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  Managing changes: the public-private sector partnership as a key factor in the success of sustainable development

Mr. Michel CHARLET - Mayor of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, President of the Tourism Summits, France

 

Once again this year, I am very happy to welcome you to Chamonix, at the Majestic, for three days of debate and reflection on the different forms of organisation in public-private sector partnerships.

This is a topical subject that I hope, will provide decision-makers with innovative and appropriate avenues for responding to the basic questions they pose in the different areas of tourism activity.

With the 4th Tourism Summits last year, we completed a course of lectures that allowed us to analyse in detail all the aspects of tourism sustainability. But the world moves on and it is necessary to consider it further and to anticipate innovative solutions that will meet the need of appropriately managing changes.

The tourism centre of Chamonix is confronted every day with a difficult application of the concept of sustainable tourism development. Its desire to control its development in order to unite a dynamic economy, the preservation of natural resources and quality of life have driven it to embark on an approach called the “Resort Project”. A number of think tanks, bringing together representatives from professional organizations, elected officials and valley residents, have made it possible to define corrective measures for major problems. In addition, to further its knowledge and learn from the past, Chamonix has commissioned a critical assessment of the last 50 years from the research laboratory of the Alpine Geography Institute that, as a nod to this year’s theme, underlined the omnipresence of the Mayor’s Office.

Enriched by these different inquiries and considerations, the Mayor’s Office was able to define a solid strategy for itself, centred on natural resources, that it extends into all domains.

All this questioning has naturally driven it to take an interest in global tourism and to introduce this special venue for reflection, discussion and the exchanging of experiences that the Tourism Summits are.

Due to the first round, a good awareness of the overall situation now allows us to go even further and to contemplate the effects of the Tourism Summits’ lessons locally.

For this purpose, and still within the context of the Resort Project, we have asked Bernard Debarbieux to analyse the first four Summits, according to Chamonix’s features and needs, to identify directions to pursue, and to help local decision-makers in their strategic choices.

How do we provide permanent housing in sufficient quantity?
How do we ensure the continuity of tourism tools?
How do we improve management of the flow of tourists?
How do we preserve the quality of our landscape? Etc.

These are some specific questions that must find answers locally (we are currently in the revision phase of the Local Development Plan), and also in French and cross-border inter-municipal cooperation (the outline of the sustainable development of the Mont-Blanc Region will supply some solutions), and of course on the national and European level, with policies that permit and encourage initiatives.

We will also create an economic department to monitor the development of the resort and its principal transformations.

I am quite sure that the theme suggested this year by Peter Keller and his Scientific Committee will contribute greatly to the emergence of innovative forms of partnerships between the different public and private sector actors, as well as to the necessary change in regulations in which they must be situated.

At this stage, I would particularly like to welcome the APS (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme) meeting on sustainable tourism in Chamonix and with whom we are contemplating a collaborative agreement.

I thank all the speakers for their contributions, which I am convinced will greatly interest all participants.

Thanks as well to the entire organisational team who, along with the conference team, will welcome you.