Joint Resources and Initiatives Dedicated to the Environment

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Tourism is closely linked to the environment. The natural environment and climate conditions are very important in determining the viability and attractiveness of a region as a tourist destination. Tourist developments tend to be based near attractive or unique features of the environment, enabling visitors to gain easier access to interesting natural or man-made environments. In recent years, the focus has shifted toward the part that tourism can play in reducing environmental pollution and demands on resource use.A 2013 TripAdvisor.com survey of 1,300 targeted U.S. travelers shows that nearly two-thirds “often” or “always” consider the environment when choosing hotels, transportation and meals. The Travel Foundation and Forum for the Future from 2012 concluded that today’s consumers expect travel companies to build sustainability into their product offer, a majority of 70% believing that all tourism related stakeholders should be commited to preserving the natural environment, while 75% of consumers want a more responsible holiday and 66% would like to identify a ‘greener’ holiday easily. Tourists are demanding the greening of tourism. More than a third of travellers are found to favor environmentally-friendly tourism and be willing to pay between 2 and 40% more for this experience. Traditional mass tourism has reached a stage of steady growth. In contrast, ecotourism, nature, heritage, cultural and “soft adventure” tourism are taking the lead and are predicted to grow rapidly over the next two decades. It is estimated that global spending on ecotourism is increasing at a higher rate than the industry-wide average growth. To match these expectations, and seeing that ‘green’ credentials become increasingly important as environmental issues move to the forefront of customers’ minds, in the framework of a 2017 declared by the United Nations the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development”, Baneasa town hall, Agigea commune hall, Shabla municipality and Berkovitsa municipality, as representatives of four different natural protected areas with the greatest potential for sustainable tourism as much as it can be, decided to unify and initiate JOYRIDE project. Constanta County is renowned for its outstanding natural landscapes with 26 natural reserves, of which neither more nor less than seven are located within the area of Baneasa town: Bugeac and Oltina Lakes – zoological and botanical natural reservations, forests: Girl`s Canaraua, Esechioi, Cetate, Bratca - botanical and faunistic natural reservations, Limestone walls – geological natural reservation. Coastal dunes of Agigea represent a floristic reserve, the only one sandy dunes from the Romanian coastline, a remarkable natural work of art, along the natural protected area Agigea Lake with its zoological reservation. In the same time, at some 3 km from Shabla there is the Shabla Lake, declared a protected area in 1979, two natural coastal lakes in Shabla and Ezerets being connected by an artificial canal, both separated from the sea by a strip of sand, 30-50 m wide, together with Durankulak Lake creating the most significant wetlands in Bulgaria. Gornata Koria reserve along with three different protected sites such as Samarite, Shabovitsa and Uruchnik make Berkovitsa area a distinct one in the entire Bulgarian landscape. JOYRIDE project addresses the challenge established for both sides of the border districts, that is the protection of exposing natural areas to high risks presumed by intensive tourism and any other economic activities, on the background of a financial pressure and lack of natural resources management. With an indicative budget 490.000 €, JOYRIDE`s overall objective is sustainable tourism development through optimal use of environmental resources, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural resources, biodiversity becoming by itself the foundation for economic development and social welfare of the local communities. Project partners of the JOYRIDE initiative, enlist their communities in the international trend according to which sustainable tourism and sustainable tourism investments can help create job opportunities, especially for poorer segments of the population, allowing for quick entry into the workforce especially for youth and women. On the background of a nature-based tourism, protecting and expanding the possibilities for the future, by the proximity to nature and through a rational use of tourist resources, the changes expected by implementing JOYRIDE project, target, on the one hand, the expanding of the interest for the knowledge of nature and application of ecological thinking, and on the other hand increasing of the level of the people working in tourism and maximizing of the proportion of tourism spending that is retained in local communities through promoting a “buy local” movement. JOYRIDE will ensure the achievement of Programme`s PA2 both output indicators, by delivering an integrated Tourism Network providing services for more than 70.000 inhabitants just within the partner areas, and by setting up Network`s Common Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Marketing Plans with their respective Action Plan for each project partner area. The achievement of JOYRIDE`s objectives will be approached through an integrated vision, beginning with the assessment of the sustainable tourism potential of every project partner`s area, going forward with unifying in a working network the Tourist Info-Centers from project`s areas and delivering a common Tourism Strategy of the Network, continuing with the engagement of local tourism economic agents into eco-tourism and quality certification and enrolling tourism journalists, bloggers and tour operators into discovering the cross-border nature`s unique landscapes, proceeding with the uncovering of new tourist trails and bringing back to life of old ones by their development, and succeeding by promoting the cohabitation between men and nature. JOYRIDE project`s cross-border accomplishment is demanded by the fact that the same biodiversity shapes the partner areas, tourism initiative having positive or negative impacts on both sides of the borders, depending on how it is planned, developed and managed. By implementing JOYRIDE initiative, project partners will create a Tourist Info Network (TIN) through connecting in a single working system all four existing and functioning Tourist Info Centers from Baneasa town, Agigea commune, Shabla and Berkovitsa municipalities, covering an area of 2066 km² and 70800 inhabitants. The establishment of a Tourism-Information Network as a set of multipurpose marketing, information and advice system established across different destinations could provide easier access to tourism and tourism related services, as well as to local communities` customs.

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