Round table on the development of green and balanced tourism
As Croatia took over the EUSAIR presidency in June this year, a round table on the development of green tourism products and the promotion of balanced tourism took place in Zagreb as part of the program.
Thematic priorities of the Croatian EUSAIR Presidency are greater resilience through better connectivity, sustainable growth and tourism, and social cohesion. In accordance with national and European policies for the development of tourism in the future, member countries of the European Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region continue to work together on responsible and sustainable management of tourism helped by data and the application of measurable indicators of sustainable tourism, which Croatia expressed as a priority of its presidency in in the field of tourism.
Round table focusing on the development of green and balanced tourism was organized on 25th October 2023 in Zagreb with the support of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative.
Ambassador Fabio Pigliapoco, Director of the Permanent Representation of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative based in Italy in his opening speech reminded everyone that the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative highlighted the round table concept as an excellent way of cooperation, communication and networking, emphasizing the values of the Initiative. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, participants of the round table were greeted by the advisor to the minister, Igor Radić, highlighting the priorities of the Croatian Presidency of EUSAIR, which are aligned with the national Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy until 2030. Ministry of Tourism and Sport develops its tourism management policies in accordance with the policies of European Commission, which are manifested through two important documents: the Transition Pathway for Tourism and the European Tourism Agenda 2030. As a result, Ministry supports the policies of enlargement and cohesion that form the core of the European macro regional strategies.
Jelena Šobat from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport, followed the introductory words and provided an overview of the evolution/transformation of Croatian tourism . The goal of the comprehensive transformation is the sustainable development of tourism, which will be implemented in cooperation with local authorities, local population and the private sector. New Tourism Act, entering into force at the beginning of 2024, is a continuation of the reflection on the sustainable development in the Republic of Croatia, tourism as a sector and society as a whole. It evolved from the existing documents and will serve local communities as a tool for measuring sustainability and to help decision makers and policy implementers determining the appropriate direction to follow . Adopting a sustainable lifestyle requires changes, and it is a big challenge to clearly present the benefits of changes, without overlooking the economic aspect of tourism that enables quality life within the community. On this track, Ministry of Tourism and Sport conducts thematic workshops, and comprehensive information is available on website dedicated to sustainable tourism.
After the Croatian example of sustainable tourism development, Slovenian model was presented. An insight into the institutional preparation for the change in tourism management was given by Irena Milinkovič from the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sports, while the implementation of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism was presented by Jana Apih, an expert selected and tasked by the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sports as a partner. The transformation of Slovenian tourism began in 2009 and today, Slovenia is perceived as a green tourism destination worldwide. As the entire country is covered with numerous green areas, they use this advantage to create the image of a sustainable destination. Until today, they have held a large number of meetings with stakeholders in order to inform and raise awareness, but they still have new challenges to overcome. One of the challenges is measuring the release of carbon dioxide into the air and measures to reduce it.
An excellent overview of sustainability measurement was given by a researcher from the Institute for Tourism in Zagreb, Ph.D. Izidora Marković Vukadin. Institute for Tourism in cooperation with the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport, within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026, is working on creation of the Tourism Sustainable Satellite Account System (TSSA) in Croatia.
After representatives of the authorities and the scientific sector, destinations Dubrovnik and Slunj presented how they deal with sustainable tourism management. City of Dubrovnik highlighted the Respect the City project, which aims to make the city a high quality place to live and a pleasant experience for visitors. destination Slunj - Rastoke was awarded the title Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO 2023, an award given by the World Tourism Organization.
Final three presentations displayed real-life instances of sustainable tourism projects, including two currently in progress and one in the form of a project proposal. Ana Štrbenac, on behalf of the project partner Facility Point from Serbia, presented a project proposal on visitor management in protected nature areas. The project proposal is an example of cooperation between two pillars of the EUSAIR strategy: the 3rd Pillar Environmental Quality and the 4th Pillar Sustainable Tourism. Ivica Projić from the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla presented the Erasmus+ project Innovate and participate in digital and green transition of VET and Tourism. This project aims to create new digital tourism products based on the principles of collaborative management and citizen science. Third presented project deals with the improvement of institutional cooperation, cooperation between projects with the aim of better management of tourism. project Dialogue4Tourism - Institutional Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism and Governance in the Euro-Med Area was presented by Ph.D. Kristina Brščić from the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism from Poreč, who is one of the partners in the project.
Ambassador Fabio Pigliapoco closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their participation and for having an interesting discussion on the concepts of green, responsible and sustainable tourism. Discussions that certainly do not stop, but continue.
