ΦΙΛΟΙ της ΦΥΣΗΣ: SWOT ANALYSIS για τον Εναλλακτικό Τουρισμό στις Περιοχές της Μεσογείου | Πρόγραμμα ALMERE – ERASMUS+
Το Ελληνικό Δίκτυο ΦΙΛΟΙ της ΦΥΣΗΣ/ Naturefriends Greece πραγματοποίησε μια έρευνα SWOT ANALYSIS στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος ALMERE – Alternative tourism in Mediterranean Regions.
Η έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε Οκτώβριο – Δεκέμβριο του 2021 και θα παρουσιαστεί στη συνάντηση των πέντε εταίρων στην Ισπανία 14-16 Ιανουαρίου 2022.
Το έργο ERASMUS+ έχει τίτλο «Εναλλακτικός τουρισμός στις Μεσογειακές Περιοχές» και υπότιτλο «Μορφές βιώσιμου τουρισμού, συμβάλλοντας στην αμοιβαία κατανόηση, τον αμοιβαίο σεβασμό και την ενσυναίσθηση μεταξύ επισκεπτών και κατοίκων».
Στο έργο συμμετέχουν και υλοποιούν πέντε φορείς από την Τουρκία, Ελλάδα, Ισπανία, Ιταλία και Σλοβενία:
Συντονιστής του έργου είναι το Akdeniz University με έδρα του την τουριστική περιοχή της Αττάλειας στην Τουρκία http://www.akdeniz.edu.tr
Συνεργάτες του έργου (partners) είναι:
- Naturefriends Greece Greece Ελληνικό Δίκτυο ΦΙΛΟΙ της ΦΥΣΗΣ | Naturefriends Greece – Nature Friends
- Associació Educativa i Cultural Blue Beehive Spain Blue Beehive – Blue Beehive is an educational, cultural and social association
- UNIONE DEGLI ASSESSORATI ALLE POLITICHE SOCIO-SANITARIE, DELL ISTRUZIONE E DEL LAVORO Italy Unione degli Assessorati alle politiche socio-sanitarie e al lavoro (unioneassessorati.it)
- Razvojna agencija Sotla Slovenia Razvojna agencija Sotla – RA Sotla (ra-sotla.si)
Κατά τη διάρκεια του έργου προβλέπονται έρευνες, εκδόσεις, ανταλλαγή εμπειρίας και υποβολή προτάσεων για την προώθηση του βιώσιμου τουρισμού καθώς και πέντε συναντήσεις των συμμετεχόντων στις χώρες που έχουν έδρα οι φορείς.
[ΠΕΡΙΣΣΟΤΕΡΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ALMERE ΕΔΩ]
Παρακάτω παρουσιάζουμε τα βασικά στοιχεία του SWOT ANALYSIS – H έκθεση είναι στα αγγλικά
ALMERE
Alternative tourism in Mediterranean Regions
National Report
SWOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS
“Naturefriends Greece”
October – December 2021
The “SWOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS” survey was conducted in the period from October 2021 to December 2021.
The survey was conducted in two parallel ways:
I. Personal interviews.
II. By the completion of the “SWOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS” questionnaire.
RESULTS OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS
Ι. From personal interviews (they are not included in the SWOT ANALYSIS form). The main conclusions from personal interviews are that:
1. Alternative tourism is not necessarily sustainable. There are recorded cases of serious disturbances in nature, e.g. motor tourism (enduros, jeeps 4X4), mass visits to protected areas, etc.
2. A country cannot rely only on alternative tourism. All types of tourism should coexist and work together.
3. Alternative tourism, which is basically decentralized, needs special policies from governments and E.U., mainly on two basic directions: a) incentives for visitors – special economic packages (social tourism), b) incentives and support to the small business involved with alternative tourism.
4. All the types of tourism should necessarily work in sustainable way.
5. Hyper-tourism generates problems, annoyances, and high living-cost to the residents of the areas receiving tourists.
ΙΙ. RESULTS: SWOT ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS
The results of the survey are presented in a summary:
A total of 91 responses were submited. Number of answers by category:
Strengths: 24 | Weaknesses: 29 | Opportunities: 18 | Threats: 20
A lot of answers were similar (or the same more or less), and that is the reason why we present those that have a uniqueness.
STRENGTHS of this destination in terms of alternative tourism
1. The hospitality
2. Easily adapts to the needs of tourists.
3. It creates emotional relationships with local communities, which it strengthens financially.
4. Anti-consumption approach to holidays (health, local diet, culture).
5. Personal relations with the clients, considering them as guests.
6. It offers opportunities for contacts with the nature and open-air recreation.
7. Strengthen the local economy.
8. Better network for friendly and social relations.
9. Smaller ecological footprint.
WEAKNESSES of this destination in terms of alternative tourism
1. The lack of cooperation of local authorities with universities at local and regional level.
2. It is more expensive, compared to mass tourism.
3. There are difficulties in accessing the hosting alternative tourism areas (there are no airports out of big cities, the train or bus routes are not so frequent).
4. Seasonal services – short tourist season.
5. High operating costs of the units.
6. Less security in health services (hospitals) and less connection to the other world (low or no internet).
7. The hotel is not operating all year round, due to lack of customers.
8. Disabled people and seniors are almost excluded. – It is not a kind of “tourism for all”.
9. More time is necessary to reach a not touristic area.
OPPORTUNITIES of this destination in terms of alternative tourism
1. Possibilities of development and utilization of many combined alternative forms of tourism (e.g. Identification of flora and fauna species, bird watching, trekking, hiking, hiking with SPA and cultural events, participation in local social life and etc.) with the respective local menus of the Mediterranean Diet.
2. Improving the communication through the internet for tourists.
3. Improving vocational tourism education.
4. Flexible tourist “packages” adapted to the needs of tourists.
5. Local economic development.
6. Personal relationships development -Less customer, more friend.
7. Special programs for elderly. Tourism of health and wellness.
8. Special educational and recreational programs for families and children.
THREATS of this destination in terms of alternative tourism
1. Expansion of mass tourism into alternative tourism services (hiking, food, agricultural production, culture, outdoor entertainment).
2. Large advertisement and networking of mass tourism at European and International level.
3. Reduction of the comparative advantages of small alternative tourism units, that are usually offered to nature, due to the continuous degradation of the landscape (wind turbines, photovoltaics, motorization in nature with 4X4 – enduro engines – water sports) and also due to the abandonment of countryside and to the reduction of the family rural activities).
4. Promotion of mass tourism and large hotel units, and of the idea that only these can organize and offer a high level of prevention for the COVID19 pandemic, and also general protection to customers (this is already recorded in Greece).
5. Low and competitive prices of the large-scale touristic units.
6. Economic packages, economies of scale of mass tourism.
7. Staff training and professionalism of mass tourism.
8. Mass tourism is offered for 12 months per year in contradiction with alternative tourism.
