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Mediterranean experienceof ecotourism

Challenges and opportunities

by Natalie LOBARTOLO and Marcos VALDERRÁBANO

The natural-cultural landscape of the Mediterranean has been tradi-tionally depicted as the typical 3S (sun, sea and sand) mass tourismdestination. The unsustainable visits, heavily concentrated in the sum-mer months, have dramatically transformed the historical human andnatural landscapes to the point where very few, if any, pristine land-scapes still remain. As the demand for eco and nature-based tourismincreases worldwide, a sustainable model needs to be developed for theMediterranean region which allows tourists to visit natural areas andparks in a way that respects, preserves and supports the protectedareas and their associated communities.

Sustainable tourism in the Mediterraneancontext

Traditionally, sustainability has been described as being founded onthree major pillars: environmental, social and financial. These princi-ples largely apply to sustainable tourism, which aims to keep a balancebetween biodiversity, nature conservation and provision of benefits tolocal communities, all while generating economic support. While tradi-tional mass tourism focuses almost solely on creating financial gains,the Mediterranean Experience of Eco-Tourism (MEET) fosters positiveexperiences between people and nature, increasing both visitors andlocals’ awareness of conservation efforts and strategies to protect natu-

During the session « Tourism andForests » of the 4th Mediterranean

Forest Week of Barcelona,the theme of the promotion

and the sustainable developmentof both tourism and forest areas

was discussed.It was illustrated by several

examples, includinga Mediterranean experience

of ecotourism MEET.This project, involving eight

countries, provides tourism offersthat benefit local communities

and are aligned with conservationobjectives in the concerned region.

IVth Mediterranean Forest Week - Barcelona

forêt méditerranéenne t. XXXVI, n° 2, juin 2015

ral resources, as well as simultaneously sup-porting and maintaining the cultural andeconomic values of the protected areasinvolved.The MEET project offers an alternative to

the typical 3S tourism to include forests andless well-known Mediterranean landscapes,striving to do so in a way which will not hin-der, but help their conservation status andpotential. According to the World TourismOrganisation, a growing number of touristsare becoming more sophisticated in their tou-rism demands, seeking out a meaningful tra-vel experience, including aspects such as cul-tural authenticity, contact with localcommunities, and learning about flora, fauna,unique ecosystems and nature conservation ingeneral. MEET aims to achieve exactly that.

The MEET Project

In recent decades, the concentrated distri-bution of tourists in typical Mediterraneanhotspots has put immense pressure on natu-ral systems, especially during the peak sum-mer tourist season. The MEET project hasdeveloped an alternative to the typical tem-poral and spatial patterns of mass-tourismin the region, offering off-season packages

for small, environmentally conscious groups(4-12 people) who seek to engage in responsi-ble tourism. This type of tourism allowsthem to learn about and contribute to theconservation of the natural and culturalenvironments they visit and enjoy.Each protected area has designed and

developed its own ecotourism package follo-wing a participative approach, heavily invol-ving the local community. The conservationof the natural features of each site remainstheir primary objective, whether this isthrough the responsible management of visi-tors, increased motivation of staff and stake-holders or heightened awareness of localsabout sustainability issues.As species and their habitats worldwide

are exposed to unsustainable developmentpressures, it would seem logical to be scepti-cal about developing tourism packageswithin protected areas. However, along withthese pressures comes an increased demandfor nature based tourism in protected areasand national parks, and for this reason it isimportant to focus on how this demand canbe met and controlled to ensure that tourismactivities are not detrimental, but ratherhave the potential to increase the effective-ness of the management of protected areaswhile sustainably maintaining conservationvalues and benefiting local communities.

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IVth Mediterranean Forest Week - Barcelona

Figure 1:Funded by the EuropeanUnion in the framework

of the ENPI-CBCMediterranean

Programme 2007-2013and gathering institutionsfrom eight Mediterranean

countries (Jordan,Lebanon, Italy, France,

Malta, Spain, Tunisia, andGreece), the ultimate aim

of this cross-bordercooperation project is to

create a catalogue of eco-tourism packages (MEET

catalogue) within 22Mediterranean Protected

Areas.

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The value of the MEET projectto Mediterranean protectedareas

In order to create appealing tourismpackages worthy of being deemed « eco », theMEET Secretariat and project partners haveorganised a number of capacity building andtraining workshops on topics such asTourism Guiding and Interpretation,Product Development and Sustainability,with the assistance of world-class leaders inthe fields, including Kuoni, DrummConsulting and Sustainable TravelInternational. The experts stress that tou-rism in the Mediterranean needs a new,more sustainable model, in particular onefocused on a respectful, low-impact type onprotected areas.

Sustainable tourism in theMediterranean: Fosteringa participative approach,with the protected area asthe central focus point

Practices, activities and packages conside-red sustainable today might not be so in 10-20 years, so tourism in such fragile naturalspaces must be carefully planned, managedand monitored. MEET packages have follo-wed a strong local participatory approach,whereby the managers of protected areashave taken on a leadership role in the crea-tion of a local cluster of tourism resourcessuch as tour operators, accommodation, res-taurants and transport and activity provi-ders.As well as contributing financially to the

management activities and conservation ofprotected areas, tourism can help local peo-ple to recognise their natural resources asvaluable assets, realising the importance ofappreciating and preserving them. MEETvisitors not only have the opportunity toincrease their knowledge and understandingof the natural environment and culture, butwill also make a financial contribution toconservation measures. Such benefits willnot only be valuable for visitors, but will

just as importantly influence and impact thelocal stakeholders and communities invol-ved.Rather than imposing mechanisms of

financial contribution, the MEET projectallows these to be adapted to the differentfinancial and regulatory realities of each pro-tected area. For example, areas in Catalonia(Spain), Italy, Malta and Tunisia have verylimited funding from the government (natio-nal or regional), and are not permitted tocharge tourists fees for visiting the areas.The case of Greece is quite the contrary; pro-tected areas charge visitors entrance fees,however, they do not receive any fundingfrom the government. Protected areas inLebanon and Jordan follow completely diffe-rent financing structures, with Al ShoufCedar Reserve (Lebanon) getting most of itsfunding from projects and NGOs, and protec-ted areas in Jordan being run by the RoyalSociety for the Conservation of Nature(RSCN) and getting funding from businessrelated activities such as entrance fees, lod-ging and handicrafts, as well as from pro-jects and NGOs. Each protected area will beable to use (?) and apply the financial bene-fits that MEET activities bring on a case bycase basis.

Tourism and ForestsPicture 1:The approach of this pro-ject has been inspired byThe European Charter forSustainable Tourism(ECST) in ProtectedAreas. The ECST is avoluntary agreement thataims to encourage goodpractices by recognisingprotected areas thatmeet agreed require-ments for the sustainabledevelopment and tourismmanagement. Throughthe MEET initiative, ECTSprinciples can be adaptedand applied to thediverse Mediterraneanregion.© Europarc Federation.

Governance and financingchallenges: from local toMediterranean scalesDespite the participative approach and

local focus of the developed tours, the politi-cal structures and consequential financialand managerial implications pose great chal-lenges for ecotourism in the Mediterranean.Governance structures and legislations oftenimpede national parks and their manage-ment bodies from charging entrance fees,which could be used for management andconservation actions. Whether public or pri-vate, the sustainable management of protec-ted areas in the Mediterranean requireshigh degrees of cooperation, coordinationand strong partnerships. Goals andresources are often mismatched, misunders-tood and mismanaged among and betweenthe tourism industry, governments, localcommunities, managers and planners of pro-tected areas, and tourists themselves.Regardless of the highly effective results in

some MEET protected areas, convincing thelocal communities of the benefits of suchactivities is not always easy. The challenges

of cultural contamination and visitor numbercontrols remain at the forefront of MEET’spriorities in ensuring the development of res-ponsible tourism offers. The project aims toachieve this by establishing a touristic modelbeneficial to the natural and cultural envi-ronment, and by attracting visitors with aheightened environmental and culturalconscious, in very small quantities.As humans and their activities already

heavily dominate the region and its land-scapes, developing tourism packages that aresustainable proves to be a significant, yetachievable, challenge. There are various fac-tors that come into play to complicate theprocess such as the governance structures,financing and cultural diversity, whichresults in mottled definitions, processes,priorities and benefits for and from tourismand sustainability across the eight countriesinvolved. Although there is much debateabout tourism in protected areas and thetopic can often be adversarial, the MEETproject has taken on the challenge, and iswell on its way to success in contributing tothe improvement of management andconservation of Mediterranean protectedareas.

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IVth Mediterranean Forest Week - Barcelona

Picture 2:Vallées de la Roya et Bevera, Mercantour NationalPark (France) © Claude Gouron.

Mercantour National Park is one example of a MEETpark in southern France which has developed a MEETpackage as the result of a collaboration between thepark (as a values guarantor) and the private sector(tour operator and other service providers), while atthe same time ensuring that the local people worktogether to achieve their goals in a way which can besupported and well sustained into the future.Although Mercantour has followed the participativeapproach model proposed by MEET, French nationalparks are provided with significant public financing;therefore, gaining additional funding from tourism inprotected areas is not a priority. Furthermore,Mercantour National Park (France) as a public institu-tion is required to cooperate with various actors fromthe private sector, which can prove that workingtowards a common goal is difficult when each bodyhas differing visions and objectives.

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The future of the MEET project

Beyond the official end of the financedMEET project (expected December 2015), itis envisioned that the partners and parkswithin the Network will continue to collabo-rate on issues related to sustainable tourismdevelopment and training in Mediterraneanprotected areas. Continuing to connect withlocal and worldwide experts on the relevantissues, the partnership aims to maintain andgrow the network, offering the opportunityfor other protected areas to become membersand benefit from the numerous tools,resources, and lessons which being part ofthis Network and model offer.There are, however, numerous challenges

to be faced in the future, and priority ques-tions to be addressed by partners as soon aspossible. Three of the most importantinclude: 1) Develop a common environmentalimpact model (footprint) for tourism in theMediterranean 2), Standardise the certifica-tion (or validation) schemes for members(protected areas, service providers, etc.)including their links with international stan-dards, 3) Create a common image and mar-keting pitch of the different Mediterraneanrealities to present MEET as a responsibletourism destination.Regardless of the challenges, the future

perspectives are optimistic and it is hopedthat the MEET initiative will serve as acatalyst to join forces with other protectedareas. As the network is enlarged, theadvantages of such a synergy are expected togrow exponentially as a result of shared lear-ning and a common marketing approach tocreate an image for Mediterranean ecotou-rism in the international arena.

N.L., M.V.

BibliographyEagles, Paul F.J., McCool, Stephen F. and Haynes,Christopher D.A. (2002). Sustainable Tourism inProtected Areas: Guidelines for Planning andManagement. IUCN Gland, Switzerland andCambridge, UK. xv + 183pp.European Charter for Sustainable Tourism inProtected Areas. The Charter (2007). EuroparcsFederation. Available: http://www.european-charter.org/home/World Tourism Organization. (1997). Tourismmarket trends: The world. World TourismOrganization, Madrid, Spain.

Tourism and Forests

Picture 3: Hiking in the Sasseto Woods, Monte Rufeno, Italy. © Filippo Belisario.

Monte Rufeno (Italy) is a great example of local cooperation allowing stakeholders towork with the community for conservation, education, sustainability and public awa-reness. MEET eco-tourist package helps participants to achieve conservation goals byundertaking simple environmental monitoring activities inside the PA, which have adirect positive impact on the conservation of the reserve, and additionally create emo-tional links and a heightened appreciation for nature among the guests.Compounding these positive benefits there are the financial contributions sourcedfrom their participation.

Picture 4:Century-old olive trees, Dune Costiere, Italy © Dune Costiere Regional Park.

Dune Costiere Regional Park (Italy) is one of the best examples where local communi-ties have been integrated in the management and tour activities of the protectedarea. The MEET package involves companies that provide services (hiking, ciclo-trek-king, excursions...) and rural hospitality within the Park and companies that carry outtasting workshops of local products and visits to underground mills and villages car-ved into rocks. Rural churches and local farmers associations are also included as themain actors in preparing and providing fresh, locally sourced and prepared meals. Thepark management body stresses the importance of the tour package development inproviding different opportunities to young people who want to start businesses andcultural associations, supporting the local communities while simultaneously comba-ting the issue of youth unemployment in this region. All of these companies have asustainable tourism focus and are, or will soon be, certified with the ECST II.

For more information, and to follow theprogress of the current test tours andproject as a whole, visit:

http://www.meetnetwork.orghttp://www.medecotourism.org

Twitter:https://twitter.com/MedEcotourismLinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/meet-networkFacebook:

https://www.facebook.com/meetnetwork.org

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Resumen

Summary

forêt méditerranéenne t. XXXVI, n° 2, juin 2015

Mediterranean experience of ecotourism - Challenges and opportunitiesThis article presents the initiative of the Mediterranean Experience on Ecotourism (MEET), a projectfunded by the European Union (EU) involving eight countries in a common effort to develop a sharedapproach for the development of sustainable tourism in Mediterranean protected areas. This paperpresents the general framework and previous cases of sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean, andexplores how this initiative is facing up to the challenge of providing tourism offers that benefit localcommunities and are aligned with conservation objectives in the region. The project aims to define acommon framework of governance for tourism planning valid in different Mediterranean realities.

Natalie LOBARTOLOnatalie.lobartolo

@iucn.org

MarcosVALDERRÁBANO

Ecosystem ProgramOfficer IUCN

Centre forMediterranean

CooperationC/ Marie Curie 22,

P.T.A. 29590Campanillas

MalagaSPAINEmail:

marcos.valderrabano@iucn.org

RésuméUne expérience d’éco-tourisme en Méditerranée - Défis et opportunitésCet article présente ce qui a été initié par l’Expérience Méditerranéenne d’écotourisme (MEET), projetfinancé par l’Union européenne impliquant huit pays, dans une action conjointe pour conduire unedémarche commune d’un tourisme durable dans les espaces protégés méditerranéens. Il présente lecadre général et les expériences antérieures de tourisme durable en Méditerranée, puis il étudie com-ment ces initiatives répondent au challenge consistant à proposer des offres touristiques qui bénéficientaux communautés locales et soient en conformité avec les objectifs de préservation de la régionconcernée. Le projet vise à définir un cadre commun de gouvernance pour la mise en place d’un tou-risme acceptable vis-à-vis des différentes situations rencontrées en Méditerranée.

Experiencia Mediterránea en Ecoturismo - Desafíos y oportunidadesEste artículo presenta la iniciativa Experiencia Mediterránea en Ecoturismo (MEET), proyecto financiadopor la Unión Europea, que implica a ocho países para poner en marcha un enfoque común para el des-arrollo del turismo sostenible en espacios protegidos mediterráneos. Este artículo presenta un marcogeneral de turismo sostenible y experiencias previas en el Mediterráneo. A continuación analiza comoMEET hace frente al reto de proveer una oferta turística que beneficie a la población local, y a la vezesté en línea con objetivos de conservación. Este proyecto busca definir un marco común de gober-nanza para la planificación turística, que sea válido para las diferentes realidades mediterráneas.