Description (EN):
INHERIT is an integrated project with 15 partners from all 10 MED countries aiming to conserve and valorise natural heritage in MED coastal and maritime tourist destinations. The project will test and deploy a new approach adapted to MED specificities protecting natural heritage from the adverse effects of intensive tourism. INHERIT will promote sustainable tourism alleviating seasonality and tackling the surpassing of the hosting capacity, by designing and implementing a “bottom-up” protection approach relying on self-regulation and monitoring by local society and tourism stakeholders.
The INHERIT protection approach will involve all the key stakeholders (at MED, national, regional and local level) in its studying, testing and capitalisation activities, to deliver:
- A MED-wide policy strategy and protection measures addressing the negative effects of intensive tourism flows.
- MED INHERITURA sites, i.e. designated areas in which human activities coexist with substantial natural heritage, subscribing to the INHERIT protection approach and acting as models, to scale up and out the approach to other MED areas.
- A network and management mechanism of the INHERITURA sites, that will assume the sustainability and the scaling up after project completion.
- Thematic tourism routes (e.g. remote islands, prehistoric sites) will be pilot-integrated in the INHERITURA areas using the improved protection as an asset to increase tourism attractiveness in a sustainable way.
Description:
INHERIT est un projet intégré avec 15 partenaires de tous les 10 pays MED visant à conserver et valoriser le patrimoine naturel dans les destinations touristiques côtières et maritimes MED. Le projet testera et déploiera une nouvelle approche adaptée aux spécificités MED protégeant le patrimoine naturel contre les impacts négatifs du tourisme intensif. INHERIT encouragera le tourisme durable, atténuant la saisonnalité et le fait de dépasser la capacité d'accueil, à travers une approche protective ascendante reposant sur l'autorégulation et le suivi par la société et les acteurs de tourisme locaux.
L'approche de protection INHERIT concerne tous les parties prenantes au niveau MED, national, régional, local, aux activités d'étude, d'expérimentation et de capitalisation et prévoit:
- Une stratégie politique unique aux régions MED et mesures protectives contre les effets négatifs des flux touristiques intensifs.
- Sites de MED INHERITURA, c.-à-d. zones désignées où les activités humaines coexistent avec un patrimoine naturel substantiel, souscrivant à l'approche de protection d'INHERIT et servant de modèles pour autres zones MED.
- Un réseau et mécanisme de gestion des sites INHERITURA, qui vont assurer la durabilité et l’ évolution après la durée du projet.
- Actions pilots comme routes touristiques à thème (ex. îles éloignées, sites préhistoriques) intégrées dans les zones INHERITURA, exploitant la protection améliorée pour augmenter l'attractivité touristique de façon durable.
Expected Results (EN):
1 Improved protection of MED coastal and maritime Natural heritage from the negative effects of tourism, based on an innovative mix of measures : EXPLANATION
Public authorities and tourism economic operators will: a) protect natural heritage from the side-effects of overwhelming tourism flows via measures adapted to the needs of MED natural heritage, b) explore bottom-up self-regulation processes, and c) valorise natural heritage through sustainable tourism.
CONTRIBUTION:
At least 360 public authorities and 20000 tourism economic operators will directly benefit from project actions and increase MED tourism sustainability by improving:
A. Public policies for protecting natural heritage through the use of more efficient monitoring methods of tourism impacts (e.g. adapting ETIS application on natural heritage sites), and the integration of natural heritage protection and INHERITURA areas in MED ICZM-MSP.
B. The environmental performance of tourism economic operators in destinations with rich natural heritage and INHERITURA areas, via the exploitation of synergies emerging from 'bottom-up' local and regional protection measures; the voluntary character of such measures will enhance their effectiveness.
C. Waste management, bathing water quality, and climate change impact, by providing MED tourism businesses and authorities with the best practices on how to apply relevant measures (e.g. installation of energy and water saving technology in hotels).
D. Landscape and biodiversity management, through planning innovations to alleviate pressures in destinations by redirecting tourists in other nearby activities/sites.1 Improved protection of MED coastal and maritime Natural heritage from the negative effects of tourism, based on an innovative mix of measures : EXPLANATION.
Public authorities and tourism economic operators will: a) protect natural heritage from the side-effects of overwhelming tourism flows via measures adapted to the needs of MED natural heritage, b) explore bottom-up self-regulation processes, and c) valorise natural heritage through sustainable tourism.
CONTRIBUTION:
At least 360 public authorities and 20000 tourism economic operators will directly benefit from project actions and increase MED tourism sustainability by improving:
A. Public policies for protecting natural heritage through the use of more efficient monitoring methods of tourism impacts (e.g. adapting ETIS application on natural heritage sites), and the integration of natural heritage protection and INHERITURA areas in MED ICZM-MSP.
B. The environmental performance of tourism economic operators in destinations with rich natural heritage and INHERITURA areas, via the exploitation of synergies emerging from 'bottom-up' local and regional protection measures; the voluntary character of such measures will enhance their effectiveness.
C. Waste management, bathing water quality, and climate change impact, by providing MED tourism businesses and authorities with the best practices on how to apply relevant measures (e.g. installation of energy and water saving technology in hotels).
D. Landscape and biodiversity management, through planning innovations to alleviate pressures in destinations by redirecting tourists in other nearby activities/sites.2 Improved valorisation of natural heritage, protecting it as an asset to develop sustainable tourism activities and itineraries : EXPLANATION.
Incentivised by public authorities, the MED lodging, travelling & recreational industry will cooperate to develop sustainable tourism activities (e.g. inland, remote islands, winter tourism activities), highlighting natural heritage and alleviating mass tourism pressures.
CONTRIBUTION:
At least 20000 businesses & 400 tourism agencies & support organisations will benefit from fostering natural heritage valorisation, by developing sustainable tourism activities. This result will enhance the sustainability of MED tourism by improving:
A. Tourism management with the development of "bottom-up" initiatives. Tourism businesses will strategically develop activities to valorise natural heritage; economic operators will invest in protecting the natural heritage to improve its attractiveness and market value. This will establish a virtuous cycle where the main economic forces view the protection of natural heritage as a strategic key objective for their business model.
B. Sustainable tourism public policy through i) incentivisation measures for sustainable tourism, and ii) MED-wide cooperation mechanisms to plan/form multidestinational itineraries.
C. Tourism sector performance by giving MED tourism businesses & boards the opportunity to benefit from sustainable activities that complement mass tourism, diversify the tourism product & prolong the tourism season.
D. Social capital that will further modernise businesses, in their effort to integrate green growth tourism strategies3 Improved MED-wide collaboration of tourism public and private stakeholders to harmonise MED natural heritage protection & sustainable tourism : EXPLANATION.
Supported by INHERIT, MED public authorities and tourism economic actors will be able to develop a) the model approach of INHERITURA areas (i.e. destinations where the INHERIT approach is implemented to its full extent, showcasing an example of efficient protection of natural heritage from mass tourism effect), and b) and mechanisms for the successful self-regulation of INHERITURA areas & the development of multidestinational itineraries valorising the rich MED natural heritage.
CONTRIBUTION:
At least 95 public authorities & 500 tourism economic operators will benefit from the improved collaboration. This result will increase the sustainability of MED tourism by improving:
A. The effectiveness of tourism public policies through a) the introduction of processes to coordinate the implementation of protection measures and sustainable tourism activities in INHERITURA areas across the MED, and b) capitalising on the exchange of best practices through participation in the management mechanisms of INHERITURA areas.
B. The sustainable tourism management in INHERITURA areas via integrated management mechanisms operating at a MED wide level, applying best practices and organising multidestinational sustainable tourism itineraries.
C. Overall tourism sector performance and employment, by encouraging tourism businesses to invest in sustainable tourism models that increase the valorisation of natural heritage in tourism.
Expected Outputs (EN):
Strategy for protecting MED coastal & maritime natural heritage from negative tourism impacts,Sustainable tourism activities & itineraries strategy in MED coastal & maritime tourist destinations,INHERITURA areas selection, formation, and management strategy,Testing reports delivering practical knowledge to apply the INHERIT approach,Validated INHERITURA areas management and monitoring mechanism,Experimentation pilot sites testing and validity and impact of the INHERIT approach,Tourist destinations adopting the INHERIT approach,Training materials & seminars on implementation of the INHERIT approach,Elected representatives supporting INHERIT results uptake,INHERIT Cooperation initiative & network,Upscaled INHERITURA management mechanism,5 new INHERITURA areas formed and assessed by the INHERITURA management mechanism,The INHERITURA advisory service and Ambassadors campaign,INHERIT approach scaling out MED campaigns