Download Sustainable and responsible tourism. The role of the tour operators

Bulgarian Association for
Alternative Tourism - BAAT
Mission: to make possible the sustainable development of the tourist sector
and this way turn Bulgaria into a leading destination for special interest
and alternative tourism, while helping the conservation of its unique
environment and culture and improving its people’s lives.
We established the concept of local hospitality in Bulgaria
We introduced the guest houses and the mountain guides in the law
We made the first Green certificate for small-scale accommodations
We provide training of B&B owners, entrepreneurs and municipalities
We edited 18 700 posters devoted to Bulgarian mountains and protected
areas and 5 issues of the “B&B and adventure guide of Bulgaria”
We support emerging local destinations via press trips and publications
Recommended by Guide Vert Michelin, Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, Insight Guides, Reise Know How …
Member of
ECEAT and
Eurogites
Green Lodge Certificate
• Selection of charming and authentic B&B, small hotels, guesthouses and
campsites in the countryside which have espoused responsible
hospitality.
• 35 issued certificates (since 2008)
• ECEAT quality criteria based on:
– environmental issues
– traditional agriculture
– traditional lifestyle preservation
– outdoor activities
• Certificate is updated every three years stimulating innovation
• Advertising via internet, media, printed materials
• Membership cart for discounts
The Manual
on Sustainable and RT
Устойчив туризъм представлява
“всяка форма на развитие,
устройство или туристическа
дейност, която уважава и опазва
дългосрочно природните,
културните и социалните ресурси и
допринася по положителен и
балансиран начин за икономическото
развитие и за благоденствието на
хората, които живеят, работят или
пребивават в тези територии”.
Major topics:
-sustainable tourism management,
-responsible skiing, SWOT and analyzes,
-horseback, adventure, gourmet, wine
tourism
- Green Lodge certification
-5 good practices from France
+ 40 good practices in Bulgaria.
Sofia, 2010
Based on Gestion du toursime durable, and
inputs from Bulgarian and UK experts
Edited by Odysseia-in Travel supported by
ICF
BAAT and Mountains and people Association
Finding the balance between tourism development
and sustainable use of nature resources in Bulgaria
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Development of tourism entrepreneurship particularly in harmony with the care and
protection of the nature and the landscape in Bulgarian;
Minimizing the carbon footprint of tourism
Focusing on tours which develop the capacity and bring growing prosperity of the
local communities
Introduction of environment friendly technologies and achieving a breakthrough in
the treatment of all natural resources
Adequately address the water, a key resource of the 21st century
Corporate pressure on institutions to comply with laws and extension of protected
areas (today only 4.3%)
Zero tolerance for illegal construction
Supporting information campaigns of the NGO sector stressing the importance of
biodiversity for the quality of life
Generating financial resources from the business for “the Nature of Bulgaria"
Tax incentives for certain businesses (VAT tax holidays, community/ tourism tax...)
Commitments to sustainability
and green tourism of TO / 1
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Making Bulgaria a major tourist destination is above
all a commitment of the Bulgarian tour operators
Development of tourism programming exclusively
in line with the
interestsof localhost communities, preservation of the
landscape and the Bulgarian nature
Minimizing the carbon footprint within Travels:
- Use more modern and environment
friendly motor vehicles
- Use the maximum capacity of local communities to
provide food and accommodation for tourists and
thus limiting the supply of goods and services from afar
Offset the carbon footprint through campaigns to
restore the landscape, reforestation, training of local
communities
Information campaigns for market-oriented good
business practices
TPA of trips, which enhance the capacity and
bring growing prosperity of the local community through the use of local guides, visit the small
handicraft businesses,consumption of products and
services provided localy
Commitments to sustainability
and green tourism of TO / 2
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Investing in human resources - creating real
opportunities for career development in the
country through better pay and delegation
Designing trip packages with new spirit outside
the resorts and traditional tourist destinations
Limit the all-inclusive holidays and travels
Raising awareness among tourists
about contemporary understandings of ethical
conduct in the nature and opportunities to travel in a
responsible manner
Zero Tolerance to commit illegal construction
and chain businesses (hotels and carriers
and TO), whose activities threaten the future
of natural resources
Offering trips for low carbon footprint by using public
transprot - train or other kind of transportation
with zero footprint - bike riding, river descent, walking
Corporate pressure on institutions to protect and
expand protected areas
Binding the financial results of the tour operators with
campaign in favor of natural and cultural heritage
through the set in the margin amounts to actively and
turn it into a selling point and inform the customers
VISION, MISSION & DREAMS
How big (and brave) are the dreams in the Bulgarian tourism?
Directions of the product development
in the globalizing Sea
TRAVEL WITH LESS/ LOW CO2 impact:
ADVENTURE TOURISM
HOME MADE,
ORGANIC
TASTY
Peche a la ligne pres de la ville de Rousse
PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLES
2012’ Tourism Cluster
“The Green Bulgaria”
Mission: synergy and support of the product positioning and marketing for businesses
based on their respect for the natural and cultural heritage and the interests of
local communities: wineries, tour operators, guest houses, family hotels,
protected areas, universities
Objective: to achieve the business interests of cluster members in Bulgaria, the
Balkans and Europe and to increase their competitiveness
Indirect results:
- Improving the image of "made in Bulgaria"
- Building a new culture of consumption in tourism
- Bigger choice for the end users
Means: "Program Competitiveness" of the EU and own means
Steps:
- Stage of the coordination of mission, vision and objectives
- Promoting the mission and goals to new members
- Project proposal for financing activities
- First Results: Summer 2012
The threats for tourism... The balance to be found by the administration
THE NEW FOREST LOW TO BE VOTED
The Council of ministers' Role
Wild beauty of Pirin could not bear the new ski facilities
Danube and the Black Sea:
Challenges and Opportunities
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Freeze any new construction that does not fit the
local landscape and architecture
Demolition of idle factories and illegal hotels to open
new useful green spaces and playgrounds
Promoting the introduction of green technologies in the
hotel business
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Limitation of All inclusive packages
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Binding of taxes by creating their own treatment facilities
Supporting of home stays and accommodations with
charm: GH and guest rooms and family hotels
Special schema for investors in modern campsites
Linking education with green technology in construction
and management of large urban centers and the urban
planning as whole
Total modernization of urban and public transport in
cities on the Danube andBlack Sea
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Complete replacement of piers and modernization of port
facilities related totourism and travel of passengers
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using electric cars, improving access by public
transport (train, ship), developing the network of cycling
alleys and trails along the river/ the coast
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Expanding the network of protected areas
The Sustainable Tourism concept
is the only issue for development
We have to go further and:
- Introduce the concept of the passive architecture in the holiday industry
- Modernize and develop the public and transport (use of electric cars and shuttles)
- Save all resources, important for our lives (water and air, energy efficiency)
- Implement modern technologies while using traditional materials
- Preserve the landscape and the nature biodiversity as vital resources
- Respect the local people and their traditional lifestyle and culture
- Strenghten on the domestic market and the local products and brand them
- Promote stronger the best practices
- Create new opportunities for business, respecting the environment
- Develop the networks between all those people and businesses
- Fair debate about the strategic frame of the Bulgarian tourism development
and
BE INNOVATIVE and RESPONSIBLE...
Actually, the overall idea is „what do we leave behindus?
Let this be only our footprints!
THANK YOU!
Lubomir Popiordanov
Ceo
Odysseia-in Travel Ltd,
touroperator
Chair of DCC
Bulgarian Association for
Alternative Tourism
www.odysseia-in.com