Managing change : the public-private partnership as a key factor of success Strategic questions Scope and limitations in the management of sustainable tourism development At the opening session of this 5th meeting of the Tourism Summits Chamonix Mont-Blanc we shall investigate whether or not tourism as a complex phenomenon can be managed and developed in a sustainable way, on the basis of the latest trends. The idea is to look at the scope and limitations of management in the context of the travel industry and also of the fragmented small business structures. Our Round Table discussions will focus on the question of how important tourism development problems can be solved in a sustainable way with the help of both public and private sector actors (Figure 4). Figure 4 : Round Table - Public-private partnership as a solution to the problems of sustainable development in tourism The conservation and development of resources The first debate will address the question of conservation and development of natural areas that have remained intact. The human desire to travel is basically unstoppable. There are already efforts to promote tourism to outer space. Thanks to the efforts of the international community solutions have been found in recent years for controlled visits to natural beauty spots such as the Antarctic. And in existing large tourism regions the remaining areas of natural beauty are being better protected. The results of the campaign of the United Nations, its Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organisation for "International Year of Eco-tourism 2002" can shed light from the institutional point of view on the how the public and private sectors can co-operate successfully. Increase of the productivity of traditional destinations In the second debate we shall discuss the future of the traditional tourism destinations in the industrialised world. Here a key question that needs to be asked is whether or not the life cycle of existing products and services can be freshened up through innovation. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that improvements can indeed be made. Innovations are above all possible at the level of processes. They are needed in order to increase productivity and to remain competitive in the tourism and factor markets. And then there is the question, can destinations be repositioned in the markets. And from the institutional point of view more light needs to be shed on state incentives, their nature, and how extensively are they needed to ensure the steady development of tourism. Endogenous growth in problem areas In our third debate discussions will concentrate on the question of whether or not tourism can offer a valid alternative in places of economic hardship such as rural areas, abandoned city centres, and the classic case of vanishing industrial estates. Due to lack of the necessary statistical data it is often not possible to answer this question. There are however some success stories. Even so, a considerable body of evidence shows that tourism alone cannot solve the economic problems of such areas. The best results are obtained when tourism promotion is part of a general economic development strategy designed to make the best of local growth potential. Quality of urban life and environment in resorts In the fourth debate we shall discuss how areas of seasonal tourism can be made more attractive to the local population. Cities and agglomerations increasingly attract people away from outlying tourism locations by offering better working and living conditions. These tourism locations are thus turned into human deserts. The solution is to bring the advantages of urban living to these locations and make use of them for tourism as well as for the local population. It would be possible for example to improve the appearance of modern architecture in such resorts by the addition of more traditional features. Efforts like this are one way to combat the exodus of qualified people from remote locations. Poverty and prosperity In the fifth debate we shall be discussing why tourism is today one of the few development instruments for the world's poorest countries. For a long time these countries had no way of accumulating capital. This was one reason for what is known as the "vicious circle of underdevelopment". State control of investment and protection from international competition were considered as one solution. It was assumed that the adoption of the standards of comfort required for international tourism by countries with low levels of development could lead to a loss of foreign currency and a low net currency impact. There is today a change of paradigm. On the basis of certain positive results it is believed that even the poorest countries will be able to accumulate capital once the conditions of a market economy have been created and the borders thrown open.