Report on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

Transcription

1 Report on sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean This report was drawn up by the rapporteur, Michèle Sabban (Assembly of European Regions; Ile-de- France Regional Council/FR). It was discussed by the 4th meeting of ARLEM's Commission for sustainable development (SUDEV) on 16 January 2013 and adopted during the 4th ARLEM plenary session on 18 February 2013 in Brussels, Belgium. CDR _00_02_TRA_TCD EN

2 - 1 - As a whole, the Mediterranean region is the world's leading tourist destination, although there are considerable disparities within it. It receives 30% of tourist arrivals and 25% of the total income from global tourism, with 80% of the visiting tourists coming from Europe, mainly Germany 1. Whilst tourism plays a key role in the region's economic development and integration into the process of globalisation, it also puts considerable pressure on natural resources and the environment. ARLEM members fully agree with the Committee of the Regions in the call for a development of tourism on the basis of competitiveness and sustainability, which can be divided into three categories: economic sustainability, ensuring fair and efficient economic development, enabling future generations to develop; socio-cultural sustainability, which is compatible with the culture, values and identity of the Mediterranean regions; and environmental sustainability, ensuring that development is compatible with maintaining essential processes, biological diversity and biological resources 2. Promoting ecologically sustainable tourism is vital, especially in this area of the world which is experiencing the fastest rate of global warming, with all this implies in terms of desertification, diminishing reserves of drinking water and loss of biodiversity. Consequently, managing water resources, pollution and waste and combating soil erosion are some of the main challenges raised by tourism in the Mediterranean, as illustrated by the fact that, in 2007, the region used its natural resources 2.6 times faster than it replenished them (compared to the rate of 1.5 times faster for the planet as a whole) 1. What's more, with tourism only marginally affected by the crisis and the downturn caused by the Arab Spring unlikely to be long-lasting, the situation is expected to worsen, with rising numbers of tourists (over the past two decades, the Mediterranean region has recorded the highest growth in inbound tourism in the world) 1 likely to have a worrying impact on the environment. In 2010, the tourism industry (including all the related services and investments) represented an average of 10.9% of GDP, making it vitally important to the region's economies 1 (in terms of jobs and its contribution to the external balance of trade in the Mediterranean countries). Without tourism, many Mediterranean countries would be obliged to reduce imports of goods and services drastically in order to restore their balance of trade (in Albania and Montenegro, for example, tourism accounts for over 50% of exports 1 ). On the other hand, in other areas such as infrastructure, human, natural and cultural resources and regulatory framework, the Mediterranean ranks rather low internationally. Accordingly, two of the main priorities are to minimise the environmental impact of tourism through awareness raising and more effective management of resources and infrastructure and to develop alternative forms of tourism that will have less impact on ecosystems than the "3S tourism" (sea, sand and sun) model, associated with the construction of golf-courses, swimming pools and other facilities, which currently predominates. 1 2 Robert Lanquar (2011): Tourism in the MED 11 countries, CASE Network Reports, No. 98/2011, CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research, Warsaw ( 18/1/2013). Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on "Europe, the world's No. 1 tourist destination", rapporteur: Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, adopted at the 88th plenary session on January 2011 (CdR 342/2010 fin), point 12.

3 - 2 - Another issue is that tourist numbers vary widely across the different regions and countries, with extremely high concentrations in some areas and other zones left marginalised. For instance, inbound tourism expenditure accounts for over 20% of GDP in Lebanon but near 0% in Algeria 1. Accordingly, responding to the environmental challenges posed by tourism will also mean moving the focus to the less frequented regions. Finally, regarding sustainable tourism, a sustainable approach to local cultures in the hosting countries must be taken into consideration alongside issues of environmental sustainability. While promoting sustainable tourism it is important to minimise the imposition of foreign culture by visitors as well as guarding against the excessive commercialisation of the local culture. It is vital that sustainable tourism allows for the preservation of traditions and does not erode the wealth of diversity in the region. Regional and local authorities have a key role to play in regulating the development of tourism and ensuring that it is sustainable. 1. The environmental challenges raised by tourism in the Mediterranean region: promoting sustainable, integrated tourism One of the differences between tourism and many other sectors of the economy is that the environmental degradation it causes has a negative impact on the development of the sector itself. If the degradation is such that an area is no longer attractive as a tourist destination, the region can lose an important source of revenue. Moreover, the pressure on ecosystems is accelerating: water and energy consumption often exceeds production and supply capacity; solid waste collection and treatment is inadequate; and urbanisation, coastal construction and the transformation of natural spaces is having a profound impact on biodiversity in the Mediterranean. These problems are compounded by soil salinisation in coastal areas, particularly in Italy, whilst intensive farming is contributing to the rapid progression of soil erosion. As a result, there is an increasingly urgent need to preserve soil and water resources and, although it may not always be a national priority, support needs to come from local regional authorities, with the backing of the UfM and the various organisations that can finance the necessary projects and infrastructures. 1.1 Water management: overuse, desertification, water pollution and recycling Tourism in the Mediterranean is putting substantial pressures on water demand and leading to depletion of water tables and water pollution. In general, a tourist uses three or four times as much water as a local resident. For instance, in Alanya (Turkey) in 2009, tourism-related water consumption represented 52% of total consumption.

4 - 3 - Even in areas where consumption is not as high, the availability of drinking water can be a problem. For example, in the Marsa Matruh Governorate in Egypt, the poor quality of the local water means that supplies have to be diverted to the area via two pipelines connected to the Alexandria distribution network and transported by train and water tanker, simply to supply the extra water required for tourism. In Jerba, the two water desalination plants are not sufficient to meet the high demands tourism places on water consumption, and similar solutions have had to be introduced over the summer, the very period when water stress is most acute 3. The most recent solution is therefore to use desalination facilities to produce drinking water. However, this is an inadequate and costly solution and, although it consumes less energy than transferring resources by tanker or pipeline, energy remains an important issue: in the Mediterranean region as a whole, desalinising 30 million cubic metres per day is equivalent to an output of 5000 MW, or the capacity of 8-10 gas fired combined-cycle power stations or 4-5 nuclear power plants. In addition, desalination plants discharge both brine and greenhouse gases and their energy consumption is a serious problem during the seasonal peak in electricity consumption from tourism facilities and urban facilities linked to tourism. In Torremolinos, tourism accounts for 40% of electricity consumption, which has risen by 169% in the past twenty years. In Alanya (Turkey), where electricity consumption rose by 208% between 2000 and 2008, tourism accounts for 21% of consumption. Furthermore, electricity consumption sometimes doubles or trebles in tourist areas during the seasonal peak period. The NGO, Plan Bleu, has conducted research in the region and recommends the re-use of treated wastewater in addition to desalination. Collecting and treating waste water would use less energy and, in terms of jobs and training, water treatment requires very similar expertise (including membrane technology and reverse osmosis) to desalination, meaning that the two approaches would complement each other. However, the regions first need to be equipped with treatment plants. Torremolinos (Spain) does not have one, despite the fact that it provides for around 5 million overnight stays per year. On the Tétouan coast (Morocco), the waste water produced by tourism is often discharged directly into the sea untreated and the existing water treatment plants are grossly overloaded. The EEA (European Environment Agency) estimated, in 2000, that tourism accounted for 7% of all the pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. In Turkey, around 90% of plants and 80% of tourist facilities have no water treatment, only 20% of domestic wastewater is treated and only 6% of total annual solid wastes are disposed of (WWF Turkey, 2002). In Italy, 80% of the waste water from the 120 main coastal cities is discharged into the Mediterranean totally untreated. Furthermore, the Mediterranean Sea constitutes 0.7% of the global water surface yet receives 17% of global marine oil pollution. It is estimated that every year between and tonnes of crude oil are released into the sea from shipping activities 3. Given the slow rate of salt water renewal in the Mediterranean, which takes approximately 80 years, treating polluted water is a priority, especially since the Mediterranean is also used for fishing, 3 Lucia De Stefano (2004): "Freshwater and Tourism in the Mediterranean", WWF Mediterranean Programme ( 18/1/2013).

5 - 4 - aquaculture (both a source of pollution in themselves) and since many tourists come to swim in its waters. Investing in water treatment facilities would therefore help to address a range of problems relating to sanitation and public health, the environment - in particular respect for marine areas - and water supply. Significant water savings can be made provided, on the one hand, that the tourist industry is made sufficiently aware of the issues and moves in the right direction and, on the other, that the public authorities introduce water management plans. These plans must be based on studies comparing the costs and advantages of the various water management options (including comparative cost benefit analysis of water conservation versus supply expansion). In addition, policies focusing on demand management appear to be less costly than policies that focus on managing water supply. Furthermore, such studies would also highlight the gains to be made by optimising the allocation of water resources across the various sectors (domestic, tourism, agriculture and industry), whose water consumption would be regulated. They could, for example, provide a basis for obliging industries to treat or pre-treat the polluted water they release. Here, the public authorities have a vital role to play in conducting audits, centralising data on water and the associated problems and ensuring that new regulations are implemented. This last aspect is crucial and takes a number of different forms, including water policing, building institutional and administrative capacity and strengthening expertise, incentives and sanctions. 1.2 Erosion, urban sprawl, loss of biodiversity and degradation of coastal areas A second, important challenge is developing regional planning to improve urban services, regulate the pressure on land and reduce the impact on natural environments. The urban development imposed by tourism has a number of negative effects: (1) coastal degradation and soil erosion, (2) land saturation and (3) a decrease in the land available for farming. (1) Tourism in the region is mainly concentrated along the coast, which is leading to a serious problem of beach erosion. One study cited by the EEA (2001) 4 suggests that three quarters of the sand dunes between Spain and Sicily have disappeared as a result of urbanisation linked to tourism development. Building tourist infrastructures too close to the shore and especially on the shore dunes is accelerating the process of beach erosion. (2) Increasing urbanisation resulting from the construction of tourist accommodation and the massive development in residential housing since the 1990s has also led to the phenomenon of land saturation. A critical threshold has been reached in terms of land occupation along km of the total km coastline. Along the coast at Tetouan (Morocco), only 12.5% of the shoreline is still in its "natural" state, as a result of residential development and 4 European Environment Agency (2001): Environmental signals.

6 - 5 - construction projects around a golf course. In Torremolinos, 85% of the total surface area has been urbanised and only 10 hectares of building land remain. (3) In the Mediterranean region as a whole, the amount of farmland per inhabitant has fallen by a quarter since 1990 and by half over the past 40 years. The figure is now only 0.2 hectares per inhabitant. Although new land has been put into cultivation, its total surface area has fallen by 7% since The loss of arable land surfaces can be explained by a number of factors, including erosion, loss of fertility and urbanisation. These losses are often irreversible. In addition, steps need to be taken to reduce the vulnerability of urban areas to climate change and to introduce planning and construction standards that take account of its long-term effects. Moves also need to be made to restrict urban sprawl (by focusing on making full use of the existing urban fabric, using brown-field sites and increasing density in areas of low density) and to develop sustainable urban planning and architecture by reducing the ecological footprint of buildings, reviewing mobility (pedestrians, bicycles, public transport) and promoting functional diversity. It goes without saying that adjustments such as these need to be based on the principles of sustainable development, including the recuperation and reuse of water and waste of all kinds and the use of renewables. 1.3 Transport Tourism accounts for around 5.3% of all greenhouse gas emissions; 75% are generated by transport, which is the main source of air pollution associated with tourism. It is therefore important to prioritise non-polluting or less energy-hungry forms of transport. Travelling by air is by far the most polluting form of transport, yet governments themselves often promote it over rail travel. Since 1970, there has been a 5% or 6% increase in the number of flights every year, mainly as a result of a significant drop in the price of tickets. Given their considerable ecological footprint, specific attention also needs to be paid to individual forms of transport. A study published by the French Environment Institute (IFEN) in August 2007 showed that car journeys undertaken by the population for weekend trips and holidays alone represented 16% of the annual CO 2 emissions from private vehicles in the country as a whole. Furthermore, whilst only 7% of tourists travelled by air, air transport was responsible for 62% of the greenhouse gas emissions from journeys connected with tourism. Moreover, 42% of these emissions were generated by long-haul flights, which represented a mere 2% of the total number of journeys. Incentives relating to transport must therefore be directed towards a number of different targets, in particular: local authorities, to encourage them to introduce more energy-efficient forms of transport (train, tram and bicycle), promote public transport and restrict car access to some sites; the tourist industry, to encourage it to promote clean activities (e.g. canoeing and kayaking rather than jet skiing); and car and aircraft manufacturers, to encourage them to develop less polluting forms of transport.

7 Waste There is an increasingly pressing need to develop urban solid waste facilities, not only because of the population growth rate, which has remained high in the southern Mediterranean, but also because population density in tourist destinations increases significantly during the summer months (for instance, in August, the population of Torremolinos increases from per km2 to per km 2 ), and because tourists generate considerably more solid waste than permanent residents (in Cabras, for example, a tourist generates an average of 7 kg of waste per day, compared with the resident's 0.5 kg per day), whilst recycling is often underdeveloped in this zone. In themselves, Mediterranean cruises are a source of considerable ecological problems, including water and coastal pollution and the destruction of the seabed. A single cruise liner produces around 50 tonnes of solid waste per year, 7.5 million litres of liquid waste, litres of waste water from sanitary installations and litres of waste water from food catering. With the lack of investment in waste collection, storage and treatment, this is leading to serious public health problems and the pollution of soils and drinking water. In view of this, waste sorting and recycling procedures must be put in place, both in private homes and in tourist accommodation. All professionals in the sectors concerned (employees, industrialists, traders and elected representatives) must be fully informed about the issues and must act in their turn to convey the information to tourists. It is also important to develop public-sector recycling services and introduce better waste management. Lastly, the seasonal nature of tourist activity explains the lack of motivation when it comes to introducing measures in this area, hence the need to think about waste management as a whole, rather than managing the waste produced by tourist activity separately. 1.5 Biodiversity In most of the countries in the Mediterranean region, infrastructure construction along the coast has destroyed sand dunes and reduced the biodiversity of plant species along the shoreline. Intensive tourism is also contributing to the degradation of certain sensitive wetlands near tourist hotspots. Already, in 1996, a report by the OECD/IUCN 5 established that "the world may have lost 50% of its existing wetlands since 1900". Today, wetland loss has been almost total in some areas. France, Greece, Italy and Spain are also affected, although the situation is more critical in the south of the Mediterranean, for example along the Tetouan coast. The disappearance of these natural habitats is being accompanied by a decline in a large number of species which rely on this environment for their survival: the number of water birds has fallen by more than half over the past 20 years and a quarter of the species that are clinging on in these areas are in danger of extinction. 5 OECD/IUCN (1996): Guidelines for aid agencies for improved conservation and sustainable use of tropical and sub-tropical wetlands, OECD, Paris, p. 10 ( 18/1/2013).

8 - 7 - As far as marine biodiversity is concerned, an assessment conducted by the European Environment Agency in demonstrated that at least 50% of Europe's reptiles (turtles) and marine fish were endangered, whilst the situation of the other species was either unknown or favourable, in the case of a tiny minority of fish species. None of the reptile or invertebrate species studied were out of danger and there was insufficient data to determine the situation of 70% of mammal species (also under threat) and invertebrates. Boating and other water-based leisure activities are also a factor in this loss of biodiversity, leading to the deterioration of seagrass meadows (posidonia and coralligenous species), contributing to the reduction in sea turtle populations by destroying nesting areas and presenting a threat to monk seal populations, particularly in Alanya, Turkey. According to the EAA, only 10% of Europe's marine ecosystems are correctly protected, whilst 50% are under threat or significantly degraded and the situation of the remaining 40% is unknown. In coastal zones, 70% of marine habitats have been either destroyed or partially damaged, whilst only 8% remain in good condition. It is therefore important to promote simpler sports (such as surfing, sailing, pedalos and swimming), and to introduce restrictions on these activities in sensitive areas. Lastly, tourists must be informed about the ecological dangers of the products they use, including sunscreens and the products used for maintaining equipment. By way of an example, the association "Santé Environnement France", representing doctors, disseminates a free-of-charge "green" guide to sport (petit guide vert du bio-sportif) 7 advising people how to combine sport with protecting their health and the environment. The guide reviews each sport and the various related products to help people understand what is harmful to their health and the environment. 1.6 Improving the overall relationship between tourism and sustainable development As demonstrated in Sardinia, where special programmes have been developed for people visiting nature reserves, and in Rovinj (Croatia), where natural spaces have been protected successfully thanks to a focus on their conservation in spatial planning policy, it is possible to develop a positive relationship between tourism and the protection of natural habitats. In general, therefore, the relationship between tourism and protection of the environment can be improved by raising the awareness of all the players concerned, introducing green incentives, adopting standards and strategic plans that take account of these aspects, enforcing sanctions for non-compliance and rewarding efforts through labels and environmental charters. Public-private partnerships, exchanges of good practice and cooperation with associations specialising in this field (such as Plan Bleu and WWF, which can provide studies and proposals) are just as vital. Lastly, we 6 7 European Environment Agency (2010): 10 messages for Marine ecosystems. ( messages-for , 18/1/2013). 18/1/2013.

9 - 8 - cannot afford not to think about the environment in broader terms, beyond the framework of tourism itself, taking account of other sectors such as agriculture and catering. Here, one of the most telling examples is surely that of Cirali, in Turkey 8. This area on the Turkish coast has been transformed into a model of sustainable tourism thanks to the active involvement of the local community in the conservation activities and the economic benefits generated by the environment. A cooperative has been set up to produce and market local products, together with a label for Cirali products. Nature guides have been trained and walking trails laid. Educational activities for tourists, the encouragement of best practice for managing sea turtle nesting areas and continuous monitoring of beaches have lowered the threats facing this species substantially whilst also providing a spur for tourism. These activities have helped to bring the members of the community together, particularly young people, and the community as a whole has developed a feeling of belonging and ownership that will be the key to the long-term success of the project. It must be borne in mind that, from the economic point of view alone, developing viable, environmentally responsible forms of tourism is ultimately a more advantageous route to follow. Lastly, the fact that local populations, rather than tourists, will have to foot the final environmental bill, makes it all the more essential to involve local people in this type of development. 2. Sustainable development of the tourism sector Tourism can have economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts on local and regional communities. It stimulates the economy, diversifies it when it relies on a relatively limited base and allows for the improvement of infrastructures. The challenge is therefore one of finding the means to support sustainable tourism development in the Mediterranean regions. As demonstrated by UNEP and UNWTO 9, investments in greener and sustainable tourism are a means to create jobs and reduce poverty while also improving environmental outcomes. This will entail bringing in a local and regional dimension to facilitate a democratic, participatory process. A joint protocol, put in place via ARLEM, will therefore be necessary to assess the specific action plans. ARLEM could also gather information and encourage the various stakeholders to work collectively to draw up local action strategies around the Mediterranean. In addition, it will be important to ensure that the region adapts to the changes in the global tourism market, particularly the arrival of tourists from the emerging countries. Training, infrastructure and support and information for SMEs are also areas where local and regional authorities can intervene and where it will be important for them to draw on the experiences of their counterparts and on organisations such as the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). 8 9 see WWF Mediterranean: A showcase for sustainable tourism in Turkey, posted on 20 June ( 18/1/2013). Tourism Chapter of the Green Economy report, prepared jointly by UNEP and UNWTO (2011), available on (18/1/2013).

10 - 9 - Local and regional authorities can therefore take a number of steps to promote sustainable tourism within their territories: 2.1 Fostering innovation, greater attractiveness, quality and productive growth This will require exchanges of good practice between the players (the models provided by professional associations should not be neglected here) and substantial support for SMEs to enable them to meet tourists' expectations, particularly with respect to the quality of services. Another option is to diversify tourist services by tailoring them to different target groups (such as old age pensioners, people with disabilities and students). Technology transfers to ensure that businesses are equipped with basic services such as telephone and internet, and multi-level cooperation, should also be considered as possible options. 2.2 Managing human capital In 2010, jobs relating either directly or indirectly to tourism accounted for around 12% of total employment in the region (ILO, 2012). Although the growth in the number of jobs has not kept pace with the increase in the number of tourists, tourism nevertheless represents a crucial boost to employment in a region suffering from chronically high unemployment rates, especially amongst young people (with many tourism-related jobs recruiting from within this group). The management of human resources in this sector should therefore include access to specialist training (in areas such as services, languages and management) and more attractive working conditions and salaries. 2.3 Highlighting the specific qualities of each individual destination Heritage preservation is another issue that arises in connection with tourism development. Cultural tourism is of utmost importance in many regions in the Mediterranean. Pilgrimage travels are an essential aspect in countries such as Greece, Israel, Italy, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Spain and Turkey and their share in overall tourism partly reaches 90%. Bodies such as UNESCO can provide regions with assistance in this area, in relation to both material and "intangible" heritage, such as traditions and cultures. In its report on the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in the Mediterranean, adopted at the third ARLEM Plenary in Bari on 30 January , ARLEM members have underlined that local and regional authorities can play a key role both in protecting cultural heritage and also in managing its usage efficiently. In relation to tourism, the challenge is to meet the demands of tourists seeking authentic experiences whilst also modernising the services provided to them. The best approach would therefore be to introduce stricter urban planning standards with a view to preserving the environment and to promote individual regions at national and international level. 10 CdR 386/2011 rev. 1, available on

11 Preserving and conserving resources Tourism development needs to be made more energy efficient and sustainable. Priority must be given to investing in energy efficient transport and tourism infrastructures, reducing waste and pollution, encouraging biodiversity, and using technological progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the public authorities will also need to draw on the support of nature conservation associations to ensure that the public is made aware of environment issues. 2.5 Reducing the obstacles to tourism development A distinction needs to be drawn between two types of obstacle: material impediments, such as inadequate transport infrastructures (either internal or external transport links), insufficient tourist capacity or supply of resources; and "intangible" impediments, such as lack of investment (linked with an inability to attract investors) and burdensome or uncoordinated administrative procedures. Long-term plans for cooperation between the players should be developed and their impact monitored carefully in order to develop tourism, which provides an important source of national income for southern and eastern countries, and to preserve its sustainability. Most notably, during this transition period, most southern Mediterranean countries should not have burdens placed on their development. 2.6 Improving knowledge about tourism and its impact If tourism policies are to be adapted and businesses made more efficient, there is a need for statistical and information tools covering all aspects of tourism, so as to respond better to the players in the sector, manage the challenges relating to tourism and inform potential stakeholders of the benefits of tourism development. This would entail creating local sustainable tourism development agencies to: act as intermediaries and coordinators, provide information and assistance to tourism professionals, and monitor the condition of natural environments (pollution levels, soil erosion, impact of chemical industries). In Europe, the ENPI-SEIS project 11, a system for environmental information sharing in the EU and its broader neighbourhood, is currently being established. The partner countries for this programme are the EU Member States and the European Neighbourhood Policy countries, which include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Tunisia. National statistical and environmental organisations are providing key data on the environment, and ministries, agencies, statistical services and other bodies will transmit their statistics to the ENPI-SEIS. Cooperation is also taking place in the framework of the UNEP/MAP/Barcelona Convention, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the EEA (European Environment Agency) member and cooperating countries. The Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE) can also be used as a single entry point for data and information on biodiversity for the EU regions and other 11 (18/1/2013).

12 regions bordering the Mediterranean. "Bringing together facts and figures on biodiversity and ecosystem services," this system "links to related policies, environmental data centres, assessments and research findings from various sources" Ensuring stability and security Regions are faced with the dilemma of needing security in order to maintain tourism but having relatively little influence over their country's political stability. On the other hand, there are steps they can take to improve security within their own territory, in particular when it comes to natural hazards. They can also support economic development and social cohesion and involve the local population in their tourist development and heritage preservation projects in order to re-solder local communities. However, regions subject to major natural hazards or political unrest should not become overly reliant on tourism, since events such as these have a particularly negative impact on this sector and therefore potentially dramatic consequences for the region's economy as a whole. For example, in Syria, before the uprising and repression, tourism accounted for 12% of jobs and GDP. Only when the situation has stabilised will the tourists start to return. The Arab Spring revolutions have had a similar effect, including in the countries in the southern Mediterranean that were not directly concerned. However, once stability and security have been re-established, tourism generally picks up again relatively rapidly. 2.8 Building cooperation to facilitate the development of sustainable tourism ARLEM members fully endorse the Committee of the Region's point of view that cooperation between the European Union and Mediterranean nations needs to be enhanced in order to promote sustainable tourism models and a culture of environmental preservation, since a positive impact can only be achieved by acting jointly and with the same commitment and sense of responsibility 13. Long-term strategies can be developed in partnership with other regions or supported through exchanges of experience and good practice, inter-regional cooperation or peer reviews. The PRESERVE project 14 being conducted by the Assembly of European Regions is a good example. In the space of only three years, PRESERVE has enabled 13 partners from 11 European regions to exchange experiences and good practices with a view to improving their local strategies. After analysing the solutions found by the partners, 24 successful examples of sustainable tourism were described in detail in a brochure so that they could be replicated. By exploring innovation, the project has resulted in new jobs and resource savings and helped to disseminate key experiences that other regions can learn from BISE flyer available on (18/1/2013). Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on "Europe, the world's no. 1 tourist destination", rapporteur: Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, adopted at the 88th plenary session on January 2011 (CdR 342/2010 fin), point (18/1/2013).

13 There are a number of other international organisations that can support and fund the development of sustainable tourism: The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is a multilateral partnership that encompasses 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. Established in 2008 with the aim of promoting stability and prosperity throughout the Mediterranean region, the UfM is conducting a number of initiatives that touch indirectly on fostering sustainable development. It has launched one project on de-pollution of the Mediterranean and another on the construction of ports, motorways and railway lines, which facilitate tourism indirectly. It has also launched an initiative to support the development of businesses in the Mediterranean, particularly SMEs. In addition to this, it is working to combat desertification and climate change in the Mediterranean. The EIB (European Investment Bank) finances initiatives in the Mediterranean partner countries now grouped together in the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), launched in Since 2008, FEMIP has been supporting the implementation of the projects on depollution of the Mediterranean and the development of maritime and terrestrial transport. Reference should also be made here to its ELENA project, which provides technical support to local and regional authorities to assist them in developing energy efficiency and renewables policies. The World Bank and the EBRD can also provide technical assistance or funding for tourist sector businesses. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which represents government tourism bodies, gathers and publishes statistical data, enabling comparisons of tourism flows and growth to be made at global level. It encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which aims to ensure that all players maximise tourism's socio-economic and cultural contribution while minimising its possible negative social and environmental impacts. Lastly, ARLEM is playing a growing role within the Union for the Mediterranean and has stepped up its cooperation with the European institutions, particularly the Commission, which has carried out the CIUDAD programme ("Cooperation In Urban Development And Dialogue") 15 on the areas of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, sustainable economic development and reduction of social disparities, as well as good governance and sustainable urban development planning, all targeted at cities. Currently, the European Commission has consulted ARLEM in the conception phase of its new project "Cleaner energy saving Mediterranean cities" and gave the ARLEM secretariat the opportunity to participate as an observer in its steering committee. This project aims to develop the capacity of local authorities in the Mediterranean region to formulate and implement more sustainable local policies, such as those implied by joining the Covenant of Mayors and developing the related Sustainable Energy Action Plans. Synergies should also be sought in 2013 between the work of ARLEM and the Committee of the Regions' commission on Natural Resources 15 (18/1/2013).

14 (NAT), which deals with tourism and will elaborate an opinion on the upcoming European Commission communication on coastal and maritime tourism. Coordinating the various partnerships between central and local authorities will also help to promote effective transfers of knowledge. The most successful experiences should lead to international partnerships for transferring good practice. Furthermore, in the environment field, ARLEM is in favour of combining national and local policies through the adoption of a Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) that will support territorial development whilst also tackling carbon emissions. The bodies responsible for implementing the action programmes have only limited access to financing and this is an obstacle. It is therefore essential to develop innovative systems for long term funding and to ensure that information reaches the regions so that they can take better advantage of the sources of funding that are available to them, particularly at European level and from international bodies. CDR _00_02_TRA_TCD