Fresh start for Sustainable Tourism at Svalbard archipelago, Norway.

Published on:

Friske Fraspark Svalbard Reiselivskonferanse – Tourism and Environment Conference.

This week at Svalbard (Norway) different international politicians, park managers, business representatives, scientists and other stakeholders have gathered in the “Friske Fraspark Svalbard Reiselivskonferanse – Tourism and Environment Conference”.

This Conference wants to be a “fresh kick-start” meeting for re-structuring Svalbard, and is being hold with the objective of discussing key factors for developing sustainable tourism in combination with the conservation of the environment at this archipelago.

Svalbard-Conference-2016-Venue

EUROPARC brings examples of European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas

Carol Ritchie, Executive Director of EUROPARC Federation, has joined this Conference and discussed how touristic development can be combined with environmental protection. In this framework, the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas brings some good examples. Therefore, several cases of European Charter members, like La Garrotxa (Spain), Parque Cinque Terre (Italy), and Lands of Priolo (Portugal), have been presented, being the latter a perfect example for Svalbard scenario.

C. Ritchie Svalbard Conference 2016

A reference for wildlife management and tourism development

Located at Sao Miguel Island, in the Azores archipelago, Lands of Priolo is one of the parks that belong to the European Charter Network. At this place, tourism development is being undertaken in combination with the protection of the Azores bullfinch, or “Priolo”, and endemic and highly threatened species that inhabits the island. In the case of Svalbard, a similar approach could be taken to guarantee the preservation of species residing in it, like the Polar bear or the Arctic fox, whose populations are endangered worldwide.

With Carol’s presentation, and thanks to the lessons learned through the European Charter of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, EUROPARC wants to collaborate with the development of a new and more sustainable Svalbard. You can find more information on the Conference’s page.