Lessons Learned for Sustainable Tourism

Milestone 1

• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can help to overcome the current marine and societal challenges and unlock the potential for Blue Growth;
• There is a strong need for redefining and refocusing the business model of tourism.

Milestone 2

• Raise citizen and business awareness about the environmental protection and sustainability;
• Initiate target awareness campaigns towards all stakeholders through a specific media.

Milestone 3

• The education of young people and the use of exchange programs between schools will lead to active citizenship respectful of the environment;
• All relevant stakeholders need to be involved in the process of developing sustainable tourism ventures within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs);
• Increase awareness in the youngest about the (local) marine issues to create a new generation of people that are aware of the problems and want to engage themselves, to take action also through a political career.

Milestone 4

• Joined stakeholder involvement produces ideas with integrated and holistic focus based on synergy and collaboration;
• The absence of gender equality reveals a critical gap in access to opportunities and resources and decision-making power for women and men.

Milestone 5

• Empower citizens beyond data collection through involvement in decision-making and governance;
• Improve governance by defining a shared and common vision by involving citizens and business networks for clean and green industries;
• Engage the public and involve governing bodies at various levels to generate ideas that are ethical, sustainable, inclusive and of social justice;
• Open access, i.e. giving free online access to the results of publicly-funded research data will boost innovation and increase the use of scientific results by all societal actors;
• While interpreting the results consider the location of the workshop: statistically most of the participants will come from the area where the workshop is held.

Milestone 6

• Put in place a policy-oriented, holistic and integrated approach to tackle complex issues;
• Push governmental bodies for high-tier governance on local initiatives to have the biggest impact;
• Make urban planning and tourism development collaborative and democratic by involving citizens and business in envisioning urban futures and resolve negative environmental impacts;
• Educate the public at large in their individual role in marine conservation and sustainability (Public Engagement, Science Education);
• Educate all stakeholders about sustainable tourism sustainability to achieve socially and environmentally acceptable goods and services;
• Changing customer demand requires attractive and sustainable products that provide unique and customised experiences;
• Science & Education and Open Access have a vital role in achieving success in the development of sustainable tourism ventures within Marine Protected Areas;
• Each initiative on sustainable tourism products requires the right expertise (knowledge and skills) and institutional participatory processes that will support stakeholders' successful involvement;
• Use citizen observatories through mobile phones to report pollution sites and inappropriate environmental behaviour;
• Educate citizens about the value of the sea in their daily lives is necessary to raise ocean awareness and literacy;
• Implement innovative and responsive policies to face climate change effects and assure a balanced competitiveness, growth and sustainability.

Milestone 7

• Develop real-time information systems, training activities and incentives to share knowledge and information for avoiding tendencies of local governments and businesses to downplay negative consequences;
• The ultimate aim should be to develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts and to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products;
• Develop efficient monitoring systems and assess the environmental impacts of best/worst policy practice;
• Involving customers ranked the most favourable cluster with specific actions including the adoption of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) business model;
• Create innovative tools to guide the consumers, thus inducing public and private stakeholders (including NGOs) to invest in more sustainable directions.

Milestone 8

• Encourage scientific knowledge and professional growth that have fundamental roles in supporting innovative sectors;
• Promote Sustainable Tourism policies to improve coastal and marine ecosystems, minimise pollution and create economic growth by combining efforts at national, regional and local levels and creating green funding schemes and incentives;
• Enhance coastal and maritime tourism by adapting to demographic changes, while maintaining the original vocation and atmosphere of the coastal cities;
• Educate planners, civil society leaders, business industry to be more collaborative, responsible and exert place-based leadership;
• Promote governance arrangements and practices to favour sustainable tourism and seafood consumption;
• Reliable scientific information is not easily accessible for sectorial actors;
• Create a seafood producers organisation in France to reduce the gap between the producers and consumers;
• Focus on Science Education in sustainable development and marine resources management as a critical part of local culture and coastal tourism;
• Push for governance and ethics to be required in business registration requirements for creating awareness on sustainability;
• Invest in communication campaign by professionals, work with marketing societies to translate the scientific results into clear messages that can reach in particular young people;
• Put in place an effective communication about green washing, so to improve the critical sense of the public against "fake" green activities.

See also...

Marine Sector