Title: Baltic 21 objectives for the development of sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region Aira Andriksone Ministry of Economics, Latvia Member of Baltic 21 TOUTF and EC TSG 3rd AGORA Meeting LITHUANIA, 10-12 October 2006
1Baltic 21 objectives for the development of
sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea
RegionAira AndriksoneMinistry of Economics,
LatviaMember of Baltic 21 TOUTF and EC TSG3rd
AGORA Meeting LITHUANIA, 10-12 October 2006
2International Tourism in Europe, 2005
- Tourism has shown its extraordinary
- resilience and continued growth
- Despite of terrorist attacks, military conflicts,
natural disasters, avian flu, increased oil
prices, slow economic growth, strong Euro,
intensified competition - Due to EU enlargement, development of emerging
source markets, on-line travel, improved access
(e.g. expansion of low-cost airlines), rising
consumers confidence and protection -
3Tourism in BSR (1)
- Tourism is a key economic sector with one of the
strongest potentials for creating jobs and growth
for the benefit and prosperity of the Baltic Sea
Region - Tourism is booming in some BSR
- areas
4Tourism in BSR (2)
- Political, economic and technological changes
have revealed an opportunity to make the BSR one
single tourism mega-product with global potential
5Tourism in BSR (3)
- Tourism industry is standing at strategic
crossroads - All different tourism stakeholders need to be
interlinked and interdependent in the long term
6Background (1)
- Saltsjobaden Declaration (1996) - Baltic 21
(Baltic Agenda 21) - Berlin Conference on Biological Diversity and
Tourism - - Berlin Declaration
- International conference Management for a
Sustainable Coastal Tourism - a Contribution to
Sustainable Development in the Baltic Sea Area
(Rügen, 1997) - - Rügen Recommendations
7Background (2)
- Agenda 21 - Baltic Sea Region Tourism (1998)
- International conference Sustainable Tourism
Development in Baltic Sea Region - Baltic 21
follow up (Riga, 1999) - - Declaration
- - Concept Blue Flags, Green Keys and
- Colourful Cultures
8Background (3)
- Indicators for the development of sustainable
tourism in the Baltic Sea Region (2001) - Establishment of the Baltic 21 Tourism Task Force
(2002) - Interreg IIIB Seed Money Application for AGORA
project (2004) - AGORA project approved (2005)
9Selected reference documents (1)
- HELCOM Recommendations
- COM (2001) 665 Working together for the future
of European tourism - COM (2003) 716 Basic Orientations for the
sustainability of European tourism - COM (2006) 134 A renewed EU Tourism Policy
Towards a stronger partnership for European
Tourism
10Selected reference documents (2)
- Basic guidelines for sustainable European tourism
(European Parliament resolution) - Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy
(European Council, 2006) - WTO-UNEP publication Making Tourism More
Sustainable a Guide for Policy Makers
11Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (1)
- Overall goal - to achieve a common understanding
about the requirements of sustainable tourism in
the Baltic Sea Region
12Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (2)
- Objectives
- To sustain a sound environment, to safeguard the
recreational quality of natural and man-made
landscape and to integrate natural, cultural and
human environments - To promote and sustain the competitive quality
and efficiency of the tourism business - To create satisfactory social conditions for
tourists and the local population
13Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (3)
- Action areas
- National and regional tourism plans
- Spatial and regional planning
- Education, training and environmental awareness
- Co-operation and networking in Baltic Sea Region
14Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (4)
- Action areas
- Environmental Management Systems
- Support of sustainable tourism in urban and rural
areas - Organising sustainable development of the Baltic
Sea Region tourism as a high class destination - Co-ordinated use of available institutional and
EU-resources and national funds
15Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (5)
- Stakeholders
- local population
- tourists
- providers of tourism services (hotels,
restaurants, shops, tour programmes etc.) - tour operators
- staff of enterprises
16Agenda 21 Baltic Sea Region Tourism (6)
- Stakeholders
- transporters of goods and passengers
- organizations
- authorities
- environment (nature, built environment, culture,
economy)
17HELCOM (1)
- Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) - Baltic Marine
Environment Protection Commission - Main goal is to protect the marine environment of
the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, and
to restore and safeguard its ecological balance
18HELCOM (2)
- HELCOM - the governing body of the "Convention
on the Protection of the Marine Environment of
the Baltic Sea Area" - (Helsinki Convention, 1992/2000)
19HELCOM recommendations (1)
- HELCOM Recommendation 21/3 (2000)
- Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly
Tourism in the Coastal Zones of the Baltic Sea
Area
20HELCOM Recommendation 21/3, 2000 (1)
- To base tourism development policy and plans for
new tourist projects on the "GUIDELINES FOR
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE BALTIC SEA AREA - All development, marketing and management of
tourism should be based on the criteria of
sustainability - it must be ecologically sound in
the long term, economically viable, as well as
ethically and socially equitable for the local
communities and also be oriented on the
objectives, principles and obligations of the
Convention on Biological Diversity
21HELCOM Recommendation 21/3, 2000 (2)
- For the development of large scaled tourist
projects be preceded by a spatial planning
process and be incorporated into ICZMP - EIA or similar procedures be carried out, before
realizing tourism infrastructure and tourism
operations - All Contracting Parties work together and design
bi - or multilateral transboundary strategies for
environmentally friendly tourism development
22HELCOM recommendations (2)
- HELCOM Recommendation 24/10 (2003)
- Implementation of Integrated Marine and
Coastal Management of Human Activities in the
Baltic Sea Area
23HELCOM recommendations (3)
- HELCOM Recommendation 15/1 (1994)
- Protection of the Coastal Strip
24Baltic Development Forum
- Report Tourism Development in the BSR. Creating
Joint Policies as a Win-Win Scenario (2004) - 2nd Round Table Meeting (2005)
- - a common vision, mission and
- objectives and establishment of
- think-tank (more formalised
- platform) are needed
-
25Future of the BSR tourism
- Only sustainable tourism has a prospects in the
Baltic Sea Region - Baltic Sea Region has a wide opportunity to
become an essential sustainable tourism
destination
26Thank you for your attention!
- Ministry of Economics
- 55, Brivibas Str., Riga
- LATVIA, LV-1519
- Phone 371 7013 056 (office)
- 371 26538 575 (mobile)
- Fax 371 7280 882
- E-mail Aira.Andriksone_at_em.gov.lv
- http//www.em.gov.lv