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An exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels is shedding light on tourism projects from European countries with positive impacts on nature, locals and the economy.
From a social enterprise making beaches more accessible to an opportunity for tourists to give back to German beauty spots, Euronews spoke with some of the innovators behind the schemes.
From Germany to Serbia: The tourism projects having a positive impact
Along Germany’s North Sea coast, tourists can purchase a ‘passport’ to collect stamps at museums and nature spots with QR codes giving information on the impact of climate change in the region. Revenues finance tree planting.
“We try to protect our nature because that’s the base of all the tourism in our region,” Mario Schiefelbein, managing director at German North Sea tourism agency, tells Euronews, adding that the scheme is a way to involve the tourists themselves in this mission.
In Greece, adapted systems built on beaches make the sea accessible to people with reduced mobility.
“Seatrac is the key point that gives them access to the water, without any help, without needing someone else to enjoy the sea” says Ignatios Fotiou, President of TOBEA, the social enterprise behind the innovation.
In a protected Serbian nature reserve, a rare cheese made out of donkey milk is sold only on site to attract tourists.
“Lots of people come to our reserve especially for the cheese and for the donkeys. So we try to reinvest those funds that we get from tourism into the nature reserve and conservation,” says Vuk Simić, managing director of Zasavica nature reserve.
Other projects include CopenPay, a project in Copenhagen allowing tourists to ‘pay’ with good actions – such as picking up litter or renting bikes – instead of with money.
The European Commission is expected to publish its EU Strategy for Tourism this year to address overtourism, labour shortages and the sector’s environmental footprint.