Workshop On The Spot at Po Delta Regional Park, Italy
On October 8th and 9th of 2018, two different Workshops on the Spot took place in the Po Delta Regional Park, Italy, at Mesola Castle and Cervia Saltworks Visitor Center, covering two different geographical locations.
The reason for celebrating two separated workshops were the large territorial extension of the Park and the diametrically opposite location of the two areas in which the Pilot Actions will be developed. The first Pilot Action will take place in the NE sector of Ferrara Province and the second one in the SE of Ravenna Province, thus involving very different stakeholders.
After a general presentation of the CEETO project given by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Park director (Maria Pia Pagliarusco) showed the results of the first 330 questionnaires already filled in by tourists at the various visitor centres of the Park. Following, an in-depth analysis of the San Gallo Method was presented by Dr. Paolo Grigolli (Trentino School of Tourism Management), being this method the chosen one for the monitoring part of the pilot actions in the Park and for the participatory process introduction.
Discussion during the Workshop - Photo by Emilia Romagna Region
The working tables (3 tables for 3 sessions each), coordinated by Luca Lietti (Agenda 21 consulting) were focused on the Participatory Mapping of the Park Territory. From these, interesting data emerged about the perception of three fundamental themes for the development of a more sustainable and genuine tourism within the Park and the surrounding areas:
- Identification of areas with greater sensitivity that deserve especial attention for their protection;
- Identification of areas that are being used with an excess of or too little responsibility or/and awarenes;
- Identification of areas or thematic routes of potential interest that are currently not exploited enough.
The result of the discussions were, on one hand, generally shared ideas on the environmental fragility and on the existing critical issues related to tourism. On the other hand, interesting insights on how to develop new forms of tourism that could simultaneously lead to a reduction in tourist pressure on the most environmentally fragile areas and create appeal for tourists even outside the usual tourist peaks of the bathing period. Howerver, these new forms of tourism require a communicative effort among all the actors involved, who must find a way to build a network through which organize these proposals, also through cooperation between private and public bodies.
Workshop Presentation - Photo by Emilia Romagna Region
To end with, the dates for the next meetings with stakeholders for the implementation of the St. Gall method have been set on the 30th of October, 9th of November and 4th of December of the present year.
