Project n°19
INTRODUCTION
“How can we make the local community flourishing through tourism?” This was the central question driving the transnational project we implemented in Belgium, Romania, and Scotland.
The project was grounded in a theoretical framework that underpins the new tourism vision for Flanders, though it had not yet been tested or put into practice. Our aim was to envision a future that goes beyond simply attracting more visitors to a region or destination.
We shifted the focus from quantity to quality—emphasizing the added value tourism can bring. This added value benefits not only visitors and entrepreneurs but also the residents and the community as a whole. Through this project, we explored how tourism can contribute to the vitality and flourishing of the local community. We deliberately chose a co-creative approach, engaging the local community in a collaborative process to explore the added value that tourism can bring to their own neighbourhood. Together, we asked: What can we do to ensure that tourism contributes not only to the prosperity of the destination but also to the well-being of the community? Cooperation became co-creation, through an appreciative approach.
PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT
The project began with a few curious questions: How can we increase the involvement of the tourism entrepreneurs in tourism policy? How can we strengthen a sense of ownership? And how can we use tourism to enhance the livability of villages and preserve nature and landscapes?
We were inspired by Anna Pollock’s vision of regenerative tourism and, together with various partners, we sought to put this vision into practice, integrating newly acquired insights from Appreciative Inquiry. This marked the beginning of our collective leap into the unknown.
Developing Leadership Capacity was a very good basis to start with: At the outset of the project, we held a workshop with all partners to establish a solid foundation. We delved into the project’s content and potential, exploring the possibilities of co-creative working and Appreciative Inquiry.
As the project progressed, our focus was on co-creative workshops where we collaborated with local residents and entrepreneurs to identify shared values and envision the future of tourism in their area. We also explored the initiatives they could launch and realize themselves. In subsequent phases, we provided guidance to support these local initiatives where necessary.
Throughout the project, we organized seven exchanges between the three regions, bringing together key influencers from each local project. Project Outcomes:
• We learned how to transition from collaboration with the sector to co-creation with all stakeholders.
• We learned to focus on the process rather than solely on the end result.
• In this way, tourism became a tool for cultivating thriving destinations and communities.
• We focused on creating added value for entrepreneurs, visitors, residents, and the place itself.
• We learned to use Appreciative Inquiry as a methodology for co-creative processes, where attentive listening is crucial.
• Together, we experimented, exchanged ideas, and learned from the experiences in the three areas. In Meetjesland: We realized 10 locally-driven tourism initiatives within the project area. One example is “Farmer Seeks Bench”, where local farmers connected with cycling and walking visitors by placing a picnic spot at their farm and committing to regularly join them at the table to share the story of their region and farm.
This project keeps growing in de area and is already copied to other regions. For Meetjesland, this project was the start of:
• A new co-creative approach to developing the Future Plan for Tourism in Meetjesland
• Laying the foundations for the “Travel to Tomorrow” vision for all of Flanders
• A new co-creative approach to developing local action plans for each municipality • Exploring the challenging combination of silence as an experience and tourism promotion in the region • A foundation for new projects. The journey we took in Meetjesland with the partners and this project was documented in the Travel Report “On the way to a Flourishing Destination in Meetjesland” and is presented in various occasions and workshops long after the project has finished. Tara Dornelor Ten initiatives with local enterprises contributing to the development of the Tara Dornelor region, turning it into a thriving destination, have been supported.
Now these initiatives are continuing long after project has finished and are used to support local communities:
• summer brunches to promote local products • school project to discover and mark local mountain springs
• new routes for tourists • bus stations powered by solar batteries
• new ideas of hospitality (local guesthouses that promote the area, have traditional recipes)
• local farms that promote specific local products (trout farms, animal farms, milk processing and cheese making centers)
• open-air museums (painted houses)
• local museums with weaving or egg dyeing workshops
• local artists, craftsmen, local schools that have ecological initiatives Angus 6 priorities in the region all with the purpose of increasing the knowledge and understanding of community led local development in the Angus Tourism Community. The project delivered a number of tangible products focusing on the themes of Craft Skills, Food & Drinks and Welcoming Visitors. The projects contributed positive net benefit to the destination and its members.
1. A pilot project in Kirriemuir and Brechin offering improved toilet facilities for tourists and the communities.
2. Run a pilot project in Kirriemuir and Brechin to providing suitable Tourist Information to replace the loss of Tourist Information Centres in Angus.
3. Reviewed a shared calendar of events and activities for the benefit of tourists, the community and businesses in Angus.
4. The promotion and delivery of a number of courses relating to traditional, rural and craft skills.
5. Work with businesses in Angus to promote food and drink particular to this area.
PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES
The purpose was: To build the capacity of the three applicant destinations (commercial and resident hosts in Angus, Meetjesland and Bazinul Dornelor) to participate in developing a flourishing visitor economy that benefits all stakeholders. That means as objectives:
• Developing and nurturing a community of diverse participants who are aligned around a shared vision, purpose and set of values and who are willing and able to learn and act collaboratively
• Collective learning & knowledge exchange: building and sharing knowledge and understanding of how a flourishing visitor economy could work as a living system in each specific destination (external forces, opportunities, limiting factors, organizational structures and dynamics)
• Developing the inner capacity (awareness, reflection, listening, co-creation, collaboration) and outer skills (knowledge and competencies) to be able to make informed choices, and co-create and successfully implement projects unique to the region that contribute to the flourishing of individuals, companies and the destination as a whole.
• Dissemination of the process and stories of transforming initiatives in the three areas and internationally.
ADDED VALUE OF THE PROJECT
Impact and Added Value of LEADER
With this project, we aimed to test and experiment with a then-theoretical vision of regenerative tourism on the ground, together with residents and local entrepreneurs. Tourism should not merely bring more visitors to an area, but contribute meaningfully to the local community. Through this project (and the subsequent outcomes), we truly began listening to the residents and local entrepreneurs, using co-creative processes to build tourism initiatives that provide clear added value to both the residents and the place. We adopted a fully bottom-up strategy, maintaining an open attitude towards all potentially interested and involved parties.
In each of the three regions, the project was led by different entities: in Scotland, by a partnership of tourism entrepreneurs, charities and regional tourism network; in Romania, by the LAG itself; and in Flanders, by Toerisme Meetjesland, a government organization. Within these regions, we collaborated with various organizations, including local entrepreneurs, associations, and individuals.
For Meetjesland, the project resulted in a comprehensive co-creative approach to the regional tourism plan, influencing the vision at the provincial level and contributing to the new Flemish vision for tourism under the “Travel to Tomorrow” initiative. A year ago, in this context, a new Travel to Tomorrow Network was established at the Flemish level, with Meetjesland remaining one of its driving forces.
The local projects realized through this initiative continue to be monitored and expanded by local stakeholders, serving as active examples for other projects both within the region and beyond. New projects are being guided in a similar manner, and the evaluation framework has been widely accepted across the area. Tourism in these regions is now community led tourism.
We approached this project with a highly appreciative and co-creative mindset, without predetermined concrete objectives, but with a broad framework to guide our work—a flexibility that is often not possible in conventional projects. Scope of the Project The project in Meetjesland focused on two municipalities and a regional visitor center, yet its impact was felt throughout the region, the province, and across Flanders. For the first time, local inhabitants were directly involved in tourism policy-making and in the realization of initiatives. In Scotland the project was delivered across the whole of rural Angus, with particular focus on two small towns. Angus Tourism Cooperative was a useful central anchor organisation to the project.
Sustainability
The project also emphasized the importance of added value for the environment and the place itself. The overarching objective of the project and its subprojects was to ensure that the area not only improved but also offered lasting benefits for future generations. Subprojects which were created highlighted the value of the physical place and authenticity in experiences created for visitors. In Tara Dornelor there was a definite focus on sustainability with projects such as: bus stations powerded by solar batteries, focus on local products, ecological initiatives in local schools and eco-tourism within associations en nature preservation.
Transnational Impact
Through various exchanges, joint workshops, and site visits, we were able to learn from each other step by step and continue experimenting. Skills developed in one region were implemented in others, and experiences from one region were transferred or adapted in the others. In this way, the methodology of Appreciative Inquiry became a common thread throughout the project. Within Flanders, the experiences from this project continue to evolve, with additional training being provided for other regions and initiators. In Meetjesland for example, we now have an annual learning network focused on Appreciative Inquiry for tourism sector initiators.
In Angus, we have learned much from working with our international partners. This has helped us bring a new approach to working within our communities and with external stakeholders. Being part of the project has shone the spotlight on Angus as an area where community led tourism is at the forefront of the visitor experience and at a strategic planning level. Our people can influence and shape how tourism activity is delivered within our region. In Scotland we now have a Scottish Community Led Tourism network of which Angus have been integral in driving forward.
