Once again, the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park obtains the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism
The Charter status was issued by Europarc until 2024
(Feltre, 28 Feb 21) The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) is a procedure, similar to a certification process, for promoting sustainable tourism in parks and protected natural areas, which takes into account of the needs of the environment and the socio-economic development of local communities.
A central element of CETS is the collaboration between all organisations (public and private), developing a common strategy and an action plan for tourism development.
CETS is coordinated at European level by the EUROPARC Federation, which manages the Charter award procedure and coordinates the network of certified Parks. Currently, more than 100 protected areas in 15 European countries have been awarded the Charter.
The CETS is awarded for a period of 5 years; the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park obtained it for the first time in 2015 and, in autumn 2019, started the process for renewing it for the five-year period 2020-2024.
Alongside the Park, the municipalities of Belluno, Cesiomaggiore, Feltre, Pedavena, Santa Giustina, Sedico and the Istituto Comprensivo di Feltre are involved in the implementation of CETS.
Many are also the Associations and Consortiums that are active in the new CETS of the Park: Associazioni Bellunesi nel Mondo, ISOIPSE, Casel de Vignui, Nuovo gruppo amici della Val Canzoi, Ondablu and Dognomitico; Pro Loco of Longarone and Sedico, Consorzio di tutela del Pom Prussian, Comitato San Rocco Prapavei, Cantiere della Provvidenza and Associazione Italiana Persone Down.
Action sheets were also presented by Villaggio degli Alpinisti Val di Zoldo, the Veneto Regional CAI, the local CAI sections of Feltre, Belluno, Longarone, Oderzo, Agordo and Val di Zoldo and the Veneto Agesci.
The tourism operators are represented by the Consorzio Dolomiti Prealpi, the Valbelluna Green Net network of operators, the tourist facilities that have obtained the CETS phase 2 and the Albergo Diffuso of Faller and those of Schiara hamlets. There are also important local businesses such as the Pedavena Brewery, Unifarco and Lattebusche, as well as the artisans of the Carta Qualità circuit, who have been working with the Park for years to promote the area through their products.
The renewal of the CETS, commented the President of the Park, Ennio Vigne, is an important goal and an international recognition of the commitment of the Park and of the many public and private operators who have decided to cooperate with the protected area. In this very difficult period for all operators in the tourism sector, my wish is that CETS may be useful to help restart, proposing a model of tourism that reconciles economic needs with those of environmental protection. All in the search for a balance that is not only possible but also, as the events of recent months have taught us, absolutely essential.
