Sustainable tourism in rural areas

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Sustainable tourism in rural areas

• By P.C. Galema (Pieter) in co-operation with J.
  van Oene (Jan)RIGA date January 24 - 2003

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Contents

• Overijssel - Latvia
• Rural matters
• Environment projects for accommodation tourism
• Milieubarometer
• Finally

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Co-operation Overijssel - Latvia

• Co-operation fields
• The ministry of Environmental Protection and
  Regional Development
• Rural Tourism Lauku Celotajs
• Regional tourism-development Kurzeme (KTA)
• Sustainable tourism

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About Overijssel - I

• Garden of the Netherlands
• 1 million inhabitants
• Main activities during holidays
• cycling
• walking
• swimming
• boating
• (relaxing)

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About Overijssel - II

• Accommodations
• hotels / guesthouses / BB 242
• leisureparks (bungalows) 51
• campsites 295
• small-scale campsites (farms) 172
• groupaccommodations 93
• yacht basins 46

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Statistic figures about tourism

• Number of holidays 1.022.000
• of holidays in the Netherlands 9
• Number of overnight stays 62.184.000
• Origin tourist in Overijssel
  90 Netherlands 10 foreign
• Employment (full- and partime) 20.000 people

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Themes of environmental care

• Acidification
• Eutrophication
• Dehydration
• Waste
• Reduction

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Consequences

• Farmers stop
• Small villages die

? Liveability of the country
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Rating tourismof GNP
Occupied area

• Agriculture 4
• Transport 5
• Tourism 6

• Agriculture 60
• Tourism 2-3

? Pleading for a minister of State for tourism
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Environmental projects

• Stimulation instead of legislation
• Improvement
• Volunteering
• Part of entrepreneurship

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The environmental project in Overijssel (started
in 1996)

• Scan
• Subsidy
• Group meetings
• Monitoring
• Certification (milieubarometer)

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Themes

• Energy
• Water
• Waste
• Chemicals
• Sustainable purchasing and building
• Wildlife and countryside

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Theme Energy

• Reduction (measurement)
• Efficiency
• Renewable sources

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Theme Water

• Reduction (measurement)
• Sources (rain/pool water)
• Efficiency (flow)

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Theme Waste

• Reduction (payment)
• Separation
• Recycling

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Theme Chemicals

• Disinfectants and detergents(less damage to the
  environment)
• Reduction

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Theme Sustainable purchasing and building

• Office equipment
• Sustainable renovation
• Sustainable building (new)

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Theme Wildlife and countryside

• Native regional plantation
• Green wall
• Information to the guests
• Profit to floraand fauna

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Three stages in the environment project

• Stage 1 Energy, water and waste management
• Stage 2 Sustainable purchasing and sustainable
  building management
• Stage 3 Landscape management

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Three stages in the environment project
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About landscape management

• Recreation companies need 30 more land
• Expansion only when sustainable
• Milieubarometer
• Environmental plan
• Profit to flora and fauna
• More than 140 companies participate in
  environmental-plan projects

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Environmental plan
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Overviewparticipatorsenvironment projects 2002
In totality almost 400 campsites, bungalow parks
and group-accommodations in 11 provinces.
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The Milieubarometer

• Grow model Bronze, Silver and Gold
• Milieukeur (the Gold level is acknowledgedby
  the Dutch Competent Body)
• European standard(VISIT)
• 2002 over 200 MB

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Expansion of Barometer target groups

• Hotels (restaurants)
• Small campsites (at the farm)
• Day trip (attraction) parks

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The Milieubarometer

• Compulsory measures
• Environmental archive
• Information to the guests
• Measures of reducing energy, water and waste
• Optional measures
• Renewable sources
• Environmental plan
• Education employees
• Environmental activities for guests

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Historical overview
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Milieubarometers, in bronze, silver and gold.
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Index numbers per overnight stay

• 1996 2002
  
• Water 0,20 m3 0,10 m3
• Electricity 4,50 kWh 3,00 kWh
• Gas 1,00 m3 0,60 m3
• Waste 2,00 kg 1,50 kg

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Motivation

• To be the best
• Profit
• Sustainability is a part of quality
• Common
• Subsidy / Support
• Philosophy

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Environment example companies

• Now campsite De Papillon
• New outdoor park
• Expected bungalow park

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Tourism as a solution ?

• Only if
• More sustainable
• Regulated
• Improvement to floraand fauna

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With thanks to

• Sylvia van Itegem

Jan van Oene