Sustainable Development Trhough Sustainable Tourism

SOCRATES

Program

Comenius Action 1

2003

Sustainable Development Through Sustainable Tourism

Partners:

1. Ralleio Pilot School for Girls –Piraeus (Coordinator: Dimitrios Kalaitzidis)
   1. Kooperative Gesamtschule Neustadt a. Rbge-Germany
   2. Fjölbrautaskólinn við Ármúla –Reykjavik-Iceland
   3. Instituto Technico Commerchiale e per Geometry e Tourismo Federico Galiani
   4. Escola Básica 2,3 Mestre Domingos Saraiva-Portugal
   5. COLEGIUL TEHNIC “DIMITRIE LEONIDA” ORADEA-Romania

Summary

One of the more promising outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) was a recommendation that the UN General Assembly declare a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) beginning in 2005 – a move that could draw global attention to the issue. The Implementation Plan of the WSSD notes that „education is critical for promoting sustainable development.”

Ecotourism activities have been expanding rapidly over the past two decades world-wide and further growth is expected in the future. Recognising its global importance, the United Nations designated the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, and its Commission on Sustainable Development requested international agencies, governments and the private sector to undertake supportive activities.

The project concerns the study of predominant patterns of tourism, the exploration by the students of new and sustainable forms of tourism, study of the impacts of various forms of tourism on the environment, on the employment market, on local culture. It includes active involvement of students in sustainable tourism and sustainable sports, in order to give them the opportunity to make informed decisions in the future.

It will also connect a large number of schools on the base of a common project concerning an interesting source of income for local communities. It will serve to the dissemination of knowledge about sustainable tourism destinations in Europe and will contribute to the implementation of sustainable development practices in the field of tourism. At the same time, through the cooperation with local governments, municipalities, private tourist enterprises, the students will explore new jobs and professions. In this way the project will contribute to the well being of students in the future and will expand the potential of sustainable tourism enterprises.

Aims of the project:

1. Clarification of the notion of Sustainable Development among young people. Change in patterns of production and consumption in order to achieve sustainable development.
2. Clarification of the term Sustainable Tourism. Identification of places in each participating country that can serve as destinations for sustainable tourism.
3. Identification of implications of sustainable tourism on local economy, jobs, culture, etc and raise awareness of pupils about the importance of preserving the quality of the environment. Comparison between mainstream tourism and sustainable tourism.
4. Expansion of the idea of Sustainable use of the environment and the natural resources along Europe.
5. Building an understanding of the interdependence between people and the environment
6. Enrich student knowledge about the environmental legislation in each participating country, concerning tourism issues and places of public interest serving as recreation areas and sustainable –alternative tourist destinations and landscapes.
7. Gain of experience by the students on various forms of sustainable tourism, by personal participation.
8. Potential change of preferences for holidays and ways of spending personal free time.
9. Use and develop English as a foreign language.