shapetourism mainstreaming strategy

MAINSTREAMING STRATEGY

SHAPETOURISM MAINSTREAMING STRATEGY

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CREDITS and DISCLAIMER This report reflects the authors points of view; the programme Managing Authority is not responsible for any use that could be made of information contained in this report

Edited by: AICCRE Veneto Authors: Valentino Piazza

PROJECT REFERENCE Acronym: SHAPETOURISM Title: New shape and drives for the tourism sector: supporting decision, integrating plans and ensuring sustainability Priority Axis 3: Protecting and promoting Mediterranean natural and cultural resourcesProgramme specific objective 3.1: To enhance the development of a sustainable and responsible coastal and maritime tourism in the MED area

Lead Partner: University of Venice CA FOSCARI Department of Economics Partners: University of Algarve Italian Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions – Veneto Federation University of Split, Faculty of Economics Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts University of Malaga - Department of Economics and Management

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ABSTRACT Shapetourism improves the tourism knowledge framework, providing analysis and operational tools to shape and drive a tourism sustainable growth, particularly for Cultural Destinations. The project supports policymakers and private operators to achieve: attractiveness, growth, sustainability, considering the major challenges of global competition. To achieve these objectives, the project implements a specific activity: “Case studies and stakeholders’ responses”. This activity is planned to ensure the long-lasting impacts of the project main outputs: taking into consideration the outcomes of PDSS pre-test responses in a cultural destination, (study case), the project partners arrange first a Memorandum of Cooperation committing themselves to foster the use of project tools and study results in MEd Regions and then a Shapetourism Protocol, giving instructions to stakeholders on how to use the new tools to support their decision making process. Stakeholders (public and private) will be then invited to sign a Letter of Intent with the purpose to undertake the protocol adoption and support the achievement of a more balanced and sustainable tourism development of Med destinations. The core output to be exploited and capitalised by means of the mainstreaming activities is the PARTICIPATIVE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM set up by the project. The PDSS is a system of tools designed with the scope of better knowing and monitoring the sustainable tourism context, together with a support system for analysing data and giving useful interpretation for decision making. Main target audiences of the mainstreaming activities can be divided in two main groups:  Decision makers: executives of Business Service Organisations and Tourism companies  Policy makers: councilpersons responsible for tourism policies of Local Authorities, executives of Destination Management Organizations The objective of the communication activities addressing these target audiences is to promote their active engagement in the exploitation and capitalisation of Shapetourism project results. According to this qualitative and “intense” response expected by target audiences, the mainstreaming activities will be based on direct communication tools and channels addressing contact persons of relevant stakeholders within the reach of partners’ influence. In this way, dissemination activities will benefit from consolidated relationships and credibility gained by partners with project stakeholders. According to the ex-ante planning of mainstreaming activities implemented by the partners, a potential audience of around 1.000 relevant contacts has been identified. A comprehensive action plan has been developed organising the mainstreaming activities according to their level of dissemination (Local, Subnational, National, European, International), the category of the target groups addressed (multipliers, policy makers / decision makers) and the communication objectives (inform, raising awareness, engage, promote).

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In addition to the general communication facilities of the project (brochure, website page, etc.), some additional communication tools have been developed to support the mainstreaming activities:  A tutorial showing the main sections of the ShapeTourism Observatory and the data mining functions.  A brochure explaining the general features of Shapetourism PDSS  A template of the protocol and the letter of intent to be signed by stakeholders Eventually, mainstreaming activities will be reported by partners in the Monitoring Report Grid joint with the dissemination actions, to give evidence of the result obtained. At the end of the project, each partner will fill in the grid and will send it to the Coordinator. The Coordinator will merge all the partners’ monitoring grid in a comprehensive mainstreaming report.

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CONTENTS

1. Project Objectives .......................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1. General objective of the project ............................................................................................................... 6 1.2. Specific objectives ................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3. Expected results and main outputs ......................................................................................................... 7 2. The Mainstreaming strategy and the Shapetourism Protocol ......................................................................... 8 2.1. Mainstreaming aims and activities........................................................................................................... 8 2.2. Mainstreaming expected Output and Deliverable .................................................................................... 8 2.3. Target audiences and goals of mainstreaming activities ......................................................................... 9 2.4. Methodological approach .......................................................................................................................10 3. Mainstreaming Action Plan ............................................................................................................................11 4. Implementation of the mainstreaming plan ....................................................................................................12 4.1

communication tools..........................................................................................................................12

4.2

Monitoring the implementation of mainstreaming actions ..................................................................12

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1. Project Objectives 1.1. General objective of the project SHAPETOURISM aims at generating an innovative holistic methodology able to shape and drive sustainable tourism development ensuring attractiveness, growth and sustainability of Med Cultural Destination. The project objective is double-faced: on one side, it is to improve the knowledge framework on Med Destination status of health, on the other side, to close the gap between research and reality providing actual responses to ICZM/MSP able to tackle main challenges of global competition. ShapeTourism project aims at developing a Smart Integrated Tourism Data System (an observatory based also on Big Data) providing a new participative support decision tool to lead public and private decisions, towards competitiveness, growth and sustainability. Considering that from decision to planning the road is not always plain but complex, the project explores policies, strategies and patterns providing cases study enriched with action plans as well. So, in conclusion, the ShapeTourism project general purpose is to drive a more integrated coastal and maritime sustainable development, offering to public and private operators knowledge and tools to foster cultural destination development combining the strategic territorial assets exploitation with carrying capacities constraints as well as the sustainability in the long run.

1.2. Specific objectives The general objective of the project is articulated in three specific objectives: OS1: to improve knowledge and structural basis in order to better manage tourist conflicts and externalities providing a more realistic, targeted, integrated and sustainable exploitation policy of the main strategic MED tourist territorial assets. OS2: to promote innovative planning solutions useful to reduce and better manage the tourism impacts, both locally and transnationally, by implementing an integrated regional assessment, in support of the ICZM/MSP directives and stages, with particular attention to coastal cultural destinations. OS3: to design a practical, integrated and participative support system (PDSS), by creating effective synergies and cooperation mechanism to enhance the involvement and coordination of both, private and public stakeholders. Stimulating, at the same time, stakeholders and targets group to adopt the SHAPETOURISM protocol for a more effective, sustainable and responsible coastal and maritime tourism development.

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1.3. Expected results and main outputs The main result of the project is the SHAPETOURISM PARTICIPATIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM. This PDSS is composed by four facilities: 1. The ShapeTourism Observatory. In order to improve the knowledge framework about the tourism health of MED cultural destinations and help stakeholders to “shape tourism in a sustainable way”, the Smart Integrated Tourism Data System offers information, scenarios and indicators on competitiveness, attractiveness and sustainability. The observatory will bridge the gap amid stakeholders’ information needs and traditional statistic responses. 2. The ShapeTourism Survey. The tool provides unique insights into tourism’s state-of-health in the Mediterranean area today. By using this facility, stakeholders have the opportunity to:  evaluate the tourism industry’s dynamics and trends;  predict the possible impacts of global changes on sustainable tourism development;  understand local reactions to global trends in tourism sustainability;  measure tourism externalities;  assess stakeholders’ perceptions of their destination’s life cycle stage;  identify sustainable practices into private stakeholders’ operations;  appraise public stakeholders’ opinions of how to enhance the sustainability of tourism development and operations. 3. The ShapeTourism Carrying Capacity Scenarios Simulator. It provides a useful tool for interpreting the future scenarios of the Mediterranean regions in relation to established indicators:  tourism density (ratio of the total number of arrivals / nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments relative to the total area (km2) of the region)  tourism intensity (ratio of the total number of arrivals / nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments relative to the total permanent resident population of the region)  occupancy rate (ratio of the average number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, per day, relative to the number of bed places). The scenarios are based on possible future evolutions of demand and supply tourism indicators. 4. The ShapeTourism Cluster Maps. The Cluster Matrix tool provides a visualisation of the geographical concentration of Mediterranean regions based on the driving forces, pressures, state and response (DPSR) model. The visualisation of these clusters provides valuable insights into the Mediterranean regions’ heterogeneity within the DPSR framework. Together with the ShapeTourism Observatory, Survey and Scenarios Maps tools, the Cluster Matrix is a key tool for analysing regional drivers of the tourism industry

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2. The Mainstreaming strategy and the ShapeTourism Protocol 2.1. Mainstreaming aims and activities The general objective of the mainstreaming strategy is to promote the use of the knowledge, tools and methods elaborated during the project by decision and policy makers of the tourism sector in the Med region. In fact, the more these tools, methods and knowledge are used by these target audiences, the wider will be the impact of the project in terms of both tourism sustainability and development. To achieve the first specific objective of the project (improved knowledge), targets and stakeholders (public and private within the tourism business ecosystem) are actively involved during the implementation of the research activities to reduce the gap between study results and their applicability. In this phase is necessary to inform them about the responses they can obtain by accessing the Smart Integrated Tourism Data System (observatory) and at the same time we expect a feedback form them to improve the project outputs. Besides specific communication activities, it is foreseen in (WP3) a direct approach to our target audiences, notably through surveys and interviews. The tactic is double-faced: we need data and information from direct source to elaborate our analysis and at the same time we take the opportunity to engage them in our project, since the very first steps. As far as the second specific objective is concerned (support to innovative solutions), the results and outputs are supposed to be transferred to public authorities having competence on strategic planning of tourism sustainable development, including DMOs. On this purpose, specific activities will be implemented by each partner to inform regional and local authorities directly (meeting or workshop) and promote the use of project outputs. Moreover, AICCRE will transfer in the European network of the CEMR (Council of the European Municipalities and Regions) any useful project news. There is a relevant link between the third specific objective of the project (support to the decision-making process of tourism stakeholders) and the mainstreaming goals. After having engaged regional and local stakeholders, each partner organises an event where also B2B sessions are set up. During these sessions, stakeholders have the opportunity to better understand the possible application and utility of the PDSS ; they will also be invited to make some practical experience of the tools provided by the PDSS, addressing some specific usability issues. During these sections or because of them, decision and policy makers will be invited to sign a declaration of intent committing themselves to use the PDSS and to promote the exploitation of the project outputs. To coordinate efforts and assure a coherent framework to these actions, partners will agree on the Shapetourism Memorandum of Understanding engaging themselves in follow up activities and capitalization actions.

2.2. Mainstreaming expected Output and Deliverable Mainstreaming is a structural component of the logic of intervention of the project; thus, mainstreaming outputs

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and deliverables have been provided for and included in the project workplan since the feasibility phase: Deliverable n. 2.1.1: Communication and Dissemination Strategy (CDS). The CDS promotes a participatory approach in the implementation of all main project activities. Participation by stakeholders is a powerful communication channel and tool: it promotes engagement and ownership of project results paving the way to the following exploitation actions. Deliverable n. 2.3.1: Mainstreaming events. Public events, b2b events and bilateral meetings implemented by each partner with local decision and policy makers to mainstream project outputs and launching the follow up and the capitalisation phase. Deliverable n. 3.9.1: Case studies. Each partner will test the PDSS application on a number of case studies with local stakeholders. The tests will allow getting relevant feedbacks useful to improve the PDSS itself; it will also produce success stories to be used during the mainstreaming events to promote emulative behaviours by stakeholders. Deliverable n. 3.9.2: protocol/MoU. This is the most important mainstreaming output. It is composed by two different tools:  The Shapetourism Cooperation Agreement (MoU): by signing this agreement, all partners commit themselves to pursuit the use of project tools and study results in MED Regions by promoting exploitation, follow up and capitalisation activities.  The Shapetourism Protocol and the letter of intent to be signed by stakeholders, public and private. The document recall the principles of sustainable tourism and state the willingness by the signatories to contribute to a more balanced and sustainable tourism development of Med destinations by including the Shapetourism PDSS in their decision-making process. A presentation about the possible use of the PDSS by stakeholders (Shapetourism protocol) will be included as an annex to the document.

2.3. Target audiences and goals of mainstreaming activities According to the aims mentioned above, the mainstreaming activities will address two main target audiences: Decision makers of private enterprises operating in the tourism sectors in the MED region. Shapetourism PDSS can provide useful information to the managers of tourism private enterprises in order to drive business development toward sustainability, making a better use of territorial reputations and assets. The database of Shapetourism PDSS gives the opportunity to extract data concerning the different tourism indicators. These data can be used by the decision makers to build scenarios and compare different business development options.

Policy makers of tourism sectors in the MED region, paying specific attention to:  

Members of the Destination Management Organisations Councilpersons responsible for tourism policies of Local Authorities (municipalities and Region)

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The PDSS is mainly a policy-oriented tool. As mentioned in chapter one, the project is conceived to impact on tourism policies in order to drive a more integrated coastal and maritime sustainable development. Policy makers can benefit enormously from PDSS because it helps them to base their decision-making process on scientific evidences. A full set of indicators, toosl for the simulation of possible scenarios, cluster maps, etc. allow building comparative analysis between territories at the different geographic level, responding in so doing to the need of a wide range of policy makers. Thanks to the participatory approach adopted in the implementation of project activities, each partner has developed a significant database of relevant stakeholders’ contacts. These databases can count on around 1.000 contacts in the whole, that can be used for the mainstreaming activities.

2.4. Methodological approach From the methodological point of view, the implementation of the mainstreaming strategy is based on a bottomup approach. This approach allows to better design mainstreaming actions and to customise them to well identified local target audiences. It also allows dissemination activities to benefit from consolidated relationships and credibility gained by partners within their network. According to this approach, each partner elaborates its own mainstreaming action plan exploiting its own network on one side, and the database of contacts build during the implementation of the project activities. The Project Coordinator of the Lead Applicant merges these plans and integrate them with mainstreaming objectives, target audiences and activities in a regional/European perspective.

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3. Mainstreaming Action Plan LEVEL (1) Local

TO WHOM? (2) (TARGET GROUP) decision makers and policy makers of local stakeholders

Subnational

decision makers and policy makers of local stakeholders

National

Policy makers of local authorities

National

decision makers and policy makers of local stakeholders

European/ international

Project final event


Partners’ executives


Executives of National associations of Local Authorities

WHY? (3) (PURPOSE) To promote project outputs; to engage on capitalisation actions To raise awareness on project coreoutputs To inform stakeholders about projects results

WHAT? (4) (CONTENT) Protocol/letter of intent

HOW? (5) (ACTIVITY) B2B events and bilateral meetings

PDSS

Workshop/ seminar

PDSS

To inform stakeholders about projects results To inform stakeholders about projects results to engage on capitalisation actions To inform about projects results

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WHERE?

WHEN? (6) (TIMING) April 2018

IMPLEMENTIG ORGANISATION All partners

EXPECTED RESULT (7) At least 5 letters of interest signed in each partner’s country

all partners’ countries

April 2018

All partners

Public event

Italy

April 2018

AICCRE Veneto

PDSS

Press campaign


April 2018

All partners

Expression of interest by at least 10 stakeholders in each partner’s country Feedback by participants New contacts for promoting exploitation activities articles / reportages published in each partner’s country

PDSS

Public event

Portugal

April 2018

Uni Algave

MoU

e-mailing, virtual meetings


April 2018

All partners

PDSS

Side event and informal bilateral meetings

Brussel

March, April 2018

AICCRE


Feedback by participants New contacts for promoting exploitation activities MoU signed by 7 organisations Feedback by participants New contacts for promoting exploitation activities


4. Implementation of the mainstreaming plan 4.1 Communication tools Mainstreaming activities can count on the communications tools developed during the project:        

A video on the project for a general introduction to the action The template of the posters to be used for the public events of the project The project brochure to be distributed during the public events and meetings Disseminating e-papers on the main studies implemented A project website with general information and a project platform to access to the PDSS A tutorial showing the main sections of the ShapeTourism Observatory and the data mining opportunities A brochure specifically dedicated to presentation of the PDSS The template of the Shapetourism protocol and the letter of intent

4.2 Monitoring the implementation of mainstreaming actions The monitoring and implementation of the mainstreaming activities is based on a common Monitoring Report Grid already used by partner to gather information and evidences on the communication and dissemination activities of the project. All the mainstreaming activities planned and carried out by each partner are reported in this grid. For each mainstreaming activity, the following information is provided: 1) Date, 2) Type of Activity – e.g. bilateral meeting, … 3) Sphere of Influence: M = multipliers, P = policy makers, decision makers, N = target groups networks/ associations, 4) Level: Local (L), subnational (SN), national (Nat), European (EU) 5) Target audience addressed (see chapter 3.3). 6) Result – n. of people/organizations contacted/reached. 7) Impact – outcome of the activities e.g. feedback from stakeholders, involvement in the implementation of project activities, signature of the letter of commitment, etc. Partners are also invited to produce evidences of the implementation of their mainstreaming activities, like attendance sheets, e-mails, photos, press releases, etc. Grids will be filled in by partners and sent to the Coordinator of the Lead Applicant. The coordinator will merge them in a comprehensive dissemination monitoring report.

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