Managing the changes : the public-private sector partnerships, a key factor in the success of sustainable development in tourism Workshop sessions Thursday, 4 December 2003 09:00 - 10:30 The ecological challenge : the protection and highlighting of tourism resources 1rst debate : How can we protect the last great natural sites ? As we can do nothing against the desire of human beings to travel, how do we master the influx of tourists to ecologically sensitive destinations ? Debate presided over by Gabor Vereczi, Programme Officer, WTO, Section of Sustainable development of Tourism, Madrid, Spain Space tourism : does tourism mobility have its limits ? Jason Klassi, Space Traveler Inc., Space Tourism Society, Los Angeles, USA Tourism in the Antarctic : is this an example of tourism which respects nature ? Luiz Gonzaga Godoï Trigo, Senac, Sao Paolo, Brazil The "Espace Mont-Blanc" : how can we put into place a plan for sustainable development ? René Schwery, Vice-President of the Mont-Blanc cross-frontier conference, and Head of Environmental Planning for the canton of Valais, Switzerland Coffee break 11:00 - 12:30 The economic challenge : innovation and growth 2nd debate : Can we rejuvenate tourism and reposition traditional destinations ? Is it possible to rejuvenate what is actually offered ? By playing on the life cycles ? By improving the products ? Debate presided over by Klaus Weiermair, Director of the Institute of Service Economies and Tourism, Innsbruck, Austria Innovation and the repositioning of the tourism sector for the Turin Province with the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in sight : what synergies come from the public-private sector partnerships ? Mario Burgay, Director for tourism, sport and the 2006 Turin Olympic Games, Turin Province, Italy Rediscovering what dreams are made of : is it possible to reposition a traditional destination on the world market ? Herman Bos, The Dutch National Tourist Office, Amsterdam, Holland The Aosta Valley : how to revitalise traditional tourism Luciano Caveri, Assessor for tourism, The Aosta Valley Government, Courmayeur, Italy Lunch 15:00 - 16:30 The social challenge : disparity and development 3rd debate : Can tourism be a remedy for regions threatened with economic waste and social collapse ? Does tourism offer a real chance of development for rural regions, urban centres and industrial bowls in decline ? Debate presided over by Norbert Vanhove, Collège de l'Europe, Anvers University, Bruges, Belgium Can rural tourism create jobs and revenues ? Can it compensate for the decline in agriculture ? The Polish example. Gregory Golembski, Director of Tourism, The Economic University of Poznam, Poland Revitalising tourism in town centres : what are the key factors to success ? The example of Barcelona. Jordi Datzira-Masip, International Tourism Consultant, Barcelona, Spain The UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere Park : what economic contribution did it bring to the region ? Bruno Fläcklin, director of Tourism, Sörenberg, Switzerland Coffee break 17:00 - 18:30 The cultural challenge : civilisations of modern pastimes and traditional cultural heritage 4th debate : How can we revitalise cultural heritage whilst using urban advantages ? The towns and agglomerations attract a growing number of inhabitants due to the favourable work conditions and advantages that they offer. The tourist zones are losing their populations. How do we imitate the attraction of the towns in these tourist zones, and exploit it for tourism ? Debate presided over by Luigi Gaido, President of the Association of Alpine Towns, Turin, Italy Cultural uniformity and the development of tourism : is it possible to transform a region with the tools of architectural design ? Stan Clauson, Landscape Architect, Aspen, USA Tourism as a dream factor. Associating cultural tourism and local culture : the ingredients of an unforgettable experience John Grech, President, Malta Tourism Authority, La Valetta, Malta Agriculture as a co-producer of tourism : how can we maintain cultural traditions on the fringes of the agglomerations ? Nadia Baenziger, Tourism Department, State Office for the Economy, Berne, Switzerland Dinner Friday, 5 December 2003 09:00 - 10:30 The global village challenge : poverty and prosperity 5th debate : How can we use tourism as a redistribution and development tool in poor countries ? Positive experiences today lead us to believe that even the poorest countries can accumulate capital if they adopt a market economy and open up their frontiers. Debate presided over by François Vellas, Institute of International Tourism, Toulouse University, France The promotion of tourism in developing countries : how does the public-private sector partnership work ? Yusuf Abdullahi Sukkar, Director General, Ethiopian Tourism Commission, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia Can even the poorest countries profit from international tourism ? Harold Goodwin, Trade and Finance Enterprise Group, Kent, England, UK Morocco : what effect does international tourism have on the development of the country ? Othman Cherif Alami, Entrepreneur, Vice-President of the Casablanca regional tourism committee, Casablanca, Morocco Coffee break