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The premises are very encouraging. As also, honestly, are the first impressions that follow a quick look at the summit programme, about which I would like to share a few highlights and some reflections, inspired by the main open questions and some new items on the agenda.
Political Sustainability
When talking about sustainability, conservation and biodiversity are, obviously, at the centre of attention, and have sadly been for too long the only dimensions ever considered.
Alongside concerns over the planet’s environmental crisis, the rise in temperatures, impacts on coastlines, problems of waste management, and water-related issues, a fifth dimension is entering the language. It is time to reflect on the political dimension.
We cannot agree more with Taleb Rifai – co-chair, the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, when he opines that “sustainability is not only about conservation or preservation. The challenge is one of innovation and management.”
It is evident that managing our destinations implies more than quantitative measures and standardised solutions. It requires facing up to the questions posed, to maintain a balance between the needs and wishes of tourists, and the rights of local citizens to enjoy a high quality of life in their own cities.
And although the issues are more visible and extreme in the urban environment, this balance needs to be considered – structurally and consistently – also for the countryside and rural communities.
Caught between the risk of irresponsible waves of overtourism, and the threat of undertourism, we need new forms of governance and decision-making processes, more inclusive of local needs, and also flexible enough to create adjustable solutions with appropriate priorities in mind, which will change and adjust according to the context of individual settings.
We wait eagerly to hear more of these discussions at Évora.