____PRESENTATION________________________

MEDITERRANEAN LABORATORY FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
"Paolo Schmidt di Friedberg" 

The laboratory was founded in 1999 by Italian EIA Centre, which is promoted by European Commission. It was located in Vernazza and supported by the authority of Liguria Region. Its aim is to study in depth the issues related to environmental impact of tourism and to promote a sustainable tourism with special attention to Mediterranean basin. It co-operates in particular with other EIA centres. Its main activities are the carrying out of a research centre, the testing of new methodologies for the development of a sustainable tourism and the organisation of national and international meetings. 
 
 

____ACTIVITIES________________________
 

2000
Working holiday: Protect the landscape of Vernazza
Residential course of rural archeology, Vernazza (Cinque Terre - SP)
Guides lines for a sustainable tourism in Objective 2 seaside resorts of Liguria Region 
Study supported by Liguria Region
1999
EIA and SEA. Indicators for a sustainable tourism
Study supported by European Commission DG XI and Liguria Region, May 1999
Approaches and tools for a sustainable tourism
Meeting, Vernazza (SP-Italy), 29^th of October 1999
 
 
 

Guides lines for a sustainable tourism in Objective 2 seaside resorts of Liguria Region 
Study supported by Liguria Region

Italian EIA Centre is going to pursue studies on environmental impact of tourism; in 2000 it is going to carry out a research that aims to work out some indicators patterns for development and management of sustainable tourism. Selected indicators will allow to gain knowledge at low cost in order to point out critical aspects of tourism development in seashore areas of Liguria Region. Such indicators will be used in the analysis of some pilot resort, selected from the "Objective 2" territories as considered by environmental information system (ECOZERO) of Liguria Region. The study is supported by EU structural funds and its results will be put in the ECOZERO database. The project consists of four phases:

setting up of model for sustainable tourism in seashore areas of Liguria Region;testing of the model in a pilot resort:analysis of the results and review of the model;working out guide lines for sustainable tourism in seashore area of Liguria Region.

EIA and SEA. Indicators for a sustainable tourism
Study supported by European Commission DG XI and Liguria Region, May 1999
The study identify and describe the indicators already applied, and those eventually necessary for an impact assessment on sustainable tourism, and define the conditions required for a complete and exhaustive application of the identified indicators: presenting such conditions in a standardised form easily accessible and usable. The study attempts to give a practical contribution to a topic of vital importance, like the one of environmental impact assessment of sustainable tourism. 

Approaches and tools for a sustainable tourism
Meeting, Vernazza (SP-Italy), 29^th of October 1999
"Green tourism" and "sustainable tourism" are frequently used expressions. Even so, the relation between tourism and environment is still essentially analogous to the relation introduced by the Industrial Revolution, based on the exploitation of the available resources with no concern for the future. However, the importance of tourism as an economic and social development factor is acknowledged, often it is the only development factor accessible to populations living in areas lacking any other development chance. On the other hand, it is evident that, at present, tourism is one of the most penetrating factors that attack the human environment, as it undermines not only physical but also social and cultural aspects. Given this situation, an important challenge must be faced: people have to refine and experiment approaches and tools for sustainable tourism, treasuring the experience acquired in industrial sector but tacking into account also the peculiarities of the tourist sector. First of all, the role of population, at the same time object and beneficiary of tourism. The Conference gathers recent experiences of a sustainable management of tourism events at national and international level in order to promote a sustainable tourism in the Cinque Terre area. During the discussion tools for a sustainable tourism and funding opportunities. had been presented. 
 
 

___ADDRESS_____________________________

work in progress...