed. Shirley Eber (1992, Tourism Concern/WWF UK Ltd).

Community Based Sustainable Tourism: A Hand-book by C Urquico (1998 ASSET, Philippines) - Sets outimplications of a community approach to tourism andgives practical guidance on how to successfully launchand run community tourism projects in developingcountries.

The Community Tourism Guide by Mark Mann (2000Tourism Concern / Earthscan). - The CommunityTourism Directory is a book with additional listings,expanded tour descriptions, useful responsible tourismcontacts, chapters on the principles of communitytourism, etc. The essential practical guidebook to com-munity-based tourism around the world.

Conflict and Change in the Countryside by Guy M.Robinson (1990, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)-The generaltheme of the book is the way in which rural areas havebeen affected by economic change and urbanisation inthe post-war era.

Contemporary issues in tourism development edit-ed by D. G. Pearce and R. W. Butler (1999, Routledge)-This book is at the cutting edge of a rapidly developingfield and will be a valuable resource for all those inter-ested in the changing face of tourism; it combines astudy of contemporary issues in tourism developmentwith a close examination of the approaches to tourismresearch.

IUCN, the World Conservation Union, 2002. 'Tourismand Protected Areas', Vol. 12, No 1 of 'Parks' maga-zine, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland

C H A P T E R 9.

Further readingWe offer below a reading list, which may help you to go deeper into the background of the subjects

covered in this Guide

Parks for Life: Action for Protected Areas in Europe,published by IUCN-The World Conservation Union(1994)-This is one of a number of regional action plansbeing prepared by the Commission on National Parksand Protected Areas (CNPPA) as a result of the IV WorldParks Congress (Caracas, Venezuela, 1992) and as acontribution to the implementation of the CaracasAction Plan.

Participatory Management of Natural Resources,Borrubu-Feyerabend, G. (1999),http://nrm.massey.ac.nz/changelinks/pmnr.html

Participatory Approaches to Natural ResourceManagement: the Case of Coastal ZoneManagement in the Puttalam District, Foell, J.,Harrison E. and Stirrat, R.L.(2000)http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/CDE/research/coastal/sf.html

Preserve or Destroy: Tourism and the Environment,Jonathon Croall (1995, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation)

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Fax +44 1242 543273, E-mail [email protected])

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Useful Internet links

http://www.euracademy.org

http://www.agriculturaltours.com

http://www.agritour.com

http://www.agritourism.net

http://www.agritourism-guide.com

http://www.agri-tours.com

http://www.agroecoturismo.net

http://www.ecoclub.com

http://www.ecotourism.com

http://eco.traveller.lv

http://www.ekoturism.org

http://www.edenproject.gr

http://www.farmholidays.com

http://www.farm-tourism.com

http://www.rural-europe.aeidl.be

http://www.ruraltourism.com

http://www.sustainabletourism.co.cr

http://www.tourismresearch.com

http://www.vikinggotland.com

http://www.world-tourism.org

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