AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 How sustainable is your project? The first draft agora Sustainability Check Wolfgang Günther Institute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe, N.I.T.,Kiel

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Idea of the Sustainability Check O There are lots of sustainable tourism projects (at least by name) O and many funds, which depend on this requirement, O but no unique standard for the sustainability of these projects. There is a need to develop a testing tool for the sustainability of tourism projects which can be used by supporting bodies. 

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Development of the Sustainability Check Why? O to avoid the granting of projects with negative impacts on society, environment and/or economy, O to give a guidance for the development of (more) sustainable tourism projects, O to stem the arbitrary use off the term ‘sustainability’,

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Development of the Sustainability Check Who? The agora Sustainability Check Advisory Board: o Baltic Chamber of Commerce Association (BCCA), Michael Zeinert, Björn Ipsen o Coaliton Clean Baltic (CCB), Jörg Schmiedel o Social Hansa, Marion Woitschik o Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), Ulrich Söffker … in cooperation with the agora Toolbox

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Development of the Sustainability Check How?

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Inventory of existing tools O 25 different tools are presented and categorised according to their object of investigation (projects, products or destinations). O Only few tools test the sustainability of (tourism) projects. O Even if sustainability is one of the objectives of EU funding programmes, there is no EU testing tool for it. (for the complete inventory see agora website)

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 General Requirements In general: The sustainability check should illustrate what needs to be considered in assessing the sustainability of a tourism project: o with little effort, flexible application o valid for the entire Baltic Sea Region o transparent and easily comprehensible o with equal consideration for ecological, economical and social issues o stimulating and not unnecessarily constricting o can be combined with already existing funding guidelines o Internet availability and usability o usable for planning and/or implementation and/or final evaluation o input for reporting duty

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Format ochecklist with clear and unambiguous guidelines owhere possible and reasonable: indicators oshort explanations with practical examples omodular composition ono fixed default values or exclusion criteria

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Development frame Basis: State of Art Report (December 2005) Frame:6 Sustainability Objectives (Project INVENT)

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Checklist 1-5 Aspects for each objective plusinvolvement of professional expertise for each dimension plus consideration of each dimension in the project set up 32 Questions to be answered 

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Checklist design Dimension: Economy Sustainability objective: 1. Added value/multiplier effect Aspect: 1a Added value: Does the project create added value for the local/regional economy? Rating: Yes No Not applicable Justification: Examples for possible proofs/ indicators: Preferable consideration of local/regional companies and/or Local ownership of the project and/or Reinvestment of profits made into local economy and/or Revenues generated by the project in the project area and/or Innovative aspects of the project and/or Amount of additional tourist spending at the destination catalysed by project and/or Additional tourist arrivals/overnights caused by project and/or Attraction of external capital into the region by the project and/or ….

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Recommended procedure First assessment Application does not satisfy the requirements of the supporting body Application satisfies the requirements of the supporting body Return to applicant for rework Final assessment Requirements have been satisfied Project has passed the checkProject has not passed the check Requirements have not been satisfied Initial application

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Checklist use by supporting bodies It can be translated and adopted as it is.... integrated into existing systems.... used as background information for existing application proceedings.... taken into account once new application proceedings are set up. … used at different project stages (application, mid-evaluation, final execution check)

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Checklist use at different project stages oapplication, omid-evaluation, and ofinal execution check Use of checklist by applicant and examiner o As guideline in the project preparation process o As check tool and reporting format in the assessment

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Possible evaluation methods No predetermined evaluation method; possibilities: 1) All answers in the checklist have to be positive, (‘yes’ or ‘n.a.’) 2) A percentage system: X % of the questions have to be positive 3) Two groups: a) Questions crucial for passing the check - mandatory ‘yes’ or ‘not applicable’ b) Questions not crucial for passing the check - may be answered with ‘no’ (or at least to a certain %) 4) Two or more ranking classes/levels: lower could mean less support. 5) …

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Next steps 2nd agora meeting in Jurmala

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Next Steps Your comments are most welcome: o corrections, additions, improvements … for the procedure/manual … for the check list … for the format o recommendations for the implementation in practice

AGORA - Network Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region Project part-financed by the European Union 2 nd Agora Meeting © 2006 Approved as Baltic 21 Lighthouse Project 15. June 2006 Thank you!