Clonakilty – Delegates From 22 Countries Discuss Sustainable Tourism

Sixty delegates from twenty-two countries were all speaking the same language at a special EU conference on tourism that was held in Clonakilty last week. Each delegate was there as a representative of the twenty-nine regions that have already been selected as winners in the "European Destination of Excellence" (EDEN) competition.

With the backing of national tourism organisations, including Fáilte Ireland, the EU organised the inaugural event in 2007, and ten destinations – including Clonakilty town and district – were selected.

Mr. Paddy Mathews, manager of the environment unit with Fáilte Ireland, chaired the first session, which dealt with ‘sustainable tourism indicators.’ Mr. Mathews explained that indicators are their way of knowing how to "keep visitors happy; local people happy; keep the environment clean and in good condition; and make sure that businesses are profitable."

The chairman of Sustainable Clonakilty – a voluntary organisation that is run by people who want to take responsibility for their own environment – Mr. Mark Holland was a guest speaker at the conference. He explained how they are currently investigating the possibility of establishing small local power stations, which would use wind, wave, biomass or tidal power to generate energy for the town.

The group is also currently attempting to discover how much energy the town uses through a special energy inventory and is – with the support of Clonakilty District Chamber of Tourism and Fáilte Ireland – offering a cash prize for a draw that will include everyone who fills out their questionnaire.

Dr. Kevin Griffin, head of the department of hospitality management and tourism and the Dublin Institute of Technology, said the word sustainable means different things to different people.

For a chef, he said, it is all about common sense because a chef would "not tolerate waste" in his kitchen. But for an organisation like the Clonakilty District Chamber of Tourism, he said, it is all about "managing their destination."

"What is remarkable about Clonakilty’s achievement," according to Mr. Jim Daly, who was returned as chairman of the Clonakilty District Chamber of Tourism at their annual general meeting on Monday, March 2 last, "is that in addition to winning the 2007 competition, we lobbied for, and succeeded in, being chosen as the host for the first-ever gathering of all the EDEN competitions winners from across Europe,"

The Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr. Martin Cullen, noted the calibre of the delegates at the conference and, by means of video conferencing, welcomed Mr. Francesco Ianniello, who is a representative of the European Commission’s tourism unit.

In chairing the mid-morning workshop, Mr. Ianniello’ signalled the need for all of the delegates to work together to formulate policy for the future. He said the conference – the first of its kind – was designed to be "a tool for the destinations" (European Destination of Excellence winners) and not something the European Commission would use to manage them.

Speaking about the need to agree common indicators across Europe, Mr. Malcolm Bell, the chief executive of Britain’s South West Tourism organisation said there is a wider issue involved than just measuring an area’s success in terms of "numbers and spend."

He said people in the private sector understood all about sales, turnover and margins, and would come to understand the need for "wise indicators" if they realised they would determine "the future asset value of their business."

When you create a more sustainable business, he said: "It has greater longevity and value."

Valere Tjolle

Source: Southern Star