Alternative tourist strategies to enhance the local sustainable development of tourism by promoting Mediterranean Identity
The Mediterranean is under threat due to the inappropriate practice and development associated with mass tourism.As a consequence areas of high tourist attraction in coastal cities are reaching their limit on carrying capacity, with a direct impact not only on the urban environment but on key elements that define MED Culture.In this context, ALTER ECO enhances the local sustainable development of tourism by promoting Mediterranean Identity through the implementation of alternative tourist strategies in 6 pilots co-designed and implemented by public and private stakeholders. The project provides the opportunity of testing, in representative MED cities, used as LIVING LAB, existing methodologies and tools arisen in previous high impact projects in the field of sustainable tourism or proposed by key stakeholders, with the aim of reaching holistic and realistic tourist strategies at local and regional level that allow transferability in the MED territory. Project results will support policy makers to make more informed and integrated decisions for the governance and management of tourism in the Mediterranean and at the same time will enhance the coordination of actions between public and private stakeholders towards the implementation of the raised strategies in order to create new business opportunities._x000D_
ALTER ECO will contribute to improve knowledge and decision making capacities, including a better use of observation, monitoring and planning in the field of sustainable tourism.