BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism

The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) is delighted to announce the release of its latest report on sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region for the year 2023-2024. This comprehensive report, authored under the diligent guidance of BSPC Rapporteur Ms. Birgit Hesse, President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, provides an in-depth overview of the current state and future prospects of sustainable tourism across the Baltic Sea Region. Key Highlights of the Report 1. EU and Regional Initiatives : The report details the various European Union initiatives that are currently promoting sustainable tourism, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. It emphasizes the role of programs like Interreg Baltic Sea Region, which is fostering innovation and sustainability through cross-border cooperation. 2. Impact of Climate Change : A significant portion of the report focuses on the challenges posed by climate change, including the warming of the Baltic Sea and its impact on tourism. The proliferation of bacteria due to rising sea temperatures, which affects public health and tourism, is addressed, alongside the need for sustainable environmental practices. 3. Innovative Tourism Projects : The report showcases numerous innovative projects that are helping to reshape tourism in the region. These include initiatives like the Baltic Sustainable Boating 2030 project, which aims to transform the Baltic Sea region into a leading destination for sustainable leisure boating, and the “Bike Across the Baltic” project, promoting cycling tourism as a climate-neutral travel option. 4. Economic and Social Impact : Beyond environmental concerns, the report also delves into the socio-economic aspects of tourism. It explores the potential of rural and roots tourism to drive economic diversification, preserve cultural heritage, and sustain local communities, particularly in the face of urbanization and depopulation. 5. Policy Recommendations : The BSPC’s commitment to fostering sustainable tourism is reflected in its policy recommendations, which call for the continued development of sustainable, resilient, and innovative tourism practices. The report also supports the transition to green and digital tourism as a means to enhance the sector’s resilience post-COVID-19. Strategic Vision for the Future The 2023-2024 report aligns with the BSPC’s broader vision of promoting sustainable development across the Baltic Sea Region. It underscores the importance of collaboration between regional, national, and EU-level stakeholders to achieve the dual goals of environmental sustainability and economic resilience in the tourism sector. As part of this strategic vision, the BSPC welcomes initiatives that address both the immediate and long-term challenges of sustainable tourism. These include addressing the impacts of climate change, fostering innovation in tourism offerings, and ensuring that tourism remains a driver of socio-economic development in the region. Conclusion The BSPC’s report on Sustainable Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region is an essential resource for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the wider public interested in the sustainable future of tourism. It not only provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape but also offers actionable insights and recommendations for the continued growth and sustainability of the tourism sector in the Baltic Sea Region. The full Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteur’s webpage . We encourage all stakeholders to engage with the findings and join the ongoing dialogue on sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region.

The BSPC Rapporteur on Sustainable Tourism, Ms Birgit Hesse, President of the State Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has published her comprehensive 2022 –2023 Report on Developments in Sustainable Tourism. This fifth BSPC Report on Sustainable Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region follows the established tradition. It provides an overview of the region’s recent political trends and projects connected to sustainable tourism. In addition, it presents the main developments in sustainable tourism, informs about the core meetings and events of the past two years, and contains prospects and outlooks. The introduction provides comparative figures on the development in this policy field. It includes information on the current and further impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on the tourism sector and further crises. In this respect, it serves as a basis for discussing tourism development in the Baltic Sea region, considering the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current and future challenges but also offers a reflection on the prospects aiming at raising the sustainability and resilience of Baltic Sea tourism in the future. The report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteur’s webpage.

In preparation of the 27 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on 26 – 28 August 2018 in Mariehamn, the BSPC’s Rapporteurs on Sustainable Tourism have published their Report on developments in the field of Sustainable Tourism. The report will be presented at the annual conference. The report gives a policy analysis on the implementation of the recommendations of the 26 th BSPC regarding sustainable tourism on the basis of statements of the governments in the Baltic Sea Region. It also informs on certain developments regarding sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region. This mainly includes the activities of the Baltic Sea Tourism Centre and appropriate meetings and conferences. The Report can be downloaded here and on the Rapporteurs’ webpage. Report on Sustainable Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region – 2018

In preparation of the 26 th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on 3- 5 September 2017 in Hamburg, the BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism has published the Final Report on its activities throughout the two-year mandate of the WG. The report will be presented at the annual conference and contains the main considerations and political recommendations of the Working Group. The report offers also detailed information on the expert presentations and homework carried out by the Working Group and can be accessed here and at the Working Groups website. The political recommendations of the Working Group have been included in the draft resolution of the conference. A printed version – financed by the parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – will be available at the 26 th Conference. Final Report of BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism

The final session of the BSPC Working Group on „Sustainable Tourism“ took place from May 29 to May 30 on the Åland Islands after almost two years of intensive work. Jörgen Pettersson , Vice-President of the BSPC and Sara Kemetter , Vice Chair of the Working Group, welcomed the members on behalf of the delegation of the Åland Parliament to the BSPC. „In our final session, we developed eleven important and concrete recommendations to the governments of the regions of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. The theme is highly topical for all of us, given that the United Nations has declared 2017 the official Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. We will use our work and recommendations in order to make a contribution that will strengthen sustainable tourism in the whole Baltic Sea Region“, concluded Sylvia Bretschneider , Chair of the BSPC Working Group on “Sustainable Tourism” and President of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Experts began the meeting by presenting the numerous developments concerning sustainable tourism that have already been achieved or will yet be implemented on the Åland Islands. The Deputy Head of Government of Åland, Camilla Gunell , presented a Development and Sustainability Agenda that is central to these developments, featuring seven strategic goals. Furthermore, the members of the Working Group were briefed on concrete tourist projects in the archipelago, providing sustainable and naturalistic offers. Above all, comprehensive recommendations and a call for action for this year’s resolution of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference were advised and adopted. The members also began laying the groundwork for the final report of the Working Group. This report will be published at the beginning of September and will present the key points and results of the two years of work.w

Upon the invitation of the Landtag Schleswig-Holstein, the sixth meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism took place in Kiel on 13 and 14 March 2017. Young people appointed by the BSPC members were included in the discussions of the Working Group. The parliamentarians as well as the young delegates took part in the expert presentations on the first day. Four experts presented different challenges for the tourism sector in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). The core of the discussions were the cross-border presentations on the BSR, maritime tourism as well as touristic infrastructure and mobility. The integration of rural areas, especially with a view to the local economy and the environment, had been deepened. As an excursion, the participants were informed about a project by a private investor intent on contributing to the sustainable development of the rural area with an outdoor academy and an integrated hotel. The second day, the parliamentarians and young adults evaluated the presentations and discussed several proposals, ideas and impulses. The topics included several aspects of sustainable tourism – education, digitalization, the question of a common “Baltic Sea Brand”, music festivals or special forms of tourism like cycling tourism. The youth delegates expressed the idea of an “Interferry ticket” – similar to the “Interrail” project – that could improve the travel opportunities for young people in particular in the BSR as well as the development of an International Program for Sustainable Tourism in the entire Baltic Sea Region. The objective is to transmit these jointly elaborated proposals to the BSPC so that they can influence their future work. The youth delegates then presented the results of their work in front of the European Affairs Committee of the Landtag Schleswig-Holstein on 15 March 2017. The chair of the BSPC Working Group, President of the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Sylvia Bretschneider, said after the end of the meeting: “We should continue and perpetuate the integration of young people in the work of the BSPC. The youth symbolizes the future of our countries and of the whole region. It is important for them to make cross-border contacts with peers. We would do well to provide space for the creativity of young people in our region and to involve them in our discussions.” Presentation Meeting 5 Gerlach Presentation Meeting 5 Pfeiffer Presentation Meeting 5 Sørensen