The EU initiative ADAPT


Pollino National Park
(Lucanian side)

Several meetings were organized during the preliminary stage with the institutional and economical stakeholders in the area, in order to outline the possible contexts of local development. These meetings oriented our activity towards the research-intervention in the sector of green tourism. As a matter of fact, the interviews with the local testimonials highlighted the presence of consolidated and successful experiences in this sector which can be imitated and the presence of a good number of young people interested in this kind of activity; evidence of this is the relatively high number of "green" cooperatives in the Lucanian side of the Park.

Description of
the intervention

An initiative that helped the synergical relationships between these local stakeholders was strongly desirable. As a consequence, the objectives of the training interventions aimed at creating a more aware perception of the opportunities offered by the area, at promoting a diversification of the tourist offer and at creating a network between the economical stakeholders which enhances the resources of the area in an integrated manner and the quality of the services offered.

From the methodological point of view, the process was structured into various stages, starting from getting over the atavistic distrust between the various cooperatives, for their previous relationships were characterized by a low level of mutual trust and collaboration and by a limited attitude to be part of a system. In an area where the market of tourism is so weak and fragmentary that it allowed just the survival of the cooperatives, the others are seen as a danger or a threat. Sharing expectations and interests, agreeing on the objectives and contents have been the qualifying activities of the training process that lead to remarkable improvements in their socialization. A second problem which was not less clear than the above-mentioned problem came from the cultural isolation, determined by the lack of reference models and by situation of isolation. The meeting with important economical experiences of green tourism in the regions of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany appeared useful to acquire a higher awareness of the potentialities offered by a given area, to develop a deeper understanding of "green tourism" phenomenon and to draw up some comparisons with the various levels of organization and structure of a company’s management.

 

 

 

Results
The marketing plan was useful to raise the knowledge of demand and offer existing in the area, to identify the points of strength, the strategies and the new production capabilities, but mostly to create the conditions for stable and long-lasting relationships, an essential condition for an effective connection in a network between the entrepreneurs. This allowed the final perfection of the tourist offer programs which will lead to the participation into some projects. A new association of cooperatives called "Verdi Sinegie" was being established at the end of this experience.

 

Proposes in the ADAPT comunities initiatives

Introduction
tourist offer
Aromatic and medicinal plants
Innovative and sustainable olive-growing
Green tourism operator
The historical centers in the park
Green tourism operators
Tourist operator in the widespread hospitality project
The WWF-CRAS

The EU initiative ADAPT - Green tourism operators historical centersTourism operator in the widespread hospitality