Mediterranean Ecotourism Destination: main components (joint planning, monitoring, management and promotion)for a governance system in Mediterranean protected areas
Tourism illustrates an important source of revenues and employment in the MED area. At the same time it implicates enormous negative impacts for nature and society. _x000D_
Some years ago, the concept of ecotourism appeared. What does this imply for the MED area? Unfortunately not much. Despite increasing international efforts to create harmonized concepts, agreed definitions and quality standards are missing in the MED area. Due to the lack of coherent planning and monitoring and seriously perceived promotion, ecotourism in the MED does not yet constitute a real alternative. _x000D_
This could be changed through a governance system for ecotourism in protected areas, e.g. constituted through a destination management organisation (DMO). Such DMO could harmonize quality standards and tools to monitor compliance, propose attractive ecotourism offers promoted through a lasting brand. _x000D_
This is where the project DestiMED comes into play aiming to build pre-conditions for a DMO: _x000D_
Firstly, it will further develop and test standards, offers and monitoring tools - forming the quality scheme of a future DMO. It will build on results of the MEET project that created and tested planning and marketing approaches. These will be enriched by a monitoring tool. _x000D_
The offers and tools developed will subsequently be tested in pilot actions involving local actors as well as the local community. In parallel, a network (based on the MEET network) will serve as idea-smithy to further shape the DMO.