Sustainable tourism features at European conference
Over 140 delegates from across Europe will be arriving in Inverness next week to take part in a conference looking at ways European destinations can promote the growth of sustainable tourism in mountain areas.
The Sustainable Active Tourism Conference is being organised by The Highland Council in partnership with Euromontana to put the spot light on current issues surrounding developing tourism in mountain areas across Europe. Challenges of the economic crisis, the impact of climate change and strong competition from other tourism destinations will all be looked at as part of the two day event which runs from 27-28 September at The Highland Council headquarters in Inverness.
The event, supported by The Cairngorm National Park, HIE and Forestry Commission Scotland will include presentations by key note speakers including Euromontana president Andre Marcon, Anton Zimmerman from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Peter Braaten, Manager of the National Park of Hallingskarvet, Norway and Riddell Graham, Director of Partnerships with Visit Scotland. There will be workshops study visits covering themes - the management of environmental resources; diversification of tourism activities; the development of skills; and widening access to destinations.
Councillor Isobel McCallum, Vice Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee and a Board Member of Euromontana has been involved in organising the conference. She said: “Europe’s mountain environments provide unique and diverse tourism venues with a range of well recognised products. Mountain entrepreneurs have continued to develop new tourism products that attract more and more people to mountain areas every year. It is important that these regions have the opportunity to keep their unique culture vibrant and global issues such as climate change and strong competition do not have a negative impact on mountain tourism.
“Not only will this conference give Euromontana members the chance share good practice and have their say on topical issues, but feedback from delegates will be gathered and from this Euromontana will produce a position paper to influence the emerging EU tourism policy with recommendations to support the promotion of sustainable tourism in mountain areas.”
Although the conference is now fully booked, anyone wishing to find out more about the work of Euromontana can visit their website www.euromontana.org