Coimbra, Portugal Organized By Biosphere Responsible Tourism Portugal biosphere.pt Type of institution NGO Email turismo@biosphere.pt Country Portugal Pillars All Lines of actions Advocacy and awareness raising Type of activity Events, meetings and conferences Estimated outreach/impact of your activity 50.000 people Target group Private sector

Project

Certify the Destination Historical Villages of Portugal (AHP) as a Sustainable Destination, through the implementation of the International Normative Framework for Sustainable Tourism BIOSPHERE DESTINATION.

Main objective

To ensure a wide range of good sustainability practices in the management of Tourism Destination, in line with the UN Guidelines (17 Sustainable Development Objectives), UNESCO and the 2015 Sustainable World Charter of Tourism of the Institute of Responsible Tourism, reflected In the BIOSPHERE DESTINATION Reference.

Good practices

A process of training of agents and living forces for the need to promote the attractiveness of the territory by preserving the historical / natural heritage, the economic / social development of the communities, the preservation of the environment and exceed the expectations of locals and visitors.

Ongoing

Work with the 12 Villages and 10 Municipalities + 22 lodging / catering / animation companies, in the sense that, in a first phase, a diagnosis of sustainability is made with the City Councils and representatives of local communities: associative agents, business / commercial, trade union, third sector, schools, health, security and presidents of parish council. In the second phase – 07/2017 – an action plan for sustainability will be implemented, based on a participatory exercise that will reflect the needs and also the expectations of the various agents, actions convergent with the requirements of the Biosphere Destination Reference.

Impact of the project or initiative on the 3 pillars of Sustainability

Environmental Component

Ongoing:

Availability of more bicycles and sustainable transport

Management / control of consumption at municipal level: water, energy, waste, light pollution and emission of greenhouse gases, with private agents and communities

Preservation of biodiversity and maintenance of flora and fauna (CETS Terras do Lince, Planning of the Sabugal Albufeira, Plan for the planning of the Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve and the Intermunicipal Plan for adaptation to climate change)

Economic Component

Inclusive economic growth through the valorization of endogenous resources / capacity building of agents / community, increasing the critical mass and contradicting welfare policies is critical in the AHP: fostering an entrepreneurial base and a sense of belonging.

The benefits of tourism for the local economy will be greater with a medium-term stay and the promotion of the acquisition of local products (foraging: a field service for some wild forest products)

Social Component

Some measures that contribute to the ongoing social development of Destiny:

Collaboration of public and private entities in campaigns and initiatives for social purposes

Partnerships in international projects, solidarity, humanitarian action or assistance in sustainable tourism

Reinforcement of the formative capacity of quality in the matter of sustainability, inclusive and adapted to the real needs of the destination, in partnership with IEFP, Polytechnics and Schools

Development of social networking policies aimed at eliminating discriminatory elements and guaranteeing equal opportunities for the population, in particular the integration of the least favored population

Promotion of information measures aimed at raising awareness of the need for universal accessibility at all levels of the tourist value chain, including physical facilities, hotel equipment, services and tourist activities.

Repercussion of the project or initiative in the behavior / attitude of the citizens

The project will contribute to tackling issues affecting the citizens of HFA, particularly those related to depopulation, poverty and social exclusion, gender inequalities, inaccessibility to public and private spaces – historical and cultural, as well as stimulating the feeling of Belonging. The sustainable tourism growth is the final objective of the project and a means to combat these problems, reinforcing the authenticity of the people of this Destination.

Application of innovative practices that contribute to increased efficiency in the use of natural resources and to reduce waste production, balance or positive interaction with the natural environment and biodiversity, and other environmentally relevant criteria, and / or cultural preservation , As well as economic and social well-being.

Evaluation of tourism impact on biodiversity

Evaluation culture for long-term territorial competitiveness

SMART projects (SMIITY – app for mobile devices with geo-referenced tourist info – power to pedestrian sightseeing, valuation of heritage and permanent animation infrastructures)

Conciliation Plan for personal, family and professional life – CM / companies

Regional Sustainability Observatory

Biosphere Community Creation: online platform

Reproducibility of the project or initiative

The project serves as an anchor for the development of new projects of Sustainable Tourism Development of private and public initiative. There are currently 22 companies involved:

Touristic animation

Restoration

Hospitality Hotels Rural hotels Rural tourism



An increase of about 65 entities over the next two years and a contribution to induce a similar process in other areas of the Central Region is expected, helping to affirm and further differentiate the Region in the external context.

Results obtained – Qualitative and quantitative information