Green Tourism: make it real!
Green Tourism: Make it real!
The key role of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas in tackling the new challenges ahead.
This webinar, organised within the framework of the EU Green Week 2022 explored how the ECST can be used to implement the new EU strategy for sustainable tourism proposed by the European Parliament in 2021. We also looked at the new strategy prepared by the Slovenia’s Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve (ECST 2016 and 2020) to become a sustainable tourist destination by 2025+.
Presentations and summary
In the following section, you will find a short summary of the event, as well as the speakers’ presentations to download and review.
Webinar programme
Welcome and Introduction to the webinar
By Teresa Pastor – EUROPARC´s ECST Manager
The European Charter of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas and the EU policy for Sustainable Tourism
Stefania Petrosillo – EUROPARC‘s Policy Officer in Brussels.
Stefania highlighted how the methodology of the European Charter of Sustainable Tourism (ECST), which is a managing tool that has enabled Protected Areas to become Sustainable Destinations for over 20 years, is more valid than ever.
The recent European Parliament resolution of 25 March 2021 on “Establishing an EU strategy for sustainable tourism” makes recommendations that were already collected in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. These included the need for cooperation and coordination between stakeholders, greater involvement of local authorities and marketing strategies; not to mention the need to develop policies for preserving natural heritage and biodiversity, respecting the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, and delivering socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders.
Klemen Langus – DEVELOPMENT PLAN for the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve (JABR) as a sustainable tourist destination 2025
Klemen shared interesting concepts to shape Green Tourism in Protected Areas. He is the director of Tourism Board Bohinj (Slovenia) and coordinator of the Julian Alps Biosphere Region. In his presentation he focussed on:
- Tourism as a generator of Sustainable Change
- Community-based Tourism
- “Living room” destination
The “Living room destination” concept sees a Protected Area as a living room in which you welcome guests. The foundations are the hospitality of hosts and respect from guests. In this living room, we find various pieces of furniture (= various building blocks) that enable the well-being of hosts (= people who live and work in this area) and of guests (= people who come to visit) only if they are harmonised, managed, maintained and create a whole.
This webinar was created by EUROPARC within the scope of the EU Green Week 2022.
