In June 2008 the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) were jointly awarded the Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas by the EUROPARC Federation, an international organisation representing over 400 members including protected area managers, governmental departments, NGO's and businesses in 36 countries.
The Charter is not a typical quality or eco-label. It is a practical tool for ensuring that tourism development in Europe’s protected areas is sustainable.
The aims of the Charter are:
To increase awareness of, and support for, Europe’s protected areas as fundamental part of our heritage, that should be preserved for and enjoyed by current and future generations;
To improve the sustainable development and management of tourism in protected areas, which takes account of the needs of the environment, local residents, local businesses and visitors.
It aims to encourage good practice by recognising those protected areas which are meeting agreed standards in the development and management of tourism. The standards are based on ten principles that can be used and applied by all kinds of protected areas.
The Charter Principles for Sustainable Tourism
To involve all those implicated by tourism in and around the protected area in its development and management.
To prepare and implement a sustainable tourism strategy and action plan for the protected area.
To protect and enhance the area’s natural and cultural heritage, for and through tourism, and to protect it from excessive tourism development
To provide all visitors with a high quality experience in all aspects of their visit
To communicate effectively to visitors about the special qualities of the area To encourage specific tourism products which enable discovery and understanding of the area
To increase knowledge of the protected area and sustainability issues amongst all those involved in tourism
To ensure that tourism supports and does not reduce the quality of life of local residents
To increase benefits from tourism to the local economy
To monitor and influence visitor flows to reduce negative impacts
Find out more on www.european-charter.org
