Rural Turism

TOWARDS QUALITY RURAL TOURISM4

ContentsIntroduction 5

PART ONE: Context, findings andrecommendations 7

1 Basic concepts of IQM of touristdestinations 9

2 Rural tourism in Europe and IQM 15

3 Working together to a strategy 21

Setting the process going 21Leadership and Partnership 22Strategy 26

4 Delivering a quality rural tourismexperience 29

Marketing and communication 29Welcome, orientation and information 32Accommodation 34Local produce and gastronomy 37Attractions and events 38Countryside recreation 40Environment and infrastructure 43

5 Strengthening quality management and monitoring processes 47

Understanding visitor needs and seeing they are met 47Setting, checking and communicating standards 50Working with people on training and improving quality 54Monitoring impact on the local economy, community and environment 58

6 Summary of the recommendations 61

PART TWO: The case studies

1 Ballyhoura, Ireland 732 Basilicata, Italy 793 Bregenzerwald, Austria 834 Lungau, Austria 875 Montana de Navarra, Spain 936 Pays Cathare, France 987 Pohjois Karjala, Finland 1048 S�chsische Schweiz, Germany 1099 Schouwen West, Netherlands 114

10 Sitia, Greece 11911 Skaft�rhreppur, Iceland 12412 Trossachs, United Kingdom 13013 Vale do Lima, Portugal 13614 Vallonbruk, Sweden 14115 Vosges du Nord, France 146

ANNEX: Glossary of terms and references 151

5

At the same time, there in an increasingneed to be sensitive to both the positiveand negative impacts of tourism on theenvironment and local communities. This isparticularly important in rural areas, whichare often small scale and intimate andwhere visitors have a close relationship withthe place and people who receive them.

One approach is to focus on quality,putting the right management process inplace to ensure that visitors have a specialexperience, meeting or exceeding theirexpectations, while maximising the benefitto the destination.

This publication throws light on thisprocess, setting out the main componentsand issues involved and providing guidanceand ideas based on the experience of 15rural destinations across western Europe.

Who is the document for?

This document is for all those concernedwith the management of rural areas astourism destinations. This includes tourismofficers of local authorities but alsomanagers in related sectors such as planningand environment. It should help to inspirelocal politicians, and should also be ofinterest at the national and regionalgovernment level.

It has important implications for thetourism industry and small and mediumsized enterprises, in how they should worktogether and relate to the destination as awhole.

What kind of area is it about?

It is relevant to all rural touristdestinations. These are areas which areseparately identified and promoted totourists as places to visit, where enjoymentof the countryside and countryside activitiesis a primary motive. Established mountainresorts based on winter sports are excludedfrom this document.

Introduction

EuropeÕs rural areas provide an overflowing storehouse of rich

experiences for the visitor. Domestic and international visitors are

turning to countryside destinations for holidays in increasing numbers,

but changes in the length and type of visit sought and a rapid growth in

alternative destinations worldwide has meant that EuropeÕs rural areas

are facing a need to be ever more competitive.


What does it cover?

The document is in two Parts:

Part 1● Describes what Integrated Quality

Management (IQM) is about and how it isrelevant to rural tourism in Europe(Chapters 1-2).

● Presents key issues and approaches toIntegrated Quality Management in ruraltourist destinations, based on theexperience of the 15 case studies(Chapters 3-5).

● Summarises recommendations for ruralareas to follow when addressingIntegrated Quality Management (Chapter 6).

Part 2● Presents each of the case studies,

describing their context and particularstrategies and actions they have taken inthe field of quality management.

What is it based on?

The document is the result of a studycarried out by the contractor THE TOURISMCOMPANY (United Kingdom) in associationwith FUTOUR (Germany) and the ECOTRANSnetwork, for the European CommissionDGXXIII, Tourism Directorate, in 1998.Parallel studies were completed for urbanand coastal destinations, for which similardocuments are available.

The case studies were identified fromleads provided by a range of Europeanbodies and national organisationsresponsible for tourism in the statescomprising the European Economic Area.Approximately 100 leads were followed up,leading to the preparation of a long list of38 destinations containing initial details oftheir activities relevant to IntegratedQuality Management. The final short list of15 was chosen to reflect a wide spread oftypes of area, geographical location,tourism context, responsible organisation,and initiatives pursued. The case studiesreflect real situations found in many otherrural parts of Europe; they are not unique ineither their approach to rural tourism or toquality management.

Introduction

7

Part 1:

Context, findings and recommendations


Why bother about IQM?

Integrated Quality Management should not be seen as a route to instant success, but itshould lead to the following key benefits upon which success can be built.

● More local awareness and support for tourism generally in the destination, amongst localpeople and across all rural sectors.

● Better co-ordination between local tourism enterprises themselves, and greater supportfor, and involvement with, the management and marketing of the destination.

● An improved image of the destination which is real and not based on false expectations.

● A set of rural tourism products which can be promoted with confidence.

● Increased customer satisfaction, with more repeat business and recommendations.

● Better knowledge of the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism andability to adjust for them.

9

Basic concepts of IQM of touristdestinationsTourism Ð requiring an integrated approach to quality

Improving quality in European tourist destinations is an essential

requirement in satisfying touristsÕ needs, in enhancing the

competitiveness of the European tourism industry, and in ensuring

balanced and sustainable tourism development.

Quality exists only to the extent that aproduct or service meets the customerÕsrequirements and expectations. Accordingly,the individual elements making up astrategy based on quality ÔstandardsÕ mustbe founded on a thorough understanding ofthe customer.

Total quality management systems are acommon feature in the approach developedfor specific tourist service providers (touroperators, travel agents, hotels,restaurants, etc.). However, as far as thetourist is concerned, the satisfactionderived from staying at a destinationdepends not only on experience of specifictourist services, but also on more generalfactors, for example hospitality, safety andsecurity, sanitation and salubrity, traffic andvisitor management. A large number ofelements have an impact on the touristÕsperception of a destination, on the level ofhis/her satisfaction and, in consequence, onthe touristÕs willingness to make a repeatvisit and to recommend the destination topotential visitors.

The success of a destination in terms ofthe satisfaction of the tourist is a function,therefore, of several interdependentcomponents. This underscores the need forstrategic and integrated planning of touristdestinations, together with the selectiveuse of specific tools and techniques toaddress integrated quality management(including quality control) of thedestination.


What are the objectives of IQM of tourist destinations?

The reference framework given by theEuropean Commission for analysing goodpractice in the area of integrated qualitymanagement of tourist destinations andpresenting them in this publication is:

Integrated quality management (IQM)should simultaneously take into account,and have a favourable impact on theactivities of tourism professionals,tourists, the local population and theenvironment (that is the natural, culturaland manmade assets of the destination).

The integrated quality managementstrategy implemented in destinationsmust have the requirements of touristsas one of its major considerations.

The purpose of this publication is not toformulate Òonce and for allÓ a single andofficial definition of IQM for touristdestinations but to provide practicalrecommendations to all interested partieson the basis of this reference framework.

What are the elements for developing an IQM approach?

Although IQM is a relatively new idea withoutofficial definition, some concepts andinstruments already in existence cancontribute to the work in this area.

The concept of Total Quality Managementemerged in business management theory inthe 1980s. It is a way of meeting anorganisationÕs objectives by improving thecustomerÕs experience of the product orservice provided. It is concerned witheffective use of resources, and the level ofparticipation and satisfaction of the people inthe organisation.

The concept of Integrated QualityManagement follows this approach but isbroader and more flexible. It recognises thatan organisation may have a wide range ofobjectives, and that it should approach themin an integrated way.

ÔSustainable tourism developmentÕ is aconcept that is already widely accepted at aninternational level1 and in most touristdestinations. It is about keeping a balancebetween the needs of the visitor, theenvironment and the host community forcurrent as well as future generations. The concept of IQM must embrace this,emphasising policies and actions whichaddress all these needs together.

A tourism destination is far more complexthan a single consumer item such as a car.There are many players involved and thevarious elements of the visitor experiencehave been described above. A visitor is alsoimmediately conscious of quality as provisionand consumption occur at the same time.

Typically, a tourist destination managerhas twin objectives.

● To increase local income and employmentthrough tourism.

● To ensure that the environment andquality of life of local people is notdamaged and if possible is enhanced bytourism.

IQM can meet both these objectives byimproving visitor satisfaction and monitoringand managing impacts on the localenvironment and economy.

Two key elements of the IQM approachare:

● Focusing on visitors, improving the qualityof what is provided for them, satisfyingtheir needs and influencing theiractivities, so they come back again orrecommend others.

● Involving local people and local tourismenterprises in the management of thedestination, as participants and ascustomers of the management process.

Chapter 1

Basic concepts ofIQM of touristdestinations

11

The working definition of IQM in touristdestinations developed to provide practicalrecommendations in this publication is:

Ò...an approach to managing a tourismdestination which focuses on an ongoingprocess of improving visitor satisfaction,while seeking to improve the localeconomy, the environment and thequality of life of the local communityÓ.

The above diagram describes this process.

What theories are helpful in developing an IQM approach?

When starting to think about how IQM mightbe implemented in a destination, thefollowing theories are helpful, some ofwhich are summarised by Weiermair2.

Structures and elements in qualitymanagement

A model of quality management devised bythe European Foundation for QualityManagement (EFQM) is being widely appliedin Europe in the public and private sectors.This can be helpful in thinking about how adestination should organise itself if it wishesto pursue IQM. The model identifies nine

elements. Five are to do with structure andfunctions: leadership; strategy; personnelmanagement; use of resources; andprocesses of delivering the service. Afurther four are to do with results: clientsatisfaction; staff satisfaction; integrationinto the community; and operationalresults.

The components of the visitor experience

It is helpful to think about how visitorsexperience a destination as a sequence ofinfluences spaced out over space and time,from initial planning, through the visit itselfto departure and post visit reflections. Thisis sometimes referred to as the TourismValue Chain. In IQM the quality of each linkin the chain should be of concern.

VISITORS

Satisfied Customers

COMMUNITYTOURISM

ENTERPRISES

Improved enterprise performanceIncreased income/employment

Community benefitswithout conflict

DestinationDESTINATION

Intact or improvedenvironment

Pre visitimage/

messages

Pre visitinformation

Makingbookings

Journey to destination

Initialwelcome

Information indestination

After visitcontact andmemories

Farewell and return

journey

Infrastructureand

environment

Attractionsand amenities

Places toeat

Places tostay

The TourismValue Chain


Steps to take in meeting visitorsÕexpectations

Quality management is partly about meetingor exceeding visitorsÕ expectations bysetting the right standards, meeting themand communicating them effectively. TheSERVQUAL3 model identifies a series of gapsin this process. These gaps are shown in thediagram below, with an indication ofcorrective action required in a touristdestination to close them.

Levels of visitor requirements to meet

Some theories of quality, such as that byKano4, refer to Ômust beÕ standards andÔattractiveÕ standards. In setting qualitystandards for facilities and services in adestination, it can be helpful to think ofthree levels of visitor need that should bemet in practice and communicated throughgood information. These are:

Level 1: Must-be requirements.These are factors such as safety andhygiene. Failure to meet them may cause adestination to fail completely, but meetingthem does not really add to its competitiveedge.

Level 2: Scaleable requirements.These are measurable factors such as thenumber of attractions in a destination, thesize of bedroom etc. These may influence avisitorÕs decision to choose the destination.Here, accurate information is important -visitors need to know what they are gettingin order to be satisfied.

Level 3: Attractive requirements.These are more subjective factors to dowith style of facilities and treatment by thehost. They are more likely to be apparentduring the visit itself. They may includelittle added extras which make a destinationexceed expectations and can have thegreatest influence on the visitorÕs ultimateexperience and likelihood of returning.

How does IQM relate to rural tourist destinations?

What does IQM mean in practice in touristdestinations? It means that a destinationshould be:

● well organised, pulling together, andknowing what it wants to achievethrough tourism;

● concerned about all the aspects of thevisitorsÕ experience and the impact onlocal people and the environment, and

● committed to monitoring andimprovement, as an ongoing process.

To pursue IQM successfully, a number ofstructures and actions should bestrengthened or where necessary put inplace. These are summarised below andaspects particularly relevant to rural areasare identified.

Chapter 1


Better market research andcustomer feedback

Closer working between all players witha strategy for product development andagreement on targets and standards

Regular inspections, quality control,improvement schemes and training

Better communication, labelling andinformation services for visitors

More effectivecommunication

of accurateimages and

messages

VisitorsÕ expectations

ManagerÕs perception ofvisitorsÕ needs

Setting quality standardsfor services and facilities

Actual quality provided

VisitorsÕ perception ofwhat they receive

13

1 Working together to a strategy

➤ Setting the process goingInitial motives for pursuing quality will vary between different types of rural area.Whatever the trigger, it should be followed up by getting the main players together andensuring an integrated and comprehensive approach.

➤ Leadership and Partnership structuresThere should be a strong effort to manage tourism in the destination, with a recognisablelead agency providing co-ordination for all the main organisations whose activities influencetourism.

The IQM process requires that a range of people are involved. A key requirement is tohave structures in place for the regular involvement of:

● local tourism businesses - enabling them to work together for the destination as awhole, especially in rural areas where co-ordination is often lacking; and

● the local community - including individual local people, interest groups and other kindsof rural enterprise.

➤ A clear strategy, well communicatedThere should be a strategy in place, based on analysis and consultation, which is widelyrecognised in the destination. It should include objectives for improving quality.

2 Delivering quality at all stages of the visitor experience

This builds on the concept of the Tourism Value Chain referred to above. It is aboutattention to detail in delivering quality services and facilities at all stages of the visitorÕsexperience. In rural areas, seven key components are:

➤ Marketing and communicationThis is about understanding who the potential visitors are, putting across a quality image tothem based on accurate messages, making it easy for them to book and maintaining contactwith them.

➤ Welcome, orientation and informationCentral to quality in a destination, this is about providing a favourable first impression tovisitors, ensuring they understand the area, behave responsibly towards it and have theright information to get the most from their stay.

➤ AccommodationMany rural accommodation enterprises are small, often family run businesses with littleprofessional training. Special attention needs to be given to the range of accommodation,the level of facilities and the quality of service, and to how the establishment reflects therural qualities of the destination.

➤ Local produce and gastronomyFood and local crafts can be a special feature of rural areas. Improving their quality andhow they are presented not only provides a special experience for the visitor but can be ofdirect benefit to the local economy and agricultural landscape.

Schema of the IQM approach proposed for rural tourist destinations


➤ Attractions and eventsRural areas typically have many small attractions and events often reflecting the areaÕsheritage and environment. Quality management involves linking these experiences andpromoting them creatively.

➤ Countryside recreationA rapid growth in demand for countryside recreation, such as walking and cycling, is acommon phenomenon across Europe. Rural areas delivering quality increasingly need toprovide good access and facilities to meet these interests.

➤ Environment and infrastructureAs well as requiring specific facilities and services, visitors expect the countryside to be apleasant place to relax, easy to reach and to get around, with appropriate shops and otherservices and an attractive, clean environment. In turn, visitors should be encouraged tobehave responsibly towards the destination.

3 Installing effective quality management and monitoring processes

Integrated quality management, meeting various objectives relating to visitors, theenvironment and local people, requires that particular attention is paid to a number ofprocesses. This is about a cycle of setting standards, making improvements and checkingresults.

➤ Understanding visitor needs and seeing they are metA central feature of IQM is that there should be a good understanding of visitors and theirneeds. There should be a regular system for checking expectations and satisfaction levelsand of feeding this back to the management process.

➤ Setting, checking and communicating standardsQuality standards or criteria should be set for the different facilities and services in thedestination, backed by inspection. These may be identified to visitors through quality codesand labels.

➤ Working with people on training and improving qualityIn most rural destinations a high percentage of tourism facilities are provided by very smallenterprises. IQM involves working with them and supporting them, through training, adviceand financial assistance.

➤ Monitoring impact on the local economy, community and environmentConcern about the effect of tourism on the environment, the local economy and localpeople as a whole should be integral to IQM. Rural destinations often contain sensitive andfragile natural environments and communities. Impacts should be checked on a regularbasis.

As well as awareness, action and creativity in these areas, IQM is about an ÔintegratedÕapproach. There are often strong interrelationships between the needs of the visitor, theenvironment and local people. These should be recognised and priority given to actionswhich bring mutual benefit.

Chapters 3 to 5 look in turn at these three components of IQM and the actions identifiedunder them. They analyse and present the experience of the case studies and identifyissues, success factors and lessons learnt. Chapter 6 summarises the practicalrecommendations on the basis of the same components.

Chapter 1


15

Rural tourism in Europe and IQM

Rural tourism is not a new phenomenon in Europe. However, in recent

years the market has become more sophisticated and discriminating and

there has been an increasing interest in tourism as a valuable vehicle for

much needed diversification of the rural economy.

This high profile is now a common factoracross the whole of the EEA. Most memberstates face similar issues and opportunitiesin rural tourism.

Rural areas often have small scale andwidely dispersed enterprises, communitiesand administrative structures. Therelationship between tourism, agricultureand other sectors in the local rural economyis increasingly important. Many differentplayers are involved. Natural resources,cultural traditions, transport services and awhole range of tourism enterprises have aninfluence on the visitor experience, and inturn are affected by tourism impact. Forthese reasons, an integrated qualitymanagement approach to tourism is veryrelevant in rural areas.

Definitions and types of rural tourist destination

Definitions of rural tourism vary. Forstatistical purposes, very detailedexplanations of rural tourism are given5.More generally, some definitions of ruraltourism refer simply to tourism in areaswith a low density of population. Others aremore prescriptive in the type of experiencethat should be on offer. For example Ôa wishto give visitors personalised contact, a tasteof the physical and human environment ofthe countryside and opportunities toparticipate in the activities, traditions andlifestyles of local peopleÕ.6 While it isaccepted that the latter is a worthyaspiration for many rural destinations,quality management should be applicable toa broad range of types of rural area, wherethe nature of the tourism is dictated by thetype of location, resource and market.

A remote part of Iceland,one of the case studies


Rural tourist destinations may be broadlydefined as areas which are separatelyidentified and promoted to tourists asplaces to visit, where enjoyment of thecountryside and countryside activities is aprimary motive. They may be groups ofsettlements, districts or small regions, orareas defined by their topography orlandscape, which have a cohesiveness intourism terms and where the tourismproduct is coordinated by one or moreidentifiable authorities or organisations.

Examples of different types of ruraltourist destination, illustrated by the casestudies as indicated, include the following:

● Traditional, popular destinations nearsizeable urban areas receiving a highproportion of day visitors. Priorities heremay be to improve the environment,update the infrastructure, manage visitorpressure, address transport issues andconvert day trips to overnight stays. S�chsische Schweiz (D), Trossachs (UK)

● Traditional holiday areas with asignificant quantity of visitoraccommodation and infrastructure,seeking to upgrade the offer and reduceenvironmental impact. Working withenterprises on physical improvements,planning controls and more sustainableforms of tourism may be required. Schouwen West (NL)

● Protected areas seeking to managetourism as well as the environment andlocal economy in an integrated way. Keyissues may include environmentalinterpretation, inter-sectoral integrationand visitor management. Vosges du Nord (F)

● Rural areas where a significant part ofthe product is characterised by smallhistoric towns and villages and a richhistoric, architectural, cultural orindustrial heritage interspersed in thecountryside. Main opportunities may restwith linking sites and communities,interpretation, preservation of buildingsand creating quality brandedaccommodation and other facilities.Pays Cathare (F), Vallonbruk (S), Vale do Lima (P)

● Remote areas with appeal based onwildlife and wilderness, with particularissues of accessibility, transport, localservices, environmental protection anddeveloping ecotourism opportunities.Skaft�rhreppur (IS)

● Rich agricultural areas where farmingprovides much of the visitor appeal.Priority may be given to providing qualityfarm based accommodation anddeveloping tourism offers relating tolocal produce and gastronomy.Ballyhoura (IRL), Bregenzerwald (A)

● Areas close to the sea, wishing todevelop rural tourism in inland locationsaway from the coast. Priority may begiven to promoting specific rural offers,including inland trails and heritagethemes. Sitia (GR), Basilicata (I)

● Mountain or forest locations with someestablished rural tourism but seeking todiversify and strengthen their offer. Themain priority may be to establish orcoordinate better qualityaccommodation, activity tourism,gastronomy and heritage themes. Lungau (A), Pohjois-Karjala (FIN),Monta�a de Navarra (E)

Chapter 2

Rural tourism inEurope and IQM

In many destinations agriculture defines the appeal

Forest landscapeshave their own appeal

and opportunities

Historic heritage is aprimary product in

Pays Cathare

17

Relating rural destinations to market segments

Destinations pursuing integrated qualitymanagement should think carefully aboutthe kinds of visitor that they are able andwish to attract (their target marketsegments). They should consider howdifferent market segments relate to theirown strategic objectives such as increasingincome per head or off-season visiting.Selection should be based on a realisticassessment of the destinationÕs strengthsrelative to other areas, and sound marketknowledge. They should seek to meet theparticular expectations and qualityrequirements of the segments they select.

Segments can be based on a range ofcharacteristics, such as age, familystructure, income, behaviour and interests,home location and mobility. Examples ofsome broad segments and how they relateto rural destinations are given below.

Visitors on day trips from home.This segment is very important andincreasing in many rural areas close totowns. Quality of infrastructure, trafficmanagement, attractions and well managedcountryside access are key issues.

Short holiday takers. In much of ruralEurope the length of holidays taken in thecountryside has been decreasing, with moreshort breaks. This has affected viabilityespecially in less accessible areas. Thesevisitors may be looking for a higher qualityexperience per day over the shorter periodavailable to them.

Families. The popularity of rural tourismfor families tends to vary. In Germany, forexample, families have traditionallyprovided by far the largest market for farmaccommodation. However, families arebecoming more quality as well as priceconscious, demanding good facilities andthe right balance of safety and fun. Thesegment can be divided by the age ofchildren. Families with very young childrentend to enjoy rural areas but have specialneeds in the facilities and experiencesoffered.

Senior citizens. Rural destinations arepopular amongst older age groups. Theyenjoy rural traditions and tranquillity, butare also becoming more health and activityconscious. In general, higher standards ofcomfort are sought by this segment.

People with special interests. In the lastten years there has been a significantincrease in participating in countrysiderecreation, notable cycling and walking,often as the main purpose of a visit. It isalso possible to target those with a declaredinterest in gastronomy, local heritage andother rural themes.

Educational and other groups. A number ofrural areas have been very active inproviding for group visits, ranging fromschools to seniors groups, based on ruralthemes including agriculture, conservation,heritage etc. Such groups can be relativelyeasy to target and communicate with buthave particular quality requirements inhandling and guiding.

People with disabilities. Compared withurban areas and coastal resorts, ruraldestinations have paid less attention toproviding for visitors with disabilities. Thisis a large segment, especially if carers andfamily members are included. Providingdisabled people with accessible countrysiderecreation and accessible facilities in smallrural enterprises is an important challengefor quality management.

Access to thecountryside for peoplewith disabilities is animportant issue

Families with youngchildren haveparticular needs andinterests


Characteristics and trends in rural tourism relevant to IQM

In recent years three main factors have ledto an increase in the number of identifiablerural tourist destinations and enterprises:

● declining agricultural incomes andchanges to agricultural support systemsplacing pressure on farmers and ruraldwellers to diversify their activities;

● the work of rural development agencies,including LEADER groups, backed by EUStructural Funds;

● increasing awareness of a duty toprovide access, and the opportunity tobenefit from tourism income, amongstorganisations involved withenvironmental management, includingnational and regional parks and bodiesconcerned with the built heritage.

Over the same time, the market for ruraltourism has been changing, with shorterstays, a greater interest in health andactivity holidays and more concern for theenvironment. There is ongoing demand forall kinds of accommodation, but increasingconsciousness of standards within eachsector. Overall, there appears to have beenlittle alteration in the seasonal pattern ofdemand with high peaks in mid summer,causing problems of viability and challengesfor visitor management and marketing.

This picture shows more product chasinga more discerning market and highlights theneed for quality management. Individualrural tourist destinations need to becomemore competitive, to attract and hold on tobusiness. For most, there is little scope forreducing prices to increase competitiveness.Rather, it is appropriate for them to place agreater emphasis on quality.

Unlike cities and resorts, rural areastend to be rather diffuse. Most rural localauthorities have quite limited financial andstaff resources for the management oftourism. It is important for them thatmanagement activities remain simple andpractical. Typical characteristics of ruraltourist destinations point both to a need forIQM but also to the difficulties inimplementing it. They include:

● small, scattered enterprises, which maybenefit from co-operative marketing andassistance;

● numerous small municipalities which mayneed to work together to create a viabledestination;

● a preponderance of family businessesproviding a natural welcome butsometimes inconsistent standards;

● the lack of a clear tourism identity formany rural areas;

● considerable scope for tourism tosupport the traditional rural economy,especially through the provision ofaccommodation and facilities on farmsand through the promotion of localproduce and crafts to visitors;

● sensitive environments, sometimesrequiring management of visitorpressure;

● fragile communities, susceptible tointrusion;

● sensitivity to large scale andinappropriate development, but withopportunities to use the local ruralvernacular in building projects andconversions.

Chapter 2


People seeking activityholidays are a growing

market segment

In many rural destinations tourism enterprises are small andscattered

19

The current incidence of IQM in rural destinations

ÔIntegrated quality managementÕ as a termis currently little used in rural touristdestinations in Europe. However, largenumbers of destinations have recognised theimportance of improving quality and,without following any particular theory ormodel, are taking action. There are manydifferent starting points. Three broad typesof rural destination are working on qualityissues.

● Established tourism destinations seekingto raise the quality of the visitorexperience as a whole, to enhance theirimage and reduce environmentaldegradation. In some areas, facilitiesmay be old and in need of refurbishmentand working practices rather outdated.

● Less visited areas where tourism plays akey part in the strategy for economicdevelopment, and where quality is seenas a tool for success. Many areas nowhave specific rural tourism developmentprogrammes, often involving externalfunding such as LEADER and showingstrong coordination between businessesand with the local community.

● Natural areas, with an emphasis onvisitor management, seeking a quality oftourism in keeping with the environmentand community. In parks or protectedareas, leadership is often provided bythe park authority.

At a local level, initiatives are taken bya variety of types of organisation includinglocal authorities; economic or communitydevelopment organisations; environmentalbodies; regional or local tourist boards;groups of commercial operators workingtogether; and companies or co-operativesselling rural tourism holidays.

It is clear, however, that much activity instrengthening quality in rural tourismoccurs at a national level. In particular,sector organisations are increasingly settingtheir own standards. Examples includeagrotourism marketing bodies; rural foodgroups; and representational bodies forindividual sports such as riding or cycling.Quality management at a local destinationlevel is strengthened where it reflects anduses what can best be achieved throughnational networking and coordination.

The case study destinations

The 15 case study destinations representdifferent kinds of area, as shown in thetable. Few have been comprehensive intheir approach to quality. Most have soughtto coordinate and develop rural tourismwith quality in mind. Some have startedfrom the perspective of improving thequality of the environment and visitormanagement. A detailed description ofthese case studies is given in Part 2 of thispublication.

In some rural areas,issues such as trafficmanagement may be aprimary qualityconcern


Destination Type of Area Approach

IRL Ballyhoura Typical Irish agricultural landscape Recently developed rural tourism, with modest levels of tourism in co-operative led, now pursuing quality small communities improvement

I Basilicata Relatively isolated and little known Introduction of new packages and rural region seeking to strengthen marketing initiative with quality image rural economy

A Bregenzerwald Traditional agricultural area in Strategy to integrate tourism and foothills of Alps with moderate agriculture with new quality products levels of rural tourism combining both sectors

A Lungau Relatively isolated mountainous area Joint initiative between communities seeking to strengthen tourism with to improve performance and new identity sustainability

E Monta�a de Navarra Upland area with well established Initiative to co-ordinate policy rural tourism between communities and introduce

common quality criteria

F Pays Cathare Sizeable area with strong historic Comprehensive scheme to introduce and cultural heritage quality criteria to all sectors within a

common destination branding

FIN Pohjois-Karjala Sizeable region with traditional Quality training and branding tourism based on lakes and forests initiatives based on Karelian culture

and forest experiences

D S�chsische Schweiz Attractive sandstone uplands popular Integrated strategy to rationalise for breaks and short visits development and improve services

NL Schouwen West Island with considerable development Joint initiative between operators of caravan and camping sites on farms and local authority to re-plan the area which need quality improvement and improve quality

GR Sitia Attractive rural district close to Marketing led programme based on established coastal tourism areas heritage routes and packages seeking to strengthen rural economy

IS Skaft�rhreppur Small remote district in unique Strategy to strengthen tourism based environment receiving mainly on environmental quality transit tourism

UK Trossachs Popular mountain and lake area Integrated project concentrating on with heavy day visiting from nearby visitor management and improving population centres. environment.

P Vale do Lima Upland area with traditional villages Initiative to develop quality branded and architecture, with developing accommodation in conjunction with rural tourism development of wider amenities

S Vallonbruk Former industrial heritage area across Joint project co-ordinating a number of small rural communities, communities and local initiatives, to with mainly day visits strengthen appeal of areaÕs tourism

based on heritage

F Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park receiving Strong management strategy to many day and short stay visits consolidate quality of amenities

through joint schemes

Chapter 2



At the outset, it is worth drawing attentionto some key principles about getting theprocess going.

● An open forum meeting where all theinterested parties can bring theirconcerns forward can be a good way ofidentifying key issues, creatingpartnerships and encouraging a sense ofownership. This approach wasparticularly successful in S�chsischeSchweiz (D).

● Everyone should recognise that IQM is forthe long term, not a one-off initiative,requiring commitment to evaluation andmonitoring as a built in process. Changesshould be given time.

● The process should not be insular.Although most changes will need to bemade internally in the destination, manyplayers outside the area, such asnational tourist boards, industry sectorgroupings and tour operators, have animportant role to play in the way qualityis assessed and communicated. Theyshould be consulted and involved.

● Every effort should be made to make theprocess comprehensive, addressing allthe components set out in this documentover time. Most of the case studies failedin this regard. For example, some weregood at setting standards but poor atmonitoring; others paid particularattention to accommodation but not tothe environment. A quality destinationshould not be let down by any elementof its product or management.

Leadership and partnership

Unlike cities and coastal resorts, ruraltourism destinations can vary considerablyin nature and size and the range oforganisations involved in tourism. Some maybe individual communities, others sizeableregions. Some may have strong localauthorities able to take a lead while othersmay be split into many small municipalities.In some areas the private sector may bewell coordinated, in others not at all.

Most of the case studies have establishedan effective structure for qualitymanagement in rural tourism. Success hasrequired: picking the right area to beginwith; finding an organisation to take thelead; co-ordinating local businesses;involving the wider community; and keepingeveryone informed.

➤ Selecting the right area

Areas which already have a strong identityhave found it much easier to encouragepeople to work together to pursue qualitymanagement. Where possible thedestination should:

● correspond with an administrative areasuch as a local authority district orNational Park, so making managementand political back-up far easier; or

● have a natural coherence and identity,recognisable to visitors as well as localpeople, possibly through an historiclinkage or natural physical boundary.

Ideally, the destination should meet bothof these requirements.

Size is also important. It was found thatworking with small communities, such asindividual villages, was effective in terms ofinvolving local people and improving localamenities. However, such initiatives neededto be within the umbrella of a larger area interms of marketing and availability ofresources.

It is easier to coordinateaction in areas with a well

established identity such asthe Trossachs

Chapter 3

Working together to a strategy

23

An example is Skaft�rhreppur (IS) whosesmall size (600 people) with just a singledistrict council helped it to galvanise manydifferent kinds of people in the communityto work towards quality and environmentalimprovement. However, it is seeking to joinwith neighbouring districts to strengthendestination marketing and bring in morefunding.

➤ Having an organisation to take the lead

All the case study destinations haveorganisations providing leadership in tourismmanagement. However, their make up variesfrom place to place. They include individuallocal authorities; groups of municipalitiesworking together; protected areaauthorities; tourism associations with publicand private sector members; developmentagencies; and bodies specially created tomanage tourism and increase quality.Examples include the following.

● A new partnership for tourism in Lungau(A), the coming together of a group of 14small municipalities within the area tocreate a stronger single tourismorganisation.

● An independent tourism association forS�chsische Schweiz (D), whichrepresents the regional authority and has50% private members and 50% publicsector members.

● A Rural Tourism Office as part of thedevelopment organisation for Sitia (GR),which coordinates 36 communities in thearea and administers LEADER and otherdevelopment funding.

● SYCOPARC, a regrouping of local andregional authorities within the Vosges duNord (F) regional nature park. It is alsothe regional development organisationand has formed its own tourismassociation for the park.

● In Ballyhoura (IRL), a Rural TourismCooperative, with 280 members fromsmall businesses and the localcommunities, closely integrated with theBallyhoura Developent Agency.

In a few cases, including the Trossachs(UK) and Schouwen West (NL), a jointproject bringing together public agenciesand private interests has been establishedto tackle environmental and quality issues.

A number have twin bodies providingleadership, one responsible for developmentand funding and the other for marketing andprivate sector coordination. This kind ofarrangement has worked well.

Rural development agencies have playeda strong role in a number of the casestudies. Some were established toadminister LEADER programmes, others werealready in place. All have been good atforming partnerships with a variety ofagencies and private sector enterprises, andhave gone on to raise financial resources forquality improvement from different sources.

Whatever form the leadershiporganisation takes, the following have beenkey factors for success.

● Full participation by the localauthority(s), including links to all therelevant departments such asenvironmental management, planningand transport.

● Secure funding over a reasonable timeperiod.

● Links with regional and national touristboards to gain support and expertise andavoid duplicating action.

● Strong representation of the localtourism industry.

● Recognition within the wider community. ● A small working team, committed to

quality. In the case studies, the drivingforce of one key individual was often thekey to success. It is important that thisbecomes a long lasting commitmentshared by all.

A visible office,central to the area,can help

Having a smallworking team can bea strength, as in theVosges du Nord


➤ Involving tourism businesses

A very important requirement of IQM is tohave a partnership structure that helps localtourism businesses relate to each other andto the destination as a whole, therebymotivating them to work together onquality. The case studies have achieved thisin three ways, as follows:

● Having a tourism association for thewhole area, with members from a widerange of enterprises, which is part of, orworks alongside, the leadershiporganisation.

● Working with local trade bodies or groupsrepresenting particular sectors, such asagrotourism or caravan parks. These maybe independent or branches of a nationalor regional organisation. In SchouwenWest (NL) the local branch of theNetherlands caravan site body has been akey player.

● Establishing special working groups onquality Ð see below.

Success has depended on:

● holding regular meetings withenterprises, which are not too generalbut encourage turnout by focusing ontopics known to be of interest;

● peer pressure - targeting key enterpriseswhich are known to be respected byothers;

● personality - working withrepresentatives who are personallycommitted and good at communicatingto other businesses;

● personal involvement of the destinationmanager in the work of private sectorgroups.

➤ Involving the wider community

There are three main reasons why the widercommunity should be integrated in thequality management of the destination fortourism:

● to keep local people informed about theimportant role of tourism and to seekfeedback on issues and problems;

● to encourage participation from a widerrange of organisations and enterpriseswhose actions may contribute to thevisitor experience and tourismdevelopment and management;

● to encourage local people to becomeinvolved in enhancing the environmentand the quality of the visitor experience.

There is a special role here forcommunity groups such as historicalsocieties or village groups which are usuallya strong feature of rural areas.

In the case studies, these objectiveshave been met in a number of ways.

● Broadening the membership ofrepresentative bodies. InSkaft�rhreppur (IS), one third of themembers of the tourism association arenot directly involved in tourism. Theyinclude personnel from the local bank,post office, filling station and shop, allof which have been involved in improvingservices to visitors.

● Building relationships with individualenterprises or organisations. InS�chsische Schweiz (D), the localSparkasse bank has played a leading role,funding investment and sponsoringvarious tourism management initiatives.

● Having open meetings in the destination.This has been a feature in a number ofcase studies. They are better attended ifthey cover specific issues of interest.

● More formal structures. In Ballyhoura(IRL) there is a formal communityconsultative committee of 50 memberswith representatives from each villageand various local societies.

The representative ofcaravan site owners

has played a key rolein Schouwen West

Chapter 3


25

➤ Establishing working groups on quality

One approach to involving tourismenterprises and local organisations ininitiatives to improve quality in adestination is to set up working groups.Such groups can be formed around sectors(such as agrotourism), themes (such aspromotion) and locations (separate groupsfor individual communities or local areas).They can be quite small and focused, orlarger and more inclusive depending on thetask in hand. This has proved a particularlysuccessful approach in a number of casestudies, leading to a lot of mutual supportand exchange of ideas betweenparticipants.

In Vallonbruk (S), three small steeringgroups are working on quality improvementsin marketing, education services andsignposting. Four larger networking groupshave been established for inns and manorhouses, restaurants, local heritage societiesand tour guides, to encourage people inthese sectors to share experiences and worktogether.

➤ Maintaining good internal communication

All the above structures are important forgood communication within a destination.This can be helped, however, by additionalcommunication techniques.

● Newsletters informing enterprises andthe wider community about issues andinitiatives. These have proved veryvaluable in many case studies. Anexample is the ÔLettre du PaysCathareÕ which is published three orfour times a year.

● Maintaining a close relationship withlocal press and media organisations.Most of the case studies have beenenergetic in this area with verypositive results.

● Organising one-off activities andgatherings to bring people togetherin addition to regular workingstructures. A study tour to France forparticipants in the quality initiativein Basilicata (I) proved a verysuccessful way of increasing confidenceand cementing relationships within thegroup.

Local school children helping to restore woodland in the Trossachs

Providers of localservices inSkaft�rhreppur areinvolved in thetourism association

Newsletters are atraditional form ofinternal communicationbut still effective


Strategy

A clear strategy is a major factor inachieving quality management objectives. It serves to focus attention on priorities,coordinate action between the players,raise the profile of tourism issues andpolitical awareness of them, and act as apersuasive tool in seeking support andfunding.

The tourism strategy for a destinationneeds to identify aims and objectives,clarify the role and importance of qualitymanagement, be based on a clearunderstanding of resources and markets,involve wide consultation, and bestimulating, understandable and widelyread.

➤ Balancing the aims and objectives

All the case studies have been working tosome kind of strategy. Although varying inemphasis and scope, their objectives havebeen notably similar. All have containedboth environmental and economic aims, andin most cases these are interlinked and seenas mutually supporting, with a soundenvironment being seen as a basis forsuccessful and sustainable tourism, andtourism income as a force for environmentalimprovement.

In integrated quality management,creating satisfied visitors is a driving forceto achieving economic, social andenvironmental objectives. A strategy basedon this approach should focus on productsand action which at the same time:

● meet visitorsÕ needs;● bring environmental benefits; and● strengthen the local economy and

society.

In rural areas there are numerousexamples of where such synergy can exist,such as restoring buildings to provideauthentic accommodation; using localproduce; promoting walking holidays .... allthese and many more are covered in thenext chapter.

Typically, objectives expressed in thecase studiesÕ strategies that have a bearingon quality have related to:

● increasing visitorsÕ length of stay andlevel of spend, without necessarilyincreasing overall numbers;

● increasing levels of tourism away fromthe main peak period;

● improving the image of the destinationand its communication;

● stimulating more repeat visits andrecommendations to others;

● improving the quality of existing tourismfacilities and amenities;

● providing people with more attractionsand recreation activities;

● reducing visitor pressure on sensitiveenvironments, and increasingenvironmental understanding;

● assisting the traditional agriculturaleconomy through tourism;

● providing visitors with an authenticexperience of heritage, the rural life andtraditions of the area;

● improving co-operation and partnershipwithin and outside the destination.

Objectives may includereducing visitor

concentrations atcertain times of year

Conserving historicand natural heritage

and increasing qualityfor visitors are

mutually reinforcingobjectives

Chapter 3


27

➤ Relating the strategy to integrated quality management

Only two of the case studies, Pays Cathare(F) and Montana de Navarra (E), havespecifically linked their tourism strategy toan integrated quality managementapproach, and in the latter it is in its veryearly stages. They have been pursuing aprogramme of comprehensive qualitycharters based on initial resource andmarket assessment.

In some other case studies, specificquality initiatives are being pursued within,but not necessarily enveloping, the overallapproach to tourism. In Pohjois-Karjala(FIN), training initiatives and qualitylabelling have been based on qualitymanagement concepts. In Schouwen West(NL) and the Trossachs (UK) the casestudies centre on a comprehensiveapproach to improving quality from anenvironmental perspective. Others such asBasilicata (I), Bregenzerwald (A), Vale doLima (P) and Sitia (GR) have pursuedquality initiatives focused on specificproduct offers.

In most of the case studies thedevelopment and implementation of thetourism strategy has embraced manyaspects of quality management, implicitlybut not explicitly. In their work theyfrequently refer to ÔqualityÕ. However, theytend to treat this as a condition to beachieved rather than as a process to enableobjectives to be met. It is important that atourism strategy should:

● relate the pursuit of quality to economicor environmental objectives rather thanan abstract condition in its own right;

● emphasise the importance of qualitymanagement processes, such as settingstandards and customer feedback.

➤ Assessing resources and markets

The tourism strategy should be based on acareful assessment of resources andmarkets. There has been some debate in thefield of sustainable rural tourism betweenthe following approaches:

● deciding what kind of tourism is bestsuited to the resources and environmentof the area and then seeking marketsthat will respond to them;

● identifying potential markets and thendeveloping or modifying resources tomeet their needs.

In most cases a combined approach isrequired, matching both resources andrealistic potential markets together to meetstrategic objectives.

Integrated quality management involvesobtaining careful feedback from visitors,businesses, local people, and environmentalconditions as described in Chapter 5. Thisshould form an important basis for thestrategy.

The assessment process, largely followedby the case studies, should identify:

● who the visitors are and might be, andtheir needs;

● the current tourism resources and howthey might be improved;

● the social and environmental constraintsof the area; and

● the economic needs of the area that canbe addressed through tourism.

A helpful approach, too little used by thecase studies, is to break existing andpotential markets down into segments andto consider their particular requirementsand how to communicate with them. Somesegments were identified in Chapter 2.

Selection of marketsegments should bebased on a knowledgeof markets, needsand resources


● Including measurable targetsQuality management is a cyclicalprocess. Objectives set in the strategyshould be able to be implemented andshould relate to output targets that canbe measured. These could be qualitativeas well as quantitative targets. Thisappears to be a weakness of some of thestrategies in the case studies. PaysCathare (F) is an example of adestination where clear targets havebeen set which relate to qualityobjectives.

● Developing linked action plansA strategy should be about settingstrategic objectives. These can then belinked to action plans, but this may bebest undertaken as a separate process,to enable flexibility and to avoid thestrategy itself becoming swamped bydetail. Ballyhoura (IRL) has developed aninteresting action model that is appliedas a process to many quality initiatives.It is a staged system involving conceivingan initiative based on market feedback;bringing relevant players together;bringing in any necessary externalexpertise; piloting the initiative; and ifsuccessful implementing it and thenundertaking monitoring.

● Seeing the strategy as a dynamicprocessA strategy document should not be seenas the end of the process. The strategyshould be treated as a living entity thatis regularly updated. This has been asuccess factor in many case studies. Forexample Ôtaking stockÕ meetings havebeen held in the Trossachs (UK) and anumber of workshops have been held onthe strategy in S�chsische Schweiz (D)since it was first published.

➤ Agreeing and drafting the strategy

Some success factors to bear in mind whendeveloping strategies relating to qualitymanagement are as follows.

● Integrating the tourism strategy withother sectorsThere is a close association between theneeds of tourism, agriculture, ruraldevelopment and environmentalprotection. The tourism strategy shouldbe developed in parallel with widerplanning and development strategies andenvironmental policies (such as thosestemming from Local Agenda 21). A goodexample is the Vosges du Nord (F) wherethe tourism strategy is contained withinthe comprehensive Charter for the Parkand imaginative practical initiativesrelate tourism and land management.

● Undertaking extensive consultationIn many of the case study areas, thestrategy was developed over time by aseries of working parties. In most casesthis was a longer process thananticipated, but this was seen as a factorfor ultimate success.

● Being visionary, clear and stimulatingThe question of style is very important.A strategy which places an emphasis onquality management should set a clearvision for what the destination isexpected to be like in the future. Thestyle of expression should also beconfident, direct and speak for allparticipants that the strategy represents.An example is the Leitbild for S�chsischeSchweiz (D) that sets out a picture forthe area rather than a detailed plan. It iswritten in the first person (ÔweÕ), whichgives a strong feeling of agreement andcommitment, and contains strikingillustrations of people and landscapeswhich set the tone.

Local people should beconsulted on strategy

The tourism strategyfor S�chsische Schweiz

conveys a shared visionin words and pictures

Chapter 3


Highland cattle in the Vosges du Nord reflect the integratedstrategy, benefiting land management, a visitor event and afood initiative

29

Delivering a quality rural tourismexperience

This chapter looks at the different products and services offered by a

destination which influence the total visitor experience. It identifies

some of the priorities and actions that a rural destination should bear in

mind when pursuing an integrated quality management approach.

Marketing and communication

Integrated quality management is aboutan approach to marketing that is verycustomer focused, while taking accountof other important concerns (see theobjectives of IQM in Chapter 1). It is

about understanding potentialvisitors; putting across an accurateimage of the destination to them;making it easy for them to respond;and building up an ongoing dialoguewith them so that they become loyalrepeat visitors.

➤ Understanding the market

Success in marketing depends onunderstanding as much as possible about thekinds of people who are and might beattracted to an area. Some case studieshave used visitor surveys and discussiongroups for this purpose. This process, whichis central to IQM, is discussed in Chapter 5.

➤ Communicating an accurate quality image and identity

Communication should not only be aboutputting across an image of a destinationthat attracts people but also one that isaccurate, so that reality meets or exceedsexpectations. The case studies have beencareful about the messages contained intheir promotions. There have even beensome instances of playing down the image.In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) for example themessage stressed is that the destination isÔimprovingÕ rather than being ÔperfectÕ,inviting people to come and see.

Promoting the qualityscheme to journalists

in Pohjois-Karjala

Prestigious guidebooks and CDs can put

over quality images


Communication methods used should beof a kind that allow the quality of the areato be fully described and any creativeinitiatives given proper coverage. Casestudies have had good success with thefollowing.

● Press and TV coverage, often generatedby careful hosting of journalistsÕ visits.

● Entries obtained in quality travelguidebooks.

● Effective print items produced withcareful attention to detail and evocativeyet accurate images. In Pays Cathare (F)there is a family of print detailing theproducts covered by the quality charter,and descriptive text is certified by theCentre National dÕEtudes Cathares.Basilicata (I) has produced a veryattractive guidebook and CD-ROM tocreate the right image for its heritagetrails.

● Developing websites. There are manyquality advantages to communication viathe Internet. Provided websites areproperly maintained, they allow full,accurate and up-to-date details ofproduct offers to be presented at lowcost. Success has depended partly ongetting the right key words in searchengines, linked to market interests. TheBallyhoura (IRL) site has been accessedvia ÔIreland+walkingÕ and is now themajor source of new enquiries.

Having established a quality image,destinations can cement this throughÔbrandingÕ techniques such as the selectiveuse of logos and slogans. These are ofgreater value and validity if linked toquality standards, as discussed in Chapter 5.

Rationalising marketing activity,combining resources between smallmunicipalities and private sector groups intoone overall campaign, can be a major wayof improving the quality of communication.In Lungau (A) the local communities agreedto pool their efforts behind one campaignfor the area. In Montana de Navarra (E) aÔrural tourism guideÕ brings together theproduct of various sector groups (ruralhotels association, rural houses, campingetc.).

➤ Providing reservation services

The scattered nature of the product in ruralareas can make it hard for potential visitorsto make reservations. Small familybusinesses may not have phones that areconstantly manned.

In many of the case studies, groups ofenterprises operate a referral systembetween themselves so that an initialenquiry is not lost. Some have gone further,establishing a reservation service. InS�chsische Schweiz (D) an independentorganisation TOURBU was established by thetourism association to handleaccommodation bookings based on a flexibleallocation of rooms supplied by enterprises.In Vallonbruk (S), enterprises wereconcerned that participation in centralreservation might lead to loss of control.Therefore initially a free service was set upsimply for group bookings; this has provedpopular and so is being developed.

A difficulty with central reservationsystems for small rural enterprises is gettingproprietors to provide regularly updatedinformation on availability. This may beovercome in time through more widespreaduse of computer links.

Projecting an initial positive image on envelopes and postmarks

Reservation servicesneed to be actively

promoted in ruralareas

Promoting imaginativeprogrammes to groupsis a way of deliveringquality in many rural

areas

Chapter 4

Delivering a qualityrural tourismexperience

31

➤ Providing services to groups and the travel trade

The wide variety of heritage themes, smallattractions and events in rural areas meansthat there is considerable potential toprovide a quality product through bringingtogether these experiences in inclusivepackages. Six of the case studies have hadconsiderable success in compiling andpromoting such packages for groups.Markets include educational and specialinterest groups; walking clubs; corporateand incentive business; and general groupsseeking to have a special experience ofrural life. Themes have tended to reflectthe intrinsic qualities of the area inquestion, such as forest activities inPohjois-Karjala (FIN), industrial heritage inVallonbruk (S), and agriculture inBallyhoura (IRL).

Success has depended on maintaininggood contact with tour operators and grouporganisers, through perseverance inpromotion and providing a reliable qualityof ground handling service. Often actualprogrammes delivered have been tailored tomatch the requirements of the clientgroups.

➤ Maintaining contact with visitors

The total visitor experience of a destinationincludes coming home with fond memoriesand being reminded of them at later stages.Visitors should be kept informed of eventsand offers at the destination should theywish to revisit. This can be achieved bymaintaining a database of past visitors.

Many of the case studies do keep intouch in this way. Individual enterprises areoften encouraged to maintain contactthemselves, perhaps by sending Christmascards. Print items can be used effectively insuch follow up work. S�chsische Schweiz(D) use a magazine containing articles onissues and happenings in the area, whichalso includes a letters page.

➤ Monitoring the effectiveness of marketing

It is important to obtain regular feedbackfrom visitors about what influenced theirvisit. Likewise enterprises should keep acheck on sources of business. A number ofthe case studies include relevant questionsin visitor surveys; this is covered further in Chapter 5.

➤ Using larger quality networks

Rural destinations often have restrictedbudgets and limited time to spend ondeveloping their own promotionalcampaigns. They can find it more effectiveto participate in regional, national orEuropean campaigns that promote qualityrural experiences. For example:

● Lungau (A) is participating with Salzburg region in various targetedcampaigns linked to quality, includingthe imaginative Benglebande promotionaimed directly at children;

● Ballyhoura (IRL) found that it wasessential for market penetration, at leastinitially, to be part of the national IrishCountry Holidays branded campaign fordestinations offering community basedrural tourism experiences;

● in Vale do Lima (P), the qualityaccommodation initiative Solares dePortugal has created a ÔEurope ofTraditionsÕ brand with similar products in four other countries.

National sector marketing schemes, forexample for agrotourism, are often the most effective way of generating businessfor individual enterprises which reach thequality standards required.

Case studies have found that promotingpackages to groups and individual touroperators is time consuming and costly.There is scope for encouraging more touroperators to become proactive acrossEurope in promoting integrated rural holidayopportunities.

Magazines sent topast visitorsstrengthenrecollection andloyalty

In Ireland 13destinations arepromoted together inone brand


Welcome, orientation and information

Making visitors feel at home in a destinationand ensuring that they are aware of all theopportunities on offer, is a major factor indelivering a quality experience. It is centralto meeting strategic objectives such asincreasing length of stay, spending per headand the likelihood of a return visit, and canbe important in getting over environmentalmessages and in visitor management.

A quality management approach involvesplacing oneself in the position of visitorsand thinking about all the messages theywill receive during their stay. The rightinformation must be provided where andwhen it is needed. The approach also seeksto involve enterprises and the widercommunity in the process, and to ensurethat all the information delivered ismutually reinforcing and not conflicting.

Care should be taken to consider thespecific information requirements ofdifferent kinds of visitor, especially thosewith disabilities.

➤ Ensuring a welcome and orientation by hosts

A visitorÕs first impression of a destination iscritical to his subsequent response. It is atime when reality starts to be comparedwith expectation. It also a very importanttime to influence the pattern of the visit.

Hosts in accommodation establishmentshave a major role to play here. Warmth ofwelcome is clearly important. Hosts are alsoin an excellent position to advise visitors onwhat to do, getting a feel from them oftheir needs and interests. They can supplypacks of literature for use and reference.

In Ballyhoura (IRL) hosts have beentrained in receiving visitors using role play,learning how to judge the level ofinformation and involvement they want.They have been provided with templates forpreparing visitor information packs,covering details on what one can do actuallyon the hostÕs property (eg looking at thefarm);details of the immediate village orcommunity (where to walk, shops etc.); andthen suggested excursions.

The point of welcome is an appropriatetime for the provision of added extras,exceeding customer expectations. In Sitia(GR), visitors on group packages areprovided with special gifts of local wine andfood.

➤ Encouraging responsible behaviour among visitors

One purpose of providing information shouldbe not only to enable visitors to get morefrom their stay but also to ensure that theyunderstand the intrinsic qualities andsensitivities of the area. Carefully wordedand presented information for visitors onthe local heritage, environment andcommunity life should help to reducenegative impacts from tourism. Someexamples from the case studies aboutinvolving visitors with environmental issuesare given at the end of Chapter 4.

Encouraging hosts totalk and listen to

visitors is a key toquality management in

Ballyhoura

Gifts of local wine andconfectionery await

visitors in Sitia

Chapter 4


33

➤ Providing effective print, well distributed

Once visitors have arrived in a destination,information material needs to have anemphasis on practical usability rather thanprojecting images. Quality is abouteffectiveness and value to the visitor ratherthan about appearance. Effectivedistribution within the destination is criticalto success. Examples of good practice fromthe case studies include:

● having a family of literature, extensivelydisplayed at all the main sites (PaysCathare (F));

● having a focal piece of print, map basedand showing all main facilities, as a keyorientation tool which is well used andrecognised by everyone in thedestination (Trossachs Trail print);

● having a very simple news sheet,changed weekly, listing events during theweek, and handed to visitors forimmediate impact (Skaft�rhreppur (IS)).

It is very important to get feedback fromvisitors as well as from the people handlingprint, such as information centre staff,about its practical value.

➤ Improving the impact of information centres

Tourist information centres provide anessential link between visitors and adestination. For many people they are infact the public face of the destination,where visitors can have a dialogue with itsrepresentatives. The role they play iscritical to the quality projected.

Some of the case studies have improvedthe quality and impact of their informationcentres, in the following ways.

● Providing a focal attraction to encourageusage. In the Trossachs (UK), a new highquality orientation centre has beendeveloped, with a themed exhibition toact as a draw.

● Rationalising existing provision. InS�chsische Schweiz (D), localcommunities have cooperated withGerman Railways to provide astrategically located centre open 7 daysper week.

● Expanding services and profit centres. In Ballyhoura (IRL), catering andretailing offer additional customerfacilities and profit centres. The centrealso houses the development agency andbusiness advisory service, making it afocal point for tourism enterprises in thisscattered rural area.

In some areas informal informationpoints have been provided within moreisolated communities, using existingfacilities such as craft shops.

Improving service quality in informationcentres through staff training andcertification is common in many of theareas. Some have concentrated onincreasing product knowledge through studyvisits. A good example is the TicketD�couverte project in the Vosges du Nord(F), involving a regular series of visits anddiscussion meetings, and including peoplefrom tourism enterprises as well.

Very simple messages in the right place can be effective atinfluencing visitors

The TrossachsDiscovery Centre isstrategically placedto orientate visitors


➤ Developing a signposting system

Poor signposting is one of the maincomplaints from visitors to rural areas, andthis is reflected in feedback obtained by thecase studies. A problem is that thesignposting authority is not always an activepartner in the tourism body. A qualityapproach involves looking at signposting in asystematic way, assessing all the messagesthat a visitor needs, and is getting, fromsigning as he travels around the area.

Pays Cathare (F) provides a goodexample of an integrated system: eachhistoric settlement has a sequence ofadvance signing carrying the destinationlogo, leading to car parks with informationand onward pedestrian signing toattractions. In Vallonbruk (S), a specialsignposting working party is developing asimilar logical system.

➤ Keeping abreast of I.T. opportunities

Use of new technology for informationdelivery within a destination is still in itsinfancy in most rural areas, including thecase studies. Whereas information centresmay be using computerised databases, widerapplications for direct use by the public areas yet uncommon. However, it will becomeincreasingly important for rural destinationsto be able to match customer expectationsby keeping abreast of rapid developments inthis field.

Accommodation

A place to stay that meets or exceedsexpectations is very important to thequality of a visitorÕs experience of adestination. Market trends and the evidencefrom the case studies suggest that visitorsto rural areas are looking for:

● a wide range of types of accommodation,from country house hotels to camp sites,within broad price ranges;

● within each type, an expected degree ofcomfort and level of facilities which hasbeen steadily increasing;

● by preference, accommodation in anattractive setting and buildings whichreflect the authentic rural heritage ofthe area in design and decor.

This last point is in line withenvironmental objectives, which favouraccommodation which is not intrusive andbrings a commercial return to therestoration of old buildings. The siting ofnew accommodation in locations of greatlandscape beauty or wildlife significance hasin the past caused problems that manyareas are trying to rectify. Economicobjectives favour local ownership andenterprises well integrated within localcommunities.

➤ Keeping a check on new development

Some of the case studies have policies torestrict new development thereby increasingthe viability of existing accommodation andits chance of delivering quality. Such apolicy can also have environmental benefits.This has been successful in S�chsischeSchweiz (D), where the tourism strategydiscourages new hotel development butfavours conversions of existing buildings foraccommodation.

In some areas, assistance has been givenwith design and decor, for example byproviding architectural services, to ensurethat authentic local styles and materials areused.

Pays Cathare hasdeveloped a logical

system of signingsettlements and

attractions using thedestination brand

label

Chapter 4


35

➤ Identifying and providing different quality standards

Visitors are looking for accurate informationto guide their choice of accommodation. Inmost of the case studies, accommodationquality is identified and maintained throughnational accommodation grading andinspection schemes. These schemes varyconsiderably from country to country. Insome, basic inspection and registration iscompulsory. Where it is voluntary, the takeup in rural areas varies, from beingwidespread and effective, as in the UK, tobeing little taken up. Some countries, suchas Iceland, have no national accommodationinspection.

In rural areas, national membershiporganisations or agencies for differentaccommodation sectors, such as agrotourismand caravan and camping sites, play anextremely important role in promoting andidentifying quality. This is true in the casestudies and is discussed further in the nextchapter. It is important to encouragemaximum participation in theseaccommodation quality schemes.

National accommodation inspection andgrading schemes are particularly valuable inensuring that minimum standards, such ashygiene and cleanliness, are adhered to,and in identifying the level of facilities and

services provided, through a grading system.In a number of the case studies this hasbeen built on locally through encouragingaccommodation operators to meet higherlevels of service, reflect the specialcharacter of the destination or providedadditional experiences.

● In Ballyhoura (IRL), additional ruralexperiences in agrotourismaccommodation, such as a personal tourof the farm or an opportunity to bakebread, have been provided.

● In Vosges du Nord (F), G�tes Panda are aspecial kind of rural self-cateringaccommodation that has to fulfil certainenvironmental standards. The label isgranted by the WWF in conjunction withthe French Federation of Regional NatureParks and G�tes de France. G�tes Pandaprovide guests with a box of informationand instruments for discovering nature.

● In Pays Cathare (F), the local qualitycharter for rural accommodation coversaspects such as external appearance;interior decor (giving a local flavour butnot Ôfalse rusticityÕ); nature of personalwelcome; little extras in bedrooms andbathrooms; and a display case of PaysCathare produce.

Market trends point to a desire for authentic accommodation in rural areas

Rural character andexternal appearanceare part of thequality check in Pays Cathare

Equipment to discovernature is an added-extra in a G�te Panda


➤ Pursuing quality needs and opportunities in different accommodation types

Rural areas should maintain a wide range oftypes and price of accommodation to meetthe varying needs of different kinds ofvisitor, but seek to deliver quality in eachsector and price range. Some of the issuesparticular to each sector, arising from thecase studies, are identified below.

Agrotourism. Visitors using agrotourism arelooking for a warm welcome and ruralcharacter and atmosphere, but alsoincreasing standards of comfort. Some casestudies are seeking to provide extra levelsof service and rural experiences in thissector (see above). National agrotourismorganisations, such as G�tes de France, playan important role in setting and checkingstandards in many countries, and have beeninvolved in a number of the case studies.

Camping/caravan sites. The need toimprove facilities, design and environmentalimpact is often an issue in this sector. Acreative approach to this has been adoptedin Schouwen West (NL), wherecaravan/camping organisations have playeda strong role.

Country houses/manors. This form ofaccommodation can provide a high qualityrural experience. The opportunities are welldemonstrated by the case study in Vale doLima (P), combining personal service fromindividual hosts with the beautifullyconserved buildings. Many case studies have

reported strong demand for high qualitycharacterful self-catering accommodation.

Rural hotels. There are various examples ofnational, regional and local network groupsand co-operatives of rural hotels, whichhave developed their own quality standards.In Montana de Navarra (E) the Rural HotelsAssociation requires all its members to haveunder 25 rooms, an attractive environment,use traditional architecture and promotecustomer satisfaction. It has a three tierquality grading system with a standard pricecharged within each level. The quality ofbedrooms and of cuisine are also gradedseparately.

Village co-operatives. The concept ofclusters of accommodation within villages,offering common standards and sometimesrun as a cooperative, has been pursued incertain countries. There are examples ofsuch initiatives in Sitia (GR) and Vale doLima (P). Agreement on the level ofstandards to provide and on the relationshipto the rest of the village, in terms offacilities and other visitor experiences, areimportant issues.

Hostels and simple accommodation. Ruralareas should provide simple accommodationfor people travelling on a low budget.Provision and quality standards are partlycatered for by the member organisations ofthe International Youth Hostels Association.There may be opportunities for additionallocal accommodation to be coordinated at adestination level. In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) theschool, community halls and mountain hutsare used to provide such accommodation,with bookings handled through the districtcouncil.

Authentic furnishing ispart of the quality

offered in the manorhouses of Vale do Lima

Community halls addto the range ofaccommodation

offered inSkaft�rhreppur

Chapter 4


37

Local produce and gastronomy

Enjoyment of speciality local food andhandicrafts can provide a special experiencefor visitors in rural areas. Through them,local destinations can demonstrate theirspecial qualities and distinctiveness.Evidence from the case studies confirmsthat visitors are interested not only in theoverall quality of food and catering butincreasingly in trying local specialities. Insome areas, such as the Trossachs (UK), itwas found that quality and distinctivenessof food had been a particular weaknessnoted by visitors and initiatives have beentaken to rectify this.

Increasing the purchase of local foodsand handicrafts by visitors and indirectly bytourism enterprises can considerablystrengthen the proportion of tourismspending retained within the local economyand support traditional rural trades. Inparticular, supporting local agriculturethrough promoting local food andgastronomy has been an important objectiveof many case studies. Some have recognisedthat this can improve quality in a moreintegrated way, stimulating farmers tomaintain traditional practices andlandscapes, such as orchards, vineyards anddairy pastures, thereby bringingenvironmental benefits and maintaining thekinds of landscape that visitors come toexpect and enjoy.

In Bregenzerwald (A), cheese has beenused as a main theme of the tourism offer.A ÔCheese RouteÕ has been created,involving farms, dairies, small factories,sales outlets and restaurants, with agreedquality standards and a joint marketingcampaign linked to the destination.

➤ Increasing the quality of local produce

A number of the case studies have workeddirectly on improving quality of localproduce, with three main components.

● Creating specialist network groups.Food and craft producers (eitherseparately or mixed) have been broughttogether as a group. Some are specialistgroups dealing with one product, such asthe cheese producers in Bregenzerwald(A) and beef producers in S�chsischeSchweiz (D).

● Quality chains, audits and training.In Montana de Navarra (E) externalquality consultants have looked at eachstage in the production process andadvised on quality improvements. In PaysCathare (F) attention has been paid toquality at each stage in the chain ofsupply from farmer to producer toretailer or restaurateur, concentrating onspecific local foods such as bread, porkand lamb, subsequently promoted tovisitors as quality specialities.

● ÔQualityÕ or ÔLocalÕ labels. Labels havebeen applied either to individualproducts, such as the special bread ÔPaindu Pays CathareÕ, or to products of thenetwork group as a whole. In some areas,the label has reflected not so much aquality process as the origin ofmaterials. For example, the ÔNaturallyLungauÕ label is given to a whole rangeof enterprises who sell or use organicproduce and materials made or grown inLungau (A).

Promoting theguaranteed qualityof Pays Cathare lamb

The BregenzerwaldCheese Routepursues integratedquality linkingtourism andagriculture


➤ Increasing opportunities for visitors to purchase local produce

Using local produce to enhance the visitorexperience and boost the local economywill only be successful if effective andcreative ways are found to promotepurchasing opportunities to visitors.Examples include:

● Distribution and point of sale promotion.In Bregenzerwald (A) Ôfarm kiosksÕ areprovided and stocked in accommodationestablishments.

● Promotional events. In Montana deNavarra (E) specially promoted localfairs have provided a major sales outletfor producers as well as an enjoyablevisitor experience.

● Visit opportunities and trails.Opportunities to visit producers andmake purchases Ôat the gateÕ andsometimes view production, provide avaluable experience. This is a feature ofthe Bregenzerwald Cheese Route.

➤ Encouraging restaurants to reflect the traditional gastronomy

At least half the case studies have pursuedsuch initiatives. Some components of theapproach have included:

● network groups of restaurateurs agreeingquality criteria and working up recipes;

● training programmes for chefs andwaiters, not only on preparing dishes butalso on how to describe them to visitors;

● gastronomic events and competitions,such as the prestigious Aude Gourmandein Pays Cathare (F);

● identification of participating restaurantsin print and publicity;

● special identification through labels,leaflets, menu cards and tableware inthe restaurants, as in Pohjois-Karjala(FIN) and S�chsische Schweiz (D).

Many areas have found it helpful toconcentrate initially on a few dishes onwhich the reputation of the area can befounded, and then to extend the repertoire.

Attractions and events

It is important to avoid uniformity ofattractions and events - people travel toenjoy new experiences.

Feedback from visitors indicates aninterest in places to visit and things to dowhich provide a flavour of the area, itsrural qualities and its heritage, and whichare entertaining as well as educational.They want good information to make achoice, but also value an element ofsurprise.

Small scale attractions and events whichinvolve the local community can bebeneficial in terms of economic and socialobjectives, as well as providing an intimacyenjoyed by visitors. However, in many ruralareas there is also a place for significantattractions that include the latestinterpretation techniques provided they areviable, authentic and do not damage theenvironment or devalue the local heritage.

➤ Providing sufficient attractions to retain visitor interest

The quality of a destination partly dependson having attractions and events that meetvisitorsÕ expectations and ensure that theyare well occupied. Many rural areas sufferfrom a lack of wet-weather attractions.Strategies to encourage longer stays orincrease the length of season may point tothe need to develop more attractions andincrease opening times.

Local produce on salein a Bregenzerwald

hotel

Menu cards andexplanatory leaflets

for use by restaurantsin the S�chsische

Schweiz beef scheme

Many types of attraction can provide visitors with a ruralexperience but attention to quality is important

Chapter 4


39

Obtaining visitor feedback is important inmaking a judgement about the need formore attractions. In Skaft�rhreppur (IS),visitor surveys indicated that people werenot stopping because there was not enoughto do. A programme of events and a smallvisitor centre was established specifically toovercome this problem.

➤ Providing the right level of access and quality of interpretation

The case studies have sought to deliver aquality experience for visitors throughattractions and events, while respecting thelocal environment and heritage, in thefollowing ways.

● Concentrating on the special heritagesites and themes of the area.Investment of resources and time in thecase study destinations has concentratedon special features, such as industrialheritage in Vallonbruk (S) and castlesand abbeys in Pays Cathare (F).

● Ensuring authenticity. Care has beentaken to interpret what is there, ratherthan fabricate sites and themes. InBallyhoura (IRL) for example, access forvisitors has been negotiated with acollection of genuine working farms.

● Providing a level of interpretationcorrect for the site. In many placesinterpretation materials and techniqueshave been designed so as not to beintrusive. In Vosges du Nord (F) allinterpretation materials are designed tobe free standing from historic structuresand completely removable.

● Using high profile themes andinterpretation techniques whereappropriate. The new Trossachs (UK)visitor centre, which acts as focal drawand orientation centre for the area, usesa variety of technology-based interactivedisplays.

● Considering the special needs ofcertain markets. A number ofattractions and events are speciallyinterpreted for children. In Vallonbruk(S) a childrenÕs visitor centre, fun walksand childrenÕs parties are offered. InLungau (A) a working group has lookedat improving the quality of the areaÕsappeal to children and a weeklyprogramme of activities has beenestablished.

● Emphasising personal guiding andgroup programmes. A number ofdestinations are offering a very highquality experience through tailor madeprogrammes and one-to-oneinterpretation, especially for groups.There has been considerable emphasis onprofessional training of guides, many ofwhom are volunteers and local people.

● Determining the right level ofaccessibility. Sometimes limiting accessto sites can increase the quality of theexperience of those visitors who seekthem out. The unique preserved farmbuildings at Murtovaara in Pohjois-Karjala (FIN), for example, require along journey on tracks deep into theforest and are promoted as a specialexperience to groups and a small numberof staying visitors. Nevertheless,maximising opportunities for access bydisabled people is important.

There has been little application offormal quality controls and checking forrural attractions. The emphasis has been ondiversity and professional interpretation.However, some types of rural attractioncould benefit from recognised qualitycriteria. In Ireland, for example, theÔWorking Farms of IrelandÕ group isestablishing standards for open farms.

Live link technology enables observation of wildlife at adistance in the Trossachs

Individual guiding cangreatly add to thequality of theexperience


➤ Combining small attractions and events, for quality and impact

A typical feature of rural areas is thepresence of many small sites andattractions, together with a range of localevents that are often uncoordinated. Theirimpact on tourism and their quality, bothperceived and in reality, can bestrengthened by creating linkages.

● Combining similar attractionstogether. In Pays Cathare (F) and Vosgesdu Nord (F) heritage sites, includingsmall historic properties and museums,have been working as a group withcommon curatorial standards andsupport. Additional quality for the visitoris provided by joint ticketing anddiscounts on multiple visits.

● Creating a complete programme orfestival out of a series of individuallocal events. These may be traditionalvillage carnivals, guided walks or otherinterpretative events. Often they will beprovided by village communities,heritage societies or local enthusiasts.Coordinating dates and providing adviceon content, arrangements and publicitycan strengthen the overall quality.Vallonbruk (S) provides an example of acomprehensive programme established inthis way.

● Developing trails. Heritage trails andthemed routes, such as theBregenzerwald (A) Cheese Route,provide a useful way of combining smallsites and events, either physicallythrough a specific route or conceptually.

● Promoting packages. In Basilicata (I)and Sitia (GR) the concept of heritagetrails linking small attractions has beentaken a stage further by incorporatingthem in saleable packages. Some of theattractions included are not available tothe general visitor and quality is assuredby personal guiding.

Countryside recreation

While large numbers of visitors come torural areas to enjoy their landscape andheritage, increasing proportions are alsoseeking recreation activities, spurred partlyby a trend towards more healthy lifestyles.Rural destinations pursuing quality shouldseek the best ways of providingopportunities for recreation which do notdamage the rural environment and helppeople to experience it in fulfilling waysthrough their sport.

➤ Ensuring good safety and environmental standards

In setting standards for sport and recreationin the countryside, priority should be givento visitor safety. The expanding market foractivity holidays means that manyconsumers are inexperienced; they need tobe given assurance and confidence. This hasbeen achieved in some case studydestinations as follows.

● All activity providers are required tomeet the national standards of theactivity or sport in question, in terms offacilities and qualification of instructors.

● Facilities and visitor information aredesigned with safety in mind. In theTrossachs (UK), walking routes andleaflets are carefully checked for safety.The starting points of more difficultwalks are less well marked to discouragecasual walkers.

Environmental standards and codes ofpractice are becoming a basic component ofquality in outdoor recreation. They can benegotiated with operators and visitors at adestination level for different types ofactivity. For example, in S�chsischeSchweiz (D) climbing clubs have reached asuccessful agreement with the national parkon the carrying capacity of different cragsand the behaviour of climbers.

The visitor pass in theVosges du Nord

provides access to anetwork of attractions

A number of ruralareas have coordinated

events programmes, as in Vallonbruk

Chapter 4


41

➤ Matching recreation provision to market needs

A quality management approach requires anunderstanding of the kinds of recreationthat visitors are looking for rather thanmaking assumptions about this. Forexample, in Vale do Lima (P) the provisionof a high quality golf course and ridingstables was planned to meet the needs ofvisitors attracted to the country houses inthe area, based on feedback from guests.Rural areas should think more about thespecial needs of disabled people in havingbetter access to the countryside.

➤ Creating quality recreational trails

The increasing demand for walking andcycling opportunities is a commonphenomenon across Europe: any ruraldestination pursuing quality should providegood facilities and information for this. Bothactivities provide a truly rural experienceand an opportunity for exploration that isenvironmentally friendly. Many case studieshave developed trails for walking andcycling, and some are extending thisapproach to riding and canoeing. Often, thishas been prompted by visitor feedback.

There are some key factors for success.

● Providing different levels of trail (inlength and difficulty) meets the needs ofa wide spectrum of visitors, from theafternoon stroller to the sports cyclist. Inparticular, case studies have found ademand for short circular walks.

● Clear signposting is required at the startof trails together with regularwaymarking, including a programme forchecking and maintenance. Inadequatesigning is a common complaint fromvisitors.

● Routes can be planned to include villagesand places of interest. Experience hasshown that visitors ask for this; itincreases economic benefit and can helpvisitor management. In Sitia (GR) therehas been a strategy to create walkingroutes from centres of tourism on thecoast to inland villages. In Ballyhoura(IRL) many village communities havecreated their own circular walks.

● Heritage themes can be used creatively:trails can enhance the heritage and viceversa. In Montana de Navarra (E)walking, cycling and riding trails on aformer railway have includedinterpretation and restoration schemes.

Safety standards should have priority in countryside activities

Walking routes inBallyhoura are colourcoded according tolength


➤ Improving quality through linkages and packages

Quality can be improved if activity providerswork together as a group and also formlinkages with other types of enterprise. Inthe case studies, higher standards and amore integrated offer to visitors have beenachieved in the following ways.

● Comprehensive packagesIn the Vosges du Nord (F), the parkauthority developed a choice of walkingpackages on trails, linking many smallaccommodation operators, and organisingbaggage transfers. A visitor questionnaireindicated the need for better signing tolocal villages and facilities. In Pohjois-Karjala (FIN), packagescombine a whole range of activityoperators, guides and crafts people whoprovide joint forest activity programmes.

● More flexible schemes based on agreedstandardsThis means that quality is assured forvisitors seeking recreation but they areable to make their own arrangements. In Lungau (A) quality criteria have beenestablished for groups of hotels providingfor walkers, cyclists and cross-countryskiers. The latter also work withtransport operators in a comprehensiveÔnew winterÕ programme including skipasses and daily information on snowconditions. In S�chsische Schweiz (D)ten hotels have been designated as ÔbikefriendlyÕ, by meeting criteria of theGerman Cycling Club, including provisionof cycle storage, drying rooms, cyclinginformation and accepting single nightstays.

➤ Improving existing leisure facilities for visitors and locals

Rural areas are often not well off for basicleisure facilities such as swimming pools andtennis courts, which can be important forvisitors. A chance could be taken to improvequality for everyone if provision for bothvisitors and the community is planned andmanaged together. For example the schoolswimming pool is an important facility inSkaft�rhreppur (IS) but visitors compare itunfavourably with pools in competingdestinations.

In Lungau specialbrochures promote

accommodationmeeting published

quality codes ofservice for walkers

and cyclists

Sports and recreation facilities in rural areas can benefit fromjoint use by locals and visitors

Chapter 4


43

● An integrated transport timetable andticketing scheme has been negotiated,linking local buses to national bus andrail services with agreed minimumtransfer times (Lungau (A)).

● Operators have been persuaded to add tolong distance bus services in the touristseason (Skaft�rhreppur (IS)).

● VisitorsÕ perception of the journey,where this can be influenced, has beenimproved. In Sitia (GR), groups are metand looked after at Iraklion airport tominimise the impact of the four hourcoach transfer.

Rural destinations have a greater chanceof influencing transport within the area.ÔPark and rideÕ local bus services have beenintroduced in the Trossachs (UK), Lungau(A) and Schouwen West (NL) with varyingresults. It was found that simply providingthe buses was not enough, proving thatquality management is about matchingservices to peopleÕs needs. Factors forsuccess have been:

● carefully researched routes which takevisitors from where they are to wherethey want to go;

● introducing a reason for visitors to leavetheir cars, such as closing roads to carsbut not to buses; restricting parking; orpromoting opportunities for linear walks;

● linking in with other transport operatorsto provide a complete service;

● relating the service to the needs ofresidents as well as visitors, to increaseviability; and

● creative local publicity.

Environment and infrastructure

In rural destinations, maintaining andimproving the quality of the localenvironment should be given the highestpriority in quality management, for twoparallel reasons.

● To meet visitor expectations. Almostevery survey of visitors in rural areasconfirms that their main requirement isfor fine, unspoiled landscapes. They alsolook for attractive villages and smalltowns to wander in. Such considerationsare often more important than the levelof facilities.

● For the environment itself. Theprinciples of sustainability, protectingthe environment for future generations,are now widely accepted.

In part this is about overall managementof the environment in terms of developmentcontrol, appearance, cleanliness etc. It isalso about managing tourism, including thelocation and operation of enterprises andthe flow of visitors, to minimise impact onsensitive sites, on local people and on othervisitors.

A related quality issue is the need toprovide the right level of transport andother local services to meet therequirements of visitors but also meetenvironmental objectives and the needs ofthe local community.

➤ Improving and managing transport to, and within, the area

The journey to a destination is part of thevisitor experience. Although some are quiteisolated, all the case study areas areaccessible by car. A common objective andchallenge has been to improve the qualityof accessibility by public transport, which isa typical rural weakness, and to get morevisitors to switch to using it. This is difficultto achieve and progress has been slow. Thefollowing are examples of some of theaction taken.

Attractive, unspoiledcountryside is amajor requirementfor visitorsatisfaction in ruralareas

A heritage vehicleprovides a shuttlebus service in theTrossachs, to add tovisitor interest

The Transferium parkand ride scheme inSchouwen West iswell used


➤ Improving the quality of local services for visitors

There are various basic services that visitorsmay look for in a destination such as shops,banks, post offices, security and healthcare. Some of these may not be present inrural areas; at least information on theirnearest location should be available. Wherelocal facilities are provided, they should begeared to the needs of visitors as well aslocal people.

Little attention had been paid to this inthe case studies, but there were exceptions.In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) the village shop hasimproved services and changed its openingtimes to reflect visitorsÕ needs. Personnelfrom the garage, bank and post office areinvolved in the tourism association and havebecome more tourist-friendly. In Schouwen West (NL), which has morevisitors than other cases, safety is enhancedby providing free holidays in the area forpolice families in exchange for somesecurity duties.

Greater success in involving localservices in tourism may be achieved byworking at a village or community level, asin Skaft�rhreppur (IS), bringing localservices together to discuss needs andideas.

➤ Introducing comprehensive management schemes

The need for protection and improvementmeasures will vary considerably from placeto place, depending on the nature of theenvironment and level of impact fromtourism and other activity. In some morepressurised destinations, comprehensiveenvironmental improvement or visitormanagement schemes may be appropriate.

Two case studies adopting this approachare the Trossachs (UK), where a tourismmanagement project links many agenciesincluding traffic management, restorationwork, visitor orientation and signing, andSchouwen West (NL) where enterprises andthe local authority are working together onthe redesign and relocation of caravanparks, and new transport initiatives.

Some environmental protection andimprovement activity has been a feature ofall case studies. Four factors for success,relevant to all rural areas, are identifiedbelow.

➤ Having appropriate land use planning policies

Firm planning controls can play a major partin quality management of rural destinations,protecting the area from unsightlydevelopment, be it from tourism or otheractivities. Planning policies can alsostipulate the kind and style of developmentthat is appropriate, reflecting the localvernacular and giving advice on design andmaterials. Involving the tourism industry informing land use plans can be helpful; the

The quality of ordinary services, such as the local supermarketin Skaft�rheppur, can be very important to visitors

Simple informationabout safety in the

Trossachs demonstratesa caring attitude

An imaginative partnership approach to physical planning ofcaravan sites is demonstrated in Schouwen West

Chapter 4


45

interactive approach in Schouwen West(NL) is a good example. In somedestinations, where the overall planningsystem may be less effective, specific localagreements about sensitive sites can work.In Sitia (GR) laws restricting developmentclose to archaeological sites have beenused, in agreement with local people, toprotect the Minoan site of Kato Zakros, thelocal village and some very attractiveneighbouring areas from inappropriatetourism developments.

➤ Working with parks and protected areas

Parks provide a major resource forsustainable rural tourism. Many are takinga positive attitude towards visitors, as apositive force bringing both environmentaland social benefit, while ensuring strictcontrols and management policies. Thisapproach is being fostered by a newEuropean charter for sustainable tourism inprotected areas. Many of the case studydestinations include protected areas.Success has been achieved by integratingtheir objectives within the tourism strategyfor the destination, and involving themmore closely with local authorities and localtourism businesses. Vosges du Nord (F) is adestination where the park authority hastaken the lead.

➤ Stimulating action within local communities

Much can be achieved at a local level bystimulating action to improve and protectthe environment within individual villagesand communities, often involving voluntaryeffort. The case studies have achievedsuccess in the following ways.

● Co-ordination through a villagemanager. In Pays Cathare (F) managersof historic sites in certain villages havetaken on responsibility for enhancementschemes and tourism initiatives andevents in the whole village, working withthe local community.

● Forming local working parties.In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) working parties oflocal people, including enterprises,tackle restoration of eroded paths andother projects.

● Using awards as an incentive.In Ballyhoura (IRL) community groupshave been formed in many villages withresponsibility for the environment andamenities, undertaking work such ascreating trails and picnic sites. Somecompete in the Tidy Towns Initiative, anationally branded scheme administeredlocally, involving inspections and awards.

Award schemes help to spur small scale environmental improvements at a local level in Ballyhoura


➤ Involving and influencing visitors

It makes good sense to inform visitors aboutenvironmental issues and elicit their help inconservation. Even if this results in littleoverall benefit to the environment, it isvery important psychologically, and helpsthe destination come across as a caringplace. Evidence suggests that the largemajority of visitors appreciate beingapproached and case studies have adopted anumber of practices.

● Publishing visitor codes. In theTrossachs (UK) and Vosges du Nord (F)all main tourist brochures containsuggestions to visitors on how to besensitive to the environment.

● Talking to visitors. Regular talks on theenvironment are held in Skaft�rhreppur(IS) for visitors and local people. Groupsin Sitia (GR) are told about localenvironmental, agricultural andcommunity issues at the start of theirstay.

● Practical involvement in conservationwork. In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) groups areinvited to buy and plant trees in aspecial tourist forest to help counter soilerosion.

● Financial assistance. Evidence suggeststhat visitors are happy to makedonations to local conservation causes ifapproached in the right way.

➤ Promoting sustainability amongst tourism enterprises

Sound ecological practice amongst tourismenterprises is good for the environment andcan reduce costs; it is also slowly becomingexpected by visitors, especially thosevisiting rural areas to enjoy nature.

Many case studies have been runningcourses for operators on how to be moreÔgreenÕ. Often these include issues like theuse of local produce as well as technicalmeasures to do with energy, water andwaste management. In Bregenzerwald (A)hoteliers themselves have worked on amanual full of practical tips. In many areasit has been found that peer group pressurefrom enterprises working together onenvironmental issues has spurred themforward.

An incentive for enterprises to changetheir practices is the award and subsequentpublication of eco-labels, requiring them todemonstrate adherence to certain criteria.Established criteria such as ISO14000 can beadapted to meet the needs of small tourismenterprises. Local eco-labels have beenused successfully inLungau (A) andBregenzerwald (A). In the Trossachs (UK)various enterprisesparticipate in theScottish TouristBoardÕs nationalbranded ÔGreenTourism BusinessÕscheme.

A simple code ofconduct for visitors in

the Voges du Nord

Donation schemes area way of involving

visitors inconservation issues

Promoting the GreenTourism Business scheme inthe Trossachs

Chapter 4


47

Strengthening quality managementand monitoring processes

This chapter is concerned with the processes and tools which

destinations should apply to sharpen up their quality management. It is

based on the theories of quality management outlined in Chapter 1,

which identified the process as an on-going cycle.

The process involves:

● understanding the needs of visitors;● setting, checking and promoting

standards;● working with enterprises to reach these

standards through training andassistance;

● checking on the impact on businesses,local people and the environment;

● checking on visitor satisfaction and sounderstanding more about their needs.

This quality management ÔengineÕ can beapplied to the whole destination orindividual initiatives within it.

Understanding visitor needs and seeing they are met

Much of the previous two chapters hasshown how pursuing visitor satisfaction inrural destinations can help to meet overallstrategic objectives concerning the needs ofthe economy, local people, businesses andthe environment. A fundamental process inquality management is the measurement ofvisitor expectations, needs and levels ofsatisfaction. This should occur at the outsetof any quality initiative, and then bechecked throughout, with adjustments madeaccording to results.

Although there were numerous incidentsof visitor surveys and feedback amongst thecase studies, this was not given the reallyhigh profile and commitment required fromdestinations truly pursuing quality.

Understandingexpectations of

different kinds ofvisitor is critical to

the qualitymanagement process


➤ Researching potential visitors

Asking questions of people who may nothave been to the area can be veryinstructive. As well as helping to identifywho the potential visitors are, it can pointto:

● negative or inaccurate images, orunrealistic expectations, requiringadjustment through improvedcommunication;

● realistic expectations and requirementsof facilities, environments andinfrastructure which may needimprovement or development.

This kind of research can be undertakenthrough interview surveys or discussiongroups, away from the destination but in apotential catchment area for visitors. In Basilicata (I) focus group discussions indifferent parts of Italy with tour operatorsand journalists (whose images andexpectations can have a strong influenceover success in attracting more visitors) ledto a new set of product offers emphasisingquality.

➤ Surveying existing visitors

Well constructed, objective researchamongst visitors to a destination willprovide valuable information upon which tobase a programme of quality improvement.

Such research can best be carried outthrough a questionnaire survey. Componentsmight include:

● interviews of visitors at the main sites inthe area;

● self-completion questionnaires handedout by accommodation establishments;

● careful planning to ensure good coverageof types of visitor and objective results;

● running the survey at peak times and lessbusy times;

● follow up surveys at least every threeyears to check trends and changes.

Questions should enable a clear pictureto be obtained of who is coming to thearea; why; what they are doing there; levelsof satisfaction; and future needs. Thefollowing are useful tips in terms of thequality management process.

● Ask what features are important tovisitors, as well as how they judge themin the area.

● Be detailed and specific. It is helpful toget visitorsÕ reaction to a whole range offacilities and services rather than justgeneral answers.

● Ask about expectations before arrival.● Seek comparisons with other

destinations.● Establish whether they have been before

and plan to return - this can be anindication of satisfaction.

Experience from surveys carried out bythe case studies and elsewhere suggeststhat high satisfaction scores are to beexpected. This should not lead tocomplacency. Comparative scores can bemore instructive. It can also be helpful tohold a few group discussions with visitors toget a more detailed picture of why peoplehold certain views.

Lack of regular surveys was a weaknessamongst the case studies. However, wherethey were held they were very influential.Skaft�rhreppur (IS) based its whole strategyon a visitor survey that pointed to a lack ofthings to do, a need to improve facilities,and a strong interest in the environment. A follow up survey confirmed improvementsin comparison to other areas. In theTrossachs (UK) separate surveys were heldto judge reaction to different initiativessuch as the new visitor orientation centre.

Chapter 5

Strengthening qualitymanagement andmonitoring processes

Visitor surveys need to be well planned and regularly repeated

A self-completionquestionnaire in the

Vosges du Nordmeasures satisfaction

with small visitorattractions

49

➤ Obtaining regular feedback from visitors

In addition to one-off surveys, all visitorsshould be able to provide feedback on theirstay. This allows problems to be detectedquickly and demonstrates a caring attitude.It requirese cooperation betweenenterprises and destination managers. Thefollowing approaches could be pursued.

● Enterprises should be encouraged to talkto visitors about their experiences. InBallyhoura (IRL) all groups are asked fortheir reaction before the end of theirstay so that any problems can berectified immediately.

● A Ôsuggestions bookÕ as well as a visitorsÕbook placed in information centres andindividual establishments will encouragepeople to record useful comments, notjust pleasantries.

● All visitors could be asked to fill in ashort questionnaire. Returning these to acentral source in a reply paid envelope,rather than handing them to hosts, canencourage honest answers. In SchouwenWest (NL) members of the local caravansite network give all visitors aquestionnaire on which they indicatesatisfaction levels. Responses arechecked by the local chamber ofcommerce and if scores fall below acertain level the member in question hasto take remedial action or leave thegroup.

● Questionnaires can be placed indestination brochures. Althoughresponses tend to be low, this is cheapand easy, demonstrates care andprovides some indication of consumerreaction that can be compared overtime. In Vallonbruk (S) this providedhelpful feedback leading toimprovements in the product offer and afull survey the following year.

Complaints should be treated as avaluable form of feedback, and handledswiftly and courteously. Procedures for thisappear to be well established in the casestudies, with care being taken to get fulldetails from visitors. In most cases touristboards were used to act as arbitrators onthe few occasions where there weresignificant disagreements.

➤ Obtaining secondary feedback

Destination managers should not simply relyon their own surveys. Valuable insights intovisitorsÕ reactions can be gained frompeople who have day to day contact withthem, such as tourist information centrestaff and accommodation hosts.

Some case study destinations, such asSitia (GR) and Ballyhoura (IRL), do a lot ofbusiness with tour operators. Maintaininggood relations with them has provedessential. Most tour operators have theirown detailed feedback forms for clients,and are very sensitive to the results in theirfuture choice of destinations, programmesor individual facilities. Destinations shouldbe aware of this and seek to work closelywith the tour operators or their localrepresentatives. In Sitia (GR), for example,this resulted in a change in the choice ofrestaurants featured in a programme, andhigher quality targets being set.

In Sitia, regularfeedback fromvisitors on tourprogrammes iscarefully checked

Visitor books areuseful but notsufficient to gain atrue measure ofsatisfaction

The tourism officerdiscussing visitorsÕexpectations of theenvironment withfarm hosts inSkaft�rhreppur


Setting, checking and communicating standards

Setting, checking and communicatingstandards is another important tool inquality management. Knowledge of visitorsand their needs provides a sound basis forthis.

Decisions should be taken in thedestination about what standards arerelevant, what these should cover, the bestlevel and mechanism for inspection, andhow to communicate the standards reached.

➤ Selecting the types of standard to apply

Standards can be agreed and set for a wholerange of products and activities in adestination, including accommodation,catering, attractions, activities, and varioustourist services and infrastructure. Mostcase studies have been seeking to increasequality in all these areas, as described inthe last chapter. There have been two kindsof approach:

● informal, based on encouraging tourismenterprises and other relevantorganisations to meet identifiedstandards where possible; or

● formal, linked to a checking process,usually resulting in some form ofrecognition that the standard has beenmet through a publicised grade or label.

It is helpful to look back at the theory inChapter 1, which pointed to different levelsof standard. Reflecting on this theory andthe experience from the case studies, it ispossible to identify seven types of standardrelevant to tourism in rural destinations.

1 Minimum acceptable standardsThese include factors such as hygiene,cleanliness and provision of basicfacilities and services in accommodationand catering establishments, andimportant safety standards forcountryside recreation. Such standardsapply in most of the case study areas,but not necessarily to all enterprises.

2 Technical levels of facilities andservicesThese include quantifiable aspects suchthe level of facilities, measures ofcomfort in accommodation (e.g. ensuitebathrooms), opening times atattractions, etc. Typically, they arestandards included in nationalaccommodation grading schemes.

3 Special qualities of service andexperience offered These are harder to measure and oftenless tangible aspects of quality, includingwarmth of welcome, personal attentionand added extras provided for guests.Many case studies have beenconcentrating on these standards,especially through training.

4 Qualities of authenticity, reflectingthe destinationThese standards are to do with bringingout the special character of thedestination, including use of materials,styles and produce from the local area,and activities that reflect its heritageand traditions. Examples are the criteriafor the ÔNaturally Lungau (A)Õ label andPark Mark in the Vosges du Nord (F).

5 Ability to meet special needsThis is primarily concerned withadditional standards of facility andservice which may be required to meetthe needs of particular market segments,such as children, people on activityholidays, or people with disabilities.Examples are the Cycle Hotels inS�chsische Schweiz (D), and theÔAccessibility AssessmentÕ in theTrossachs (UK) which is part of thecomprehensive quality classification andinspection scheme in Scotland.

6 Ecological standardsThese standards, which are relativelyeasy to define and identify, areconcerned with good practice withrespect to energy, waste, use ofresources and other aspects of therelationship to the local and globalenvironment. An example is the eco-label scheme in Bregenzerwald (A).

Chapter 5


In Ballyhoura, IrishTourist Board approval

denotes a baselinelevel of standard forrural accommodation

Cycle friendlyaccommodation in

S�chsische Schweiz isidentified with a

special sticker

51

7 Standards of management practiceThese reflect the approach andprofessionalism of an enterprise ororganisation towards management,including aspects such as staffrelationships and checking customersatisfaction, as well as more generalqualities of business planning andmarketing. In Pohjois-Karjala (FIN), theUniquely Finnish and Karelia � la Carteschemes require enterprises to embraceTQM principles in their management,based on ISO 9001 standards.

These standards are additive rather thanmutually exclusive. In an ideal destinationall organisations and enterprises would beachieving high scores in each of them.

Checking procedures and quality labelscan be devised for each of them separatelyor for some or all of them in combination.Destinations should select which types ofstandard they wish to pursue, according tothe priorities in their strategy and theirmarket assessment.

➤ Selecting the width and depth of coverage

A destination can choose to identify qualitycriteria and standards for only some typesof tourism enterprise and activity or for allof them. Most of the case studies have beenselective in this respect. However therewere two major exceptions.

● Pays Cathare (F) hasidentified a set of separatequality criteria for 19different elements, fromaccommodation to activities,guiding and other services.

● Montana de Navarra (E) hasan embryonic scheme whichshould be similarlycomprehensive; the pilotexercise has includedestablishing criteria for thelocal photo shop and thetown hall.

These more comprehensive schemesenable the brand name of the destination asa whole to be associated with quality.

A second, related choice is betweenpursuing:

● a minimum quality standard for allenterprises or organisations; or

● high quality for a few.

A wise strategy is to do both. Universalminimum standards are very important as apoor experience can put a visitor off forever and give the destination a bad name.However, a small number of establishmentswith really high standards can influenceothers over time. In Pays Cathare (F) onlyaround 10% of the rural accommodation hasacquired the quality label. As theirperformance is notably better, the qualityscheme is expanding.

Giant Samson, a figure from folklore, was used as the basisfor the label in Lungau depicting local products

Destination labels cancover a whole range offacilities and services,as in Pays Cathare


➤ Choosing the right mechanisms for setting and checking standards

Inspection and checking procedures can betime consuming and costly. They need to beproperly planned.

It is important not to duplicate existingquality standards and inspection schemes,but to build on these where appropriate. A whole range of quality labels andinspection schemes at a local destinationlevel can be inefficient and confusing to thevisitor. The following approach makes senseand is reflected in many of the case studies.

● Maximising coverage of officialnational inspection schemesThis is the best way to cover the firsttwo types of standard in the list aboveand includes national accommodationgrading schemes, food hygienestandards, etc. In Ballyhoura (IRL) theIrish Tourist Board inspection and gradingprocess is used to set and monitorstandards for rural accommodation. TheTrossachs (UK) is covered by the ScottishTourist BoardÕs detailed andcomprehensive Quality AssuranceScheme.

● Encouraging participation in relevantsector schemesMost countries have organisationsspecialising in sectors of rural tourism,such as caravan and camping, ruralhotels, agrotourism accommodation,farm restaurants etc. These may be

membership bodies, non-profitorganisations or commercial agencies.Case studies confirmed the importantrole that they play in setting andchecking quality standards. They tend tooperate at a national level, but oftenhave links at a European level. Examplesfrom the case studies include:

Ñ Iceland Farm Holidays, checking standards for most of the farm accommodation in Skaft�rhreppur(IS).

Ñ TOURIHAB, the rural accommodation agency formed in Vale do Lima (P), now operating at a national level under a quality brand label with parallel agencies in other European countries.

Ñ RECRON, the Dutch caravan organisation, a central player in Schouwen West (NL).

Ñ G�tes de France, whose grading and inspection scheme underpins quality initiatives in Pays Cathare (F) and Vosges du Nord (F) and was a founder member of Eurog�tes.

● Establishing local schemes asappropriateIn addition to the above there areopportunities for working at a local levelwith groups of enterprises, concentratingin particular on standards 3 to 5 in theabove list, putting over the specialqualities of the destination itself andspecial levels of welcome and service.These standards may build on standardsestablished at a national level.

Ñ The quality mark for rural accommodation in Pays Cathare (F) requires Ô2 episÕ standard from G�tes de France together with other conditions to do with treatment of guests, use of local materials and display of local produce.

Ñ Standards worked up by restaurant operators in Bregenzerwald (A) enable them to qualify as Cheese Landlords on the Cheese Route.

Chapter 5


Accommodation in theVosges du Nord,

meeting G�tes deFrance standards and

awarded the additionalPanda environmental

label

53

Where destinations have been involved insetting standards at a local level, lessonscan be learnt from the case studies aboutthe checking process.

● It should be kept simple, otherwise itwill be a burden and difficult to sustain.

● Self-administered checklists, verifiedcentrally, can be helpful but need to behandled carefully.

● The central verification body should bekept small, but should include relevantexpertise and involve representativesfrom the private sector. In SchouwenWest (NL) for example the ÔqualitycommissionÕ contains a planner, anindustry representative from the caravansector, and an academic. In Pays Cathare(F) consumer representatives aresometimes included.

● Spot checks by Ômystery shoppersÕrequire careful handling. They can bevery revealing but sometimescontroversial.

● Any problems identified should be fedback in a positive way to the enterpriseor organisation as an important part ofthe training and improvement process.

➤ Benchmarking standards for the destination as a whole

Most of the activity in setting formalstandards has concentrated on tourismenterprises, based on national or localschemes. Although destination managershave been pursuing quality improvements inmarketing, information services,infrastructure and environmentalmanagement, formal quality standards inthese fields have not usually been set. Moreoften annual output targets have been set,for enquiries generated from promotions,distribution of information material etc.

There are exceptions to this. Some areashave standards for tourist informationcentres, often reflecting national touristboard standards, as in Vosges du Nord (F)and the Trossachs (UK). They may also settheir own standards for speed of answeringenquiries and other aspects of customercare, as in Ballyhoura (IRL). Some tourismoffices have environmental standards fortheir own activities, such as use of lowconsumption paper.

Often regulations affecting theenvironment and infrastructure arerestrictive rather than prescriptive. Forexample, signposting regulations maystipulate where signs are not allowed ratherthan a level of signing that should beachieved.

Two helpful approaches could beconsidered.

● Benchmarking studies compare theperformance of a destination as a wholeagainst its competitors. This is mosteffective when destinations with similarlocations and levels of tourism arecompared.

● A destination can be viewed as a wholethrough the eyes of a visitor. In additionto visitor surveys, destination managersshould try to do this. It can be helpful toappoint outside consultants to undertakean objective assessment, applying theirprofessional judgement as well as actingas mystery shoppers. This approach hasbeen pursued in S�chsische Schweiz (D).

In Montana de Navarra, municipal services and informationcentres are included in the comprehensive quality scheme


➤ Communicating quality standards

The main way in which quality standards arecommunicated to visitors is through aquality label or grading. These can bepublicised in various ways, including:

● display of the label and related criteriain the establishment concerned;

● using the label to identify qualifyingenterprises in guidebooks, Web Sitesetc.;

● a separate promotional campaign for thequality scheme.

In general, it has been found to be farharder to create an impact with localquality labels than through participation ina national scheme. In Finland, a residentsÕsurvey revealed a high level of awareness ofthe national Uniquely Finnish scheme for

quality rural tourism,which has beenapplied in Pohjois-Karjala (FIN) andelsewhere.

On the otherhand, the fact thatthe quality schemein Pays Cathare (F)has been soextensive, hasenabled the wholedestination to bebranded andpromoted on atheme of quality.The Pays Catharequality logo isused on allpromotionalmaterial and hasgeneratedwidespreadnationalpublicity.

Working with people on training and improving quality

The people in an organisation play a keyrole in IQM. In tourism destinations,ÔpeopleÕ refers to the multitude of tourismenterprises and organisations in the area aswell as staff working directly on tourism anddestination management. Developing theright tools to involve and assist people inimproving quality, in line with agreedstandards, is the next stage in the process.This involves getting people workingtogether, establishing training programmes,and other incentive and assistance schemes.

➤ Establishing networking groups

An extremely important part of the processof improving quality is bringing tourismenterprises and other relevant organisationstogether at a local level. The concept ofworking groups, within different sectors orlocal communities, was introduced inChapter 3. All the case studies provideexamples of the value of this. Such groupsare well placed to discuss quality issues,agree standards where appropriate, identifyneeds and shape required action.

➤ Shaping training to encourage participation

A common feature of rural touristdestinations is the large number of verysmall enterprises that make up the product.It is often hard to encourage them toparticipate in training. At least two casestudies have developed training programmesthat were not implemented owing to lack ofinterest, though many others weresuccessful. Some important lessons havebeen learnt about how to encourageparticipation.

● Get people to identify their ownsubjects and arrangements.Enterprises should feel that programmeshave been planned for and by them,based on their own needs. Places andtimes for training should be chosen to beconvenient to potential participants.

Effective mini-posters promote thenational rural qualityscheme in Finland,examples of whichare found in Pohjois-Karjala

Chapter 5


55

● Have short courses, which can beadded together. People are much morelikely to attend a series of one daycourses spread over a period than taketime off for a longer programme.

● Link training to specific subjects andinitiatives. General courses are lesspopular than more specific practicalcourses, especially when linked tomarketing programmes or otherinitiatives.

● Link training to meeting requiredstandards. Training can be linked toregulations or quality labels. InBallyhoura (IRL) for example cateringtraining is being built on the back oftraining about meeting new compulsoryfood hygiene standards. All recipients ofthe Pays Cathare (F) quality label haveto undertake five days training eachyear.

● Link training to further advice andassistance. Attending training coursescan be made a requirement of receivingfinancial aid for quality improvement andaccess to ongoing advisory services, as inthe Ballyhoura (IRL) QUEST scheme.

● Include study visits. As well as beingpopular, these are a good way of puttingacross ideas. In Basilicata (I) a study tripto France was a powerful catalyst.

Training for cooks in the S�chsische Schweiz beef scheme Ð well focused training linked to promotion

Study visits can be a popular and effective method of trainingin quality issues

● Keep the price down. Free or heavilydiscounted training can act as anincentive, with the possibility ofintroducing charges once the value hasbeen proved, as in Vallonbruk (S).


➤ Planning the content of training programmes

Although the content of trainingprogrammes should be selected to meetlocal needs, the actual courses can usuallybe based on established material worked upcentrally by professional trainers.

The main types of training programmewhich are relevant to improving quality inrural destinations, which have been run byvarious case studies, are as follows.

● Customer care. This includes handlingenquiries, welcoming visitors, and allaspects of their stay. In some rural areasit is felt that the strong tradition ofhospitality obviates the need for suchtraining, but there are various skills andtips that can still be helpful.

● Specific skills training. This includessubjects such as marketing, catering,safety, hygiene, I.T., design and basicforeign languages. All these have provedpopular in the case study areas and canbe offered as modules over time.

● Local destination knowledge. Manyareas have provided talks andfamiliarisation visits to enable hosts topass on information to visitors about thearea and to help them to reflect thelocal heritage better in their ownactivities. The Ticket D�couverte schemein Vosges du Nord (F) is a creativeapproach.

● Sustainability. This is referred to inChapter 4.

Business and management training.In some case studies it was felt that it wasnot sufficient simply to base training ondeveloping special skills. Morecomprehensive training in business planningand management was required to make alasting impact on quality. As well as skillsreferred to above, the following keysubjects have been covered.

● Pricing. This is generally haphazardamongst rural tourism businesses - manyundercharge, some overcharge. Helpingsmall enterprises set the right price inrelation to quality offered is a keyrequirement for successful IQM in ruraldestinations.

● Investment planning. How to plan forand fund quality improvements andforecast business growth is anotherimportant topic.

● Staff management. Although ruraltourism is often based on familybusinesses, this is still important forlarger enterprises.

In Ballyhoura (IRL) and Pohjois-Karjala(FIN) a success factor has been gettingparticipants to work up quality improvementplans for their own businesses. In Pohjois-Karjala (FIN) training has been based onTQM principles, including self assessment,competitor analysis, customer analysis andcommunication plans. It has combined aselection of elements required for the ISO9001 and ISO 14001 standards made relevantto very small tourism businesses.

Chapter 5


A whole range of mainly one day practical tourism trainingcourses are offered in the Trossachs

57

➤ Involving all destination staff

In rural destinations, tourism departmentstend to have few staff. Many are essentiallyÔone man bandsÕ. Nevertheless, it isimportant for everyone working at thedestination level to feel closely involved inthe whole quality process and to receiverelevant training.

The case studies have given priority totraining in customer handling, as this iscentral to the visitor experience and to thework of most staff employed at adestination level. Examples include:

● Training of information centre staff inenquiry handling and knowledge of thelocal area. In Ballyhoura (IRL), feedbackfrom visitors had shown this to havebeen a weakness.

● Training for guides involved withhandling groups.

➤ Providing professional advice and financial assistance

Training is only one tool for improvingquality. Many of the case studies have alsobeen involved in helping tourism enterprisesand organisations with one to one adviceand financial assistance. The availability offunding has varied widely. Many have beenin Objective 5b areas and have beenassociated with LEADER programmes; othershave had access to additional EU supportsuch as INTERREG or to national funding.The involvement of local developmentagencies in tourism has helped in thisregard. Providing the following input hashelped achieve success.

● Ideas and contacts. In Vallonbruk (S)finance is not available through thedestination organisation but the tourismofficer has provided small businesseswith many ideas on improvements,helpful contacts etc.

● Technical assistance. In Sitia (GR) theRural Tourism Office can providearchitects to give advice onimprovements and development usinglocal materials and styles.

● Advice on sources of funding andapplications. It is hard for small ruralbusinesses to pursue funding and in manycase studies help has been given withthis. In S�chsische Schweiz (D) linkshave been formed between thedestination and local banks.

● Well targeted funding packages. Somedestinations have developed their ownfunding packages. Small grant schemesand low interest loans have beenpopular. These are mostsuccessful when they arewell targeted on specificprogrammes to improvequality. In Ballyhoura (IRL)finance packages have beendeveloped for a wholerange of initiatives; forexample, adding ensuitebathrooms or convertingbarns to accommodation,linked to attaining specifiedquality grades.

● Advice linked to othertools such as planningpermission. In SchouwenWest (NL) advice on designand business development for caravanand camping sites has been linked to thegranting of planning permission.

Integrated quality management should embrace all membersof the destination team

In Sitia advice is givento small businesses onlocal building stylesand traditions


● Regular meetings can be held with arepresentative group of businesses, witha report on performance and moregeneral views on needs and quality issuesforming a fixed part of the agenda.Representatives should gather opinionfrom others before the meeting.Although evidence may not bequantified, asking questions in the sameway each time will enable a picture oftrends to be formed.

● A group of enterprises could be recruitedto supply occupancy statistics on aregular basis, in return for businessadvice or other benefits.

● A regular questionnaire survey amongstlocal businesses could seek opinion onmarket changes and management issuesas well as an indication of performance.

➤ Monitoring impact on the local economy

It is important to keep track of the impacton the local economy as a whole, as a maincomponent of the benefit to the community.Again, this was quite haphazard amongst thecase studies but could include the following.

● Obtaining employment information frombusinesses, possibly through the surveymentioned above. Ballyhoura (IRL)maintains employment records and setsemployment targets each year. Theyhave developed their own model relatingannual information on visitor numbers torevenue and employment.

● Obtaining visitor spend information fromthe regular visitor surveys advocatedearlier.

● Obtaining information from shops andother services on the importance oftourism to their business. In SchouwenWest (NL) surveys revealed that visitorsaccounted for 70% of spending in shops.

● Schemes to promote use of local produceor other initiatives likely to benefit thelocal economy can be tracked.

Chapter 5


Local businesses should be regularly consulted aboutperformance, employment levels and general needs

Monitoring impact on the local economy, community and environment

The final stage of the cycle of qualitymanagement is to check on results so thatadjustments can be made. Checking theimpact on visitors has already beendiscussed. It is also necessary to monitorthe impact on local businesses and the localeconomy, the community and theenvironment, with a view to contributing tosustainable tourism development.

In general, the case studies have notundertaken systematic monitoring ofimpacts. However, as many of thedestinations are quite small, the managerstend to receive good informal feedbackfrom their day to day work.

➤ Obtaining feedback from businesses

A lack of quantified information on the yearround performance of local tourismbusinesses, including accommodationoccupancy and attendance at events andattractions, has been a weakness of thecase studies. In many countries officialstatistics tend not to cover the really smallbusinesses which make up much of the ruralproduct. Although managers have areasonable perception of how well theindustry is performing, there is a need formore objective data.

59

➤ Monitoring the views of the local community as a whole

Ways of involving the wider community wereidentified in Chapter 3. These are importantwhen it comes to obtaining feedback onviews about tourism and its impact on thequality of life.

● Public meetings can be held, at leastonce a year, and possibly more often ifthere are specific issues to discuss.These were common amongst the casestudies. In Schouwen West (NL) over 120people came to a public meeting aboutthe quality improvement scheme. Visitorsand locals were asking for the samethings, such as more footpaths andcycleways.

● Contact can be made with localorganisations. Feedback is often obtainedfrom parish councils or voluntary groups.This can be helped by formal meetingssuch as the community consultativecommittee in Ballyhoura (IRL) and atourism forum in The Trossachs (UK) .

● Newsletters or magazines can be used. InS�chsische Schweiz (D) the destinationÕsown magazine is circulated to localresidents as well as visitors, raises issuesabout tourism, and printscorrespondence and views expressed.

● A survey of residents can be an objectiveway of getting a true picture of what thecommunity as a whole feels abouttourism.

In general, local people in the case studyareas appear to be fairly tolerant oftourism. Few problems were identified andsome areas reported that attitudes hadbecome more positive in recent years.

➤ Monitoring impact on the environment

Hardly any of the case studies haveestablished separate, systematic monitoringof the impact of tourism on theenvironment. This can be quite costly andtime consuming. The Trossachs (UK) hassuccessfully used simpler methods based onobservation and counting visitor volumes. Inmost of the case studies it was felt thatlevels of tourism were too low, or dispersed,to cause environmental problems. However,there are a number of straightforwardmeasures that can be taken.

● Opinions of residents and visitors onenvironmental impact can be checked,through the methods mentioned above.

● Visitor surveys enable any apparentenvironmental problems to be reported.In the Trossachs (UK) visitor surveys andtraffic counters on roads are used tokeep a check on visitor flows andchanges over time.

● More sensitive sites merit regularobservation. In Skaft�rhreppur (IS) thetourist officer maintains apersonal check on siteswhere there has been someproblem with erosion ofpaths.

● A brief assessment can beundertaken each year ofthe positive and negativeeffects of development,including initiatives whichhave helped to conserve buildings andlandscapes and new development whichmay have been intrusive.

● A check on air and water pollutionmeasures can be maintained. Forexample, Lungau (A) uses monitoringequipment to provide a regular measureof air quality, in a destination which hasconcentrated on promoting alternativesto car transport.

In Ballyhoura issues are aired with a consultative committeecontaining representatives of the local communities

Traffic counters areput to good use in theTrossachs

The air qualitymonitoring unit inLungau is clearlyidentified

61

Summary of the recommendations

This chapter sets out a code of practice for integrated quality

management in rural tourist destinations. It is based on the experience

and success factors emerging from the case studies that were analysed in

the previous chapters, which contain the practical detail. The code of

practice is written for organisations responsible for tourism in the

destinations. However, priorities are also identified for action by private

sector enterprises.

Transferability of the experience

Management processes that emphasise quality are relevant to all kinds of rural touristdestination across Europe. The case studies demonstrate how priority can be given todifferent aspects of quality management according to the local circumstances. In the tablebelow they are grouped according to the situations they best illustrate.

Situation Case study

Traditional destination with considerable Trossachs (UK), Schouwen West (NL) tourism pressure, pursuing visitor management and improving poor quality

Area where tourism has been established Vallonbruk (S), Pays Cathare (F) around the interpretation of the unique historic heritage

Rich agricultural area with tourism based on Bregenzerwald (A), Ballyhoura (IRL) farming, food and rural traditions

Remote rural community developing rural Skaft�rhreppur (IS) tourism based on nature/environment

Mediterranean area diverting tourism inland Sitia (GR), Basilicata (I) from the coast based on new rural heritage offers

Attractive location, including protected areas, Vosges du Nord (F), S�chsische Schweiz (D)receiving many day visitors and seeking quality staying tourism

Area with some established rural tourism Montana de Navarra (E), Lungau (A), pursuing product diversification and quality offers Pohjois-Karjala (FIN), Vale do Lima (P)


A rural area does not require any special designation or funding to be able to follow theprinciples and practices described in the previous chapters and summarised below. Six ofthe studies, selected because of the interesting approach they were following, had thebenefit of a EU LEADER programme; others were taking relevant measures without theinvolvement of LEADER. Where it was present, the LEADER programme served more as astimulant to help existing schemes to be realised, rather than a critical requirement forsuccess.

The key to transferring the experience successfully to other areas is flexibility,embracing the pursuit of quality but adapting it to local circumstances. Therecommendations in the code of practice below should simply be taken as checklists andguidelines to take into consideration.

Code of Practice for IQM in Rural Tourist Destinations

Integrated Quality Management focuses on improving visitor satisfaction, while seeking toimprove the local economy, the environment and the quality of life of the local community.

It is an approach that makes sense. It is about setting objectives, working together,understanding visitors, setting standards, obtaining visitorsÕ reactions, making improvementsand checking impacts. In many tourism destinations much of this will be happening already.This code of practice is about strengthening this process in rural areas.

Quality management should be a continuous process, not a one-off initiative. Unless theapproach can become a natural way of managing tourism, reflected in all the normalactivities undertaken by a destination (promotion, information, developing and improvingthe product ...) it will not be maintained over time and cannot be successful. Most localtourism departments and individual enterprises do not have the time or resources to run aseparate Ôquality initiativeÕ beyond their normal activities, especially in rural areas wherebudgets are often small.

15 principles

It is recommended that rural tourist destinations pursuing quality should adhere to thefollowing 15 principles. These reflect the conditions for success in quality managementfound in the case studies.

1 IntegrationConcern for quality, and the management techniques aimed at achieving it, should be integrated into all the tourism functions of the destination.

2 AuthenticityVisitors are looking for genuine experiences. The special rural heritage of EuropeÕs countryside should be honoured and celebrated. It should be presented in a real way, which does not fabricate nor devalue its quality.

3 DistinctivenessVisitors travel to experience something different, otherwise they may as well stay at home. Delivering quality should be about bringing out the special, distinctive featuresand flavours of the destination.

4 Market realismQuality management should be based on an informed and realistic assessment of the areaÕs potential in the market place, identifying its competitive strengths and ensuring they are not eroded.

Chapter 6

Summary of therecommendations

63

5 SustainabilityMany rural areas have fragile sites and small communities sensitive to intrusion and congestion. However, visitors themselves are increasingly looking for unspoiled environments. Any rural destination seeking to deliver quality must be concerned withmanaging the impact of tourism.

6 Consumer orientationQuality management is about getting close to the visitor, understanding his or her needs and finding out whether they are being met.

7 InclusivenessDestinations should not be content with delivering quality to a few people while delivering a mediocre experience to others. A good experience should be provided forall visitors, and especially those with special needs.

8 Attention to detailQuality is about being creative but also taking care over the detail - providing enough information, checking on facilities, providing extra services.

9 RationalisationSometimes quality can be about not doing things. A small number of good initiatives and products is better than many poor ones. It is about stopping activities that are under resourced and not delivering quality, or combining them into something stronger.

10 PartnershipQuality management is about involving people. Working together is right in principle and also essential for success. The many small tourism enterprises, related organisations and community groups should all be involved together in delivering quality in the destination. Their well-being should be regularly checked.

11 InterdependenceSpecial attention should be paid to the role of tourism in the destination as a whole. Quality rural tourism depends on, and in turn supports, many other activities such as agriculture, craft industries, transport and local services.

12 TimeImproving quality in a destination takes time. Success depends on planning for steady,achievable progress year on year rather than setting unrealistic targets.

13 CommitmentA fundamental requirement of success is personal enthusiasm and commitment to achieving quality. Really successful destinations not only have individuals driven by this, but also a way of ensuring that it is spread to everyone.

14 Accurate communicationProviding visitors with accurate information is a key to matching expectations to reality and ensuring satisfaction. Effective communication with everyone involved in the destination is essential for success.

15 MonitoringQuality management is all about regular monitoring and evaluation of impacts on the visitor, enterprises, the environment and the local community.


Components of good practice

The recommendations set out below are based on the analysis of issues and success factorsfrom the case studies, contained in Chapters 3 to 5 of this publication. Those chapterscontain the justification and detail and expand on the ideas and opportunities, illustratedwith reference to good practice on the ground. They should be read in conjunction with thechecklists presented here.

WORKING TOGETHER TO A STRATEGY

Setting the process going

Integrated Quality Management should become a continuous process in a destination.However there are often certain trigger factors that set it going, be they to do withimproving competitiveness, the local economy or the environment. Whatever these may be,it is important to be inclusive from the outset.

● Hold initial open meetings for people to express their needs, concerns and interests.● Seek to involve both local and national agencies.● Consult with and involve all sectors to make the process as integrated as possible.


Rural areas are typically made up of small businesses, scattered communities and oftensmall municipalities. Integrated quality management requires effective structures forleadership and co-ordination.

● If possible, base the destination on a well defined geographic or administrative area,easily recognised externally and internally, where it is natural for people to worktogether.

● Choose an organisation to take a lead on tourism, which has the support andparticipation of the local authorities and private sector and good regional and nationallinks.

● Work closely with local trade bodies for the different sectors of rural tourism. If necessary establish a local tourism association and local network groups which canwork on quality.

● Keep local people well informed, perhaps through regular open meetings, and involve thekey community organisations and services in tourism.

● Strengthen internal communication and keep good links with the local media.

Chapter 6


65

Strategy

The preparation of a tourism strategy for a destination provides a helpful way of settingpriorities for action based on a careful assessment of opportunities and needs. This should form the basis for integrated quality management.

● Set aims and objectives which address environmental and economic issues together, withtourism forming part of the link.

● Make clear statements about the purpose of improving quality, and the various processesinvolved such as improving feedback.

● Undertake a careful assessment of resources, markets, economic and social conditionsand environmental needs and constraints.

● Consider the needs of different kinds of existing or potential visitor (market segments).● Relate the tourism strategy to other policies and priorities in the destination, including

planning, rural development, agriculture and environment (Local Agenda 21).● Be prepared to take time over consultation with local enterprises and communities, so

that they feel involved and treat it as their strategy.● Where possible set clear targets which can be checked and measured.● Try to create a document which is visionary and stimulating.● See the strategy as dynamic process, regularly taking stock and reporting back to people

on what has happened.

DELIVERING A QUALITY RURAL TOURISM EXPERIENCE

Marketing and communication

VisitorsÕ experience of a destination starts before they arrive and finishes with memoriesand planned future visits. Communication should be about keeping in close touch with themand delivering persuasive but also accurate messages and images that donÕt lead to falseexpectations.

● Consider carefully what impression is given to visitors through promotional campaigns,and get feedback from them about their reaction.

● Use methods of communication that are able to give a detailed and accurate picture ofthe area, including well prepared print, well briefed media and well planned use of theInternet.

● Be prepared to rationalise marketing, working together on fewer campaigns of betterquality.

● Pursue opportunities for making it easier for visitors to book a holiday in the destination,including central reservation services and work with operators on creating packages.

● Maintain contact with past visitors, through maintaining a database, mailings etc.● Always consider whether it would be more effective to promote the destination within

regional or national campaigns rather than on its own.


Welcome, orientation and information

Providing visitors with a friendly welcome, ensuring that they have all the information theyneed when and where they want it, is vital to the quality of the experience. Effectiveinformation can also encourage return visits and help with managing the flow of visitors.

● Help hosts with how they present the area to their guests, through training and supplyingmaterials for them to use.

● Provide visitors with information which will help them respect and behave responsiblytowards the local environment, traditions and way of life.

● Ensure local information print is well distributed to where visitors need it and has clear,accurate and sufficient detail.

● Improve the quality of local information centres, including opening hours and attractionsto draw people in.

● Maintain a signposting system for visitors which is logical and consistent throughout thewhole area.

● Keep abreast of new opportunities in information technology, including screen basedsystems at information points and in accommodation.

Accommodation

In many rural areas there is demand for a wide variety of accommodation within a broadprice range. Visitors are becoming more demanding in terms of standards of facilities andcomfort but are also looking for characterful, traditional accommodation and hospitality.Freedom and flexibility is also important, especially for families.

● Keep a check on the volume of accommodation in the area and consider adopting policiesto restrict certain forms of development in favour of improving quality.

● Encourage accommodation operators to comply with national inspection and gradingschemes, and to join membership organisations promoting quality in their sector (such asagrotourism or caravan organisations).

● Encourage accommodation operators to reflect the local destination in their materialsand activities, and to provide small extra services.

● Be aware of the particular needs and opportunities for quality in different sectors, suchas agrotourism, caravan and camping sites, country houses, rural hotels, village co-operatives and hostel/hut accommodation. Encourage operators within these sectors towork together at a local level for mutual support and to improve quality.

Local produce and gastronomy

Improving the quality of local food and handicrafts provides opportunities not only to givevisitors a special, rural and locally distinctive experience, but also to support the ruraleconomy and traditions. Strengthening the link between gastronomy, food production,agriculture and maintenance of farming landscapes provides possibilities for truly integratedquality management.

● Help to form networks of local food producers and craftspeople, and work with them onimproving the quality of production and distribution.

● Improve distribution mechanisms and ways of promoting sales to visitors.● Encourage restaurants to reflect the traditional gastronomy, through training, publicity

and special events.

Chapter 6


67

Attractions and events

The quality of the visitor experience will depend partly on the range and availability ofattractions and events. One should avoid uniformity; people travel to see different things.The principles of authenticity and distinctiveness are particularly important here.

● Check visitorsÕ reaction to the amount and quality of attractions and events that areavailable, including the balance of open air and wet weather attractions.

● Select imaginative methods of interpreting the rural heritage that are appropriate to thesite, and stimulate the interest of different types of visitor, including children.

● Encourage attractions that are lively and enable visitor participation.● Pay particular attention to the special personal quality of interpretation provided by

local guides and introduce training where necessary.● Combine small attractions and events to improve quality and impact, through joint

admission, trails, festival programmes and promotional packages.

Countryside recreation

In many rural areas there has been rapid growth in demand for recreation, especiallywalking and cycling, but also other countryside sports, with many people taking activityholidays for the first time. Therefore, all rural areas should address the quality of theirfacility provision, though opportunities and priorities will vary in different locations.

● Ensure that all operators meet the professional safety standards of the sport in question.● Seek agreement on managing the amount and impact of use in sensitive areas.● Create walking and cycling trails to cater for different levels of users, including links to

villages and heritage sites.● Encourage links between activity providers and other tourism enterprises, including the

provision of inclusive packages and looser arrangements to meet the specialrequirements of visitors on activity holidays.

● Improve local sports and leisure facilities for joint use by visitors and locals.

Environment and infrastructure

The main reason why visitors choose rural tourist destinations is to enjoy the quality of thenatural and man-made rural landscapes. Maintaining the quality of the environment isessential to the appeal of the destination as well as for sustainability. The provision oftransport and other local services should meet the needs of visitors and local people andreflect environmental policy.

● Seek to increase the proportion of visitors using public transport to reach and travel inthe destination, by improving its quality and increasing its appeal through well plannedroutes, integrated timetabling and promotion.

● Encourage local services such as shops and banks to reflect the needs of visitors.● Ensure that land use planning policies reflect the tourism strategy, controlling poor

development and giving positive guidance on appropriate design.● Involve any designated protected areas in local tourism planning and action.● Encourage and support local people to improve the environment in their own villages and

nearby countryside, through co-ordination, action groups and other incentives. ● Inform visitors about the environmental issues in the area and seek their support.● Encourage tourism operators to be more environmentally friendly, through training,

advice and labelling.● Where necessary, consider establishing comprehensive improvement and management

schemes, involving the tourism industry, local communities and environmentalorganisations.


STRENGTHENING QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PROCESSES

Understanding visitor needs and seeing they are met

A fundamental requirement of any destination pursuing integrated quality management is aprocess of understanding visitorsÕ requirements and checking whether they are being met.Feedback from this should help to drive quality improvements.

● Research the image and expectations of the area held by potential visitors, includingopinion formers such as tour operators and journalists.

● Undertake a regular destination-wide survey of visitors in the area that seeks details onthe types of visitor who come and specific information on needs and satisfaction.

● Work with local enterprises on a system of enabling all visitors to provide feedback,through comment forms, suggestions books, questionnaires in publications etc.

● Ensure the process of handling any complaints is efficient and courteous, and leads torectifying action where necessary.

● Take care to obtain views on visitorsÕ needs from people who meet them on a daily basis,such as accommodation operators, information centre staff etc.

Setting, checking and communicating standards

The process of setting and checking standards for the different tourism facilities andservices in a destination is important for quality but can be time consuming and needs to bewell planned. Seven types of quality standard include:

1 Minimum acceptable standards; 2 Technical levels of facilities and services;3 Special qualities of service and experience offered;4 Qualities of authenticity, reflecting the destination;5 Ability to meet special needs;6 Ecological standards;7 Standards of management practice.

● Select which types of quality standard are most relevant to the destination and thequality strategy.

● Decide what kinds of enterprise and activity should be subject to formal standards, andset targets for the proportion of them that should be covered.

● Encourage maximum participation in any relevant national and sector level qualitystandards and checking procedures, including schemes run by organisations and agenciesspecialising in rural tourism, such as agrotourism organisations.

● Work with local network groups to establish any special local standards and checkingprocedures that may be considered necessary or beneficial, building on but notduplicating the above.

● Identify quality standards for the functioning of the destinationÕs own tourism services,such as speed of answering enquiries.

● Participate in studies that check and compare the overall quality of the destination, suchas use of Ômystery shoppersÕ and comparative benchmarking studies.

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69

Working with people on training and improving quality

The process of improving quality in line with identified standards requires a close workingrelationship between everyone involved in tourism in the destination, and well constructedtraining and assistance programmes which meet their needs.

● Bring tourism enterprises together in local network groups, where they can identifyneeds, encourage each other by demonstration and plan joint action.

● Design training programmes to encourage participation, with well targeted short coursesand built in incentives.

● Provide access to training in customer care, technical skills, local knowledge,sustainability and overall business management, as appropriate. Where possible useprofessionally established and verified training modules and materials.

● Pay particular attention to helping small rural businesses fix the right price in relation toquality offered

● Take care over the training needs and motivation of local tourism staff in thedestination, such as information centre staff and guides.

● Provide, or point to, sources of practical advice on quality improvement and link this tofinancial assistance where available.

Monitoring impact on the local economy, community and environment

As well as obtaining feedback from visitors, it is important to maintain a check on the widerimpact of tourism so adjustments can be made in management, with a view to contributingto sustainable tourism development.

● Set up a mechanism for obtaining regular feedback from businesses on level ofperformance and general views about the destination and visitor markets.

● Monitor the impact on the local economy by collecting information on levels of spendingby visitors and the amount of employment in tourism.

● Seek feedback from the local community, such as through regular open meetings andcontact with community organisations.

● Maintain a check on possible environmental impacts, through observation, maintaining arecord of development, seeking views of visitors and residents and checking pollutionlevels.


Priorities for the private sector

As this publication based on case studies is about integrated quality management ofdestinations, the recommendations are essentially directed at local authorities and otherorganisations responsible for tourism at that level. It must be recognised, however, that themajority of individual facilities and services for visitors are provided by private sectorenterprises.

There have been a number of studies of total quality management practice for enterprises,such as hotels, in the hospitality and leisure industries. Although it is not the purpose of thispublication to cover such operational practices, some references are given in the Annex.However, the findings and recommendations of this study do have repercussions for privatesector businesses, in how they relate to each other and to a destination as a whole.

The 15 principles in the Code of Practice are all relevant to private enterprises. Many of therecommendations of good practice also involve them. In particular, they should pay specialattention to the following priorities.

● Working closely with the destination tourism organisation, and participating with otherlocal enterprises in network groups and joint initiatives to raise and promote quality.

● Supporting marketing initiatives to improve the offer to visitors, such as centralreservation services and packages based on the destination.

● Providing a warm welcome to visitors on behalf of the destination as well as theenterprise and helping them plan their stay.

● Participating in the relevant quality standards inspection schemes, including appropriatenational or regional schemes relating to their sector of tourism.

● Continually considering ways of improving standards of facilities and services.● Reflecting the special character and quality of the destination where possible and

appropriate, in design, use of local produce etc. ● Respecting the environment and seeking to reduce waste and the use of non-renewable

resources.● Thinking about training and other help that might be needed in improving quality and

participating in relevant training programmes.● Ensuring all staff are, and feel, involved in the delivery of a quality experience of the

destination and the enterprise, and have the appropriate training.● Seeking, and passing on, feedback from visitors about the destination as well as the

individual enterprise.● Monitoring business levels and keeping the destination organisation informed about

performance, needs, and views.

Chapter 6


71

Part 2:

The Case Studies

1 Ballyhoura, Ireland 732 Basilicata, Italy 793 Bregenzerwald, Austria 834 Lungau, Austria 875 Monta�a de Navarra, Spain 936 Pays Cathare, France 987 Pohjois-Karjala, Finland 1048 S�chsische Schweiz, Germany 1099 Schouwen West, Netherlands 114

10 Sitia, Greece 11911 Skaft�rhreppur, Iceland 12412 Trossachs, United Kingdom 13013 Vale do Lima, Portugal 13614 Vallonbruk, Sweden 14115 Vosges du Nord, France 146

10

11

12

14

7

19

13

8

43

15

5 6

2

The EuropeanEconomic Area


Presenting information on the case studies

Each case study takes a global view of the approach to quality being pursued by thedestination. It also provides more information on specific initiatives referred to as examplesin Chapters 3 to 5 and sets them in context. The text is divided into sections as follows.

The tourism contextThe relative importance of tourism in the destination, together with its maincharacteristics and performance.

StrategyThe main objectives for tourism and how they were drawn up.

The place of qualityThe overall approach adopted towards quality.

Leadership and partnershipThe organisational structure for tourism in the destination, including involvement ofbusinesses, the community and other key players.

Product and marketing initiativesA selection of specific product development and marketing initiatives which have aparticular influence on the quality of the visitor experience.

The quality management processA review of initiatives and general activity to obtain feedback and to set, label andimprove standards.

Managing tourism impactSpecific activity to manage the environmental and other impacts of tourism in thedestination.

Results and future prospectsAn assessment of the results achieved and directions for the future.

Key Success FactorsA short list of positive elements in the approach taken by the destination.

Q

73

Case Study 1

A traditional agricultural area,which has built up a tourism product based on a rural tourism co-operative, offering the visitor an authentic and welcoming ruralexperience.

Ballyhoura is an extensive area of inlandcountryside lying between Limerick and Corkin south west Ireland. With a landscape of lowlying pastures and rounded hills, the arearelies heavily on agriculture, with a strongtradition in dairying.

The tourism context

BallyhouraÕs countryside is attractive andtypically Irish, but has no outstanding tourismresource. It has relied on promoting a genuinerural experience and warm welcome, hencethe slogan Ôtruly rurally yoursÕ.

The region has only emerged as a tourismdestination since 1986, due to the efforts ofBallyhoura Failte, IrelandÕs first communitytourism cooperative. Building from a low base,it now includes a range of accommodation,small scale attractions (such as open farmsand interpretative centres), and countrysiderecreation facilities.

The initial market was based on groupvisits, especially from educational groups.Since then, both the independent and groupmarkets have grown considerably, with abalance between Irish, British and overseasvisitors.

A lush green agricultural area typical of central Ireland

Programmes foreducational groups are an

important part of theBallyhoura offer

The opportunity to visitfarms is part of the

experience in Ballyhoura

Ireland

DUBLIN

BALLYHOURA

74 TOWARDS QUALITY RURAL TOURISM

Q

Strategy

The tourism strategy has two overallobjectives.

● To provide a cooperative marketing functionthrough groups of enterprises workingtogether.

● To improve the range and quality of thetourism product, on three levels:

1 encouraging local people to start up new enterprises;

2 supporting the improvement and expansion of existing enterprises;

3 attracting new inward investors, piggybacking on successful development.

Targets for investment and resultingrevenue are set and monitored.

The approach is based on an annuallyagreed programme of initiatives. A cleardevelopment model is applied to eachinitiative:

● conceiving the idea based on marketassessment;

● bringing public and private partnerstogether;

● creating a suitable structure for delivery;● piloting the idea;● developing an action programme;● encouraging the private sector to take over;● ongoing monitoring and review.

The Place of Quality

Delivering an authentic experience has beenimportant from the outset. The approach hasbeen to provide a standard of facilitiesappropriate to the market, but with a qualityof service which exceeds expectations.Recently, the emphasis has changed fromexpanding the range of the products toimproving the quality and performance ofexisting businesses. Attention is also being paidto the quality of infrastructure and servicesdelivered by Ballyhoura Failte as a whole.

A limited response to advertising highlightsthe importance of quality in encouragingrepeat business and recommendations.

Leadership and Partnership

The local tourism cooperative was originallyset up in three parishes but the area wasquickly extended and public sector agencieswere brought in alongside communityrepresentatives. Two bodies now work intandem.

● Ballyhoura Failte is a cooperativemarketing organisation. It functions as acommercial reservation agent and incomingtour operator, yet is cooperatively ownedand has community related objectives. Thecommercial function makes it more actionand customer orientated than manydestination organisations. It has a full timemanager and reservation official and twopart time staff.

● Ballyhoura Development is a non-profitrural development company, whose aim isto maintain the population and vitality ofthe area by diversifying the economic base,integrating environmental goals andimproving the quality of life of localresidents. It manages the LEADER II andLocal Development Programmes anddelivers many of the initiatives.

The organisations cross administrativeboundaries and have maintained flexibility andindependence.

Ballyhoura Failte has five geographicalsubgroups as well as representatives from eachtourism sector and from statutory bodies. Ithas been useful to hold occasional openmeetings for all members to air theirconcerns.

Wider community involvement is seen asvery important. A community consultativecommittee of 50 members includesrepresentatives from each village and localsocieties such as heritage groups. A simplenewsletter updates people on recentactivities.

Case study 1

BallyhouraIreland

75

Information services

All visitors receive a basic information pack,where possible before arrival. This includes awelcome letter, questionnaire and informationleaflets.

Originally, a local coordinator welcomed allvisitors personally and helped them with theirarrangements. As business built up, theemphasis moved onto accommodation hosts asinformation providers. A structured system forthis was introduced and training provided. Allenterprises are encouraged to talk to theirguests. A detailed visitor information dossier isavailable, with a standardised format that canbe personalised by each host.

The ÔBallyhoura CentreÕ forms a physicalpresence to which both visitors and memberenterprises can relate. It contains aninformation centre, craft shop and a caf�. Thelatter two help to finance the first. Thecentre offers independent visitors theopportunity to meet their holiday organisersand feedback their views. BallyhouraDevelopment Agency is housed in the samebuilding, providing business services to localenterprises.

Product and marketing initiatives

Marketing activities

The main thrust of marketing is to touroperators and agents, providing them with along term and quality personal service.Initially it took at least three years ofperseverance to demonstrate sufficientcommitment for agents to book.

Ballyhoura joins other rural areas in thebranded Irish Country Holidays campaign. Thiswas important in delivering market impact andconfidence in the quality of the product andservice. At first the campaign delivered 80% ofthe individual enquiries, although with anincrease in direct contact this has nowdropped to 20%.

BallyhouraÕs own website has become amajor source of individual enquiries. Carefulattention is paid to the quality of the site, andthe use of key words used by search enginesrelated to known consumer interests. In 1998around five enquiries per day led to sixbookings per week.

Group packages and programmes

Group programmes are a special feature.Although prepared itineraries are on offer,most are tailor made for each group. Theseinclude:

● educational e.g. languages, agriculture;● general ÔExperience BallyhouraÕ visits;● outdoor activities, such as walking, cycling

or golf.

A training programme has prepared 19 localpeople to act as group guides.

Central reservation for independent visitors

A central reservation service is on offer forindependent visitors. Although this delivers agood quality service, some enterprises fail toprovide regular details of availability andthere is a lack of exclusive allocations ofcapacity to Ballyhoura Failte.

The Ballyhoura pack contains a welcome letter, visitinformation and a questionnaire

The Ballyhoura Centrecontains both visitorand business services

A small caf� addsinterest and anincome opportunity inthe visitor centre


Accommodation

The approach has been to ensure that allaccommodation meets the Irish Tourist BoardÕsminimum standard of facilities, comfort andhygiene, while encouraging investment inhigher physical standards through grantassistance and better service through training.

Providing an authentic rural experience hasbeen sought in the following ways.

● Quality of welcome. Where possible guestsare invited into the hostsÕ homes, givenlocal hospitality and their needs discussed.This is handled sensitively, recognising thatsome visitors want to be left alone.

● Added extras. Certain extras are offered,such as allowing visitors to look around thefarm or bake bread.

There are over 1 000 beds in family runhotels, B&Bs, self-catering cottages andhostels. Clusters of B&B establishments withinone locality are encouraged in order toaccommodate small coach parties. InformalÔhomestaysÕ are also offered for students,giving participating host families a feel ofwhether tourism is right for them prior tomaking a significant investment.

Visitor attractions and activities

Various rural activities and attractions wereestablished from practically nothing.

● Walking. Local communities and walkingenthusiasts were brought together on awalking committee to identify routes andnegotiate with landowners. A ÔBallyhouraWayÕ was established and a series ofshorter walks developed by eachcommunity. Route maps are produced andan annual walking festival held to raisepublicity. Grading walks, with colour codedwaymarks, promotes visitor confidence andlonger walks are checked annually by theIrish Sports Council using its own qualitystandards.

● Access to Nature. In response to visitordemand for nature and outdoor activities,Ballyhoura Mountain Park was establishedfollowing a zoning study, with trails andinterpretation. Unusually, this was acommunity initiative linked to tourisminterests rather than stemming fromenvironmental planners. A smallercommunity project provides safe access toa bog nature reserve.

● Farm visits. A selection of farms showdifferent aspects of agriculture. Some areopen on a regular basis. The variablequality of these is being addressed by anew ÔWorking Farms of IrelandÕ branding,including quality criteria. Other farms,whose quality is assured through morepersonal attention from the farmer, areopen by appointment.

● Other facilities have been establishedincluding interpretative centres, theatres,archaeological routes, driving routes, golf,horse riding and angling.

Case study 1

BallyhouraIreland

Assistance is given to many small accommodation enterprises

Waterproof route cardsfor short walks created

in conjunction withvillage communities

The Ballyhoura Mountain Park was developed in response tovisitor demand for countryside access

77

The quality management process

Setting and delivering standards

Accommodation standards are monitoredthrough the Irish Tourist Board nationalscheme. Different grades for self-cateringaccommodation helps Ballyhoura Failtemotivate owners to improve quality.Enterprises not reaching grades 3 or 4 receivedlittle repeat business. The bed and breakfastscheme sets only minimum standards and so isless useful in stimulating improvement.Ballyhoura has provided helpful feedbackabout matching the national scheme to localneeds.

The Irish Country Holidays campaign setsstandards for rural destinations as a whole.Members must: be a certain size; have a rangeof attractions including open farms; have acentral co-ordinator; provide informationpacks to each customer; ensure all servicesare approved by the relevant standardsagency; and have adequate insurance cover.

Improvement grants

Ballyhoura Development has administeredmany grants. The allocation of LEADERresources reflects the market demand foraccommodation and also focuses on quality.For example, grants are available forupgrading self-catering accommodation tograde 3 or 4 star standard, and in the B&Bsector to provide ensuite bathrooms.

Training

The provision of training has been a keyfeature. The national training agency CERT hashelped to create many programmes. Twointegrated schemes for improving quality aredescribed below.

Taste of Ballyhoura. Small grants haveencouraged investment in food servicefacilities, training and technical support, theproduction of brochures, and a recipecompetition to publicise quality food service.Revenue from food and catering has more thandoubled. Between 1993 and 1998, 25 newbusinesses and 120 jobs were created. Thecurrent training focus is on ensuring that thefood service industry meets the new nationalhygiene standards as an incentive forparticipation. The emphasis is now onimproving quality in advance of any furtherpublicity.

QUEST (Quality, uniqueness, enhancement,strategic planning and training). Thisprogramme aimed to lift performance andquality in an integrated way by improvingoverall management competence. 20enterprises participated in five two-daytraining modules covering marketing, businessplanning, handling staff, customer care, andsafety and hygiene. One to one advice wasalso available. Each business prepared abusiness plan, with a small grant available forits implementation. The programme shouldresult in around EURO 4m of new investment.

Ballyhoura Failte has quality standards forits own service, such as a maximum responsetime for enquiries and staff training incustomer care and local knowledge.

Customer feedback

All guests receive a questionnaire in theirinformation pack, covering visitor profile andsatisfaction. The collection method provedcritical to response rate. Currently, a pre-paidenvelope is provided, which results in onethird of the forms being returned. Feedbackacted on included introducing short walks andcycle routes and improving the localknowledge of information centre staff.

Complaints are rare and are dealt withusing a standard procedure: response within24 hours; careful discussion with theenterprise concerned; hearing on all sides;reporting back to the customer and referral tothe Irish Tourist Board if necessary.

All groups are asked about theirexperiences during their visit, so problems canbe rectified before they leave. Important secondary feedback is obtained bykeeping close contact with tour operators,many of whom also have their own feedbacksystems. As a result worthwhile adjustmentshave been made, such as introducing languagetraining as a product.

Training sessions withsmall groups play a keyrole in improving qualityand performance


● Making use of established national agencies, brands and quality standards.

● Working with a few motivated enterprises to improve quality.

● Actively targeting the group market.

● A successful organisational model, based on a development agency with funding and a cooperative marketing agency.

● Effective use of the internet.

● Strong involvement of the local community in initiatives.

● A visitor centre as a tangible focus for visitor and business services.

● An emphasis on product development, backed by grants and training, leading to improved physical and service standards.

Key success factors

Case study 1

Ballyhoura Ireland

Managing tourism impact

Policy objectives focus on economic benefit.For each initiative, employment targets areset and monitored. Direct employment ismeasured by obtaining feedback fromenterprises. In addition, an economistcommissioned by Ballyhoura developed asimple model for relating visitor numbers andaccommodation occupancy levels to revenuegenerated and employment supported.Separate ratios are calculated for domesticand foreign visitors and for different types ofaccommodation. This has helped to checkachievement against targets.

Environmental impact has not beenmonitored, as the amount of tourism is felt tobe too limited to cause problems. The overallapproach of dispersing tourism across theregion should also prevent problems arising.

Two specific environmental schemes are:

● the Tidy Towns Initiative Ð a national andlocal award scheme for environmentalenhancements to towns and villages;

● environmental routes Ð a small number ofroads selected for promotion for cyclingand coach tours, with environmentalenhancements to increase their appeal.

The impact of tourism on the local communityis monitored through the 50 strong CommunityConsultative Committee.

Results and future prospects

The tourism industry has grown 25 fold in thelast ten years. It employed the equivalent of270 full time jobs in 1998 compared with 150in 1995. Some of the infrastructure workundertaken directly by Ballyhoura Failte hasprovided outlets for unemployed peopleworking through a government trainingscheme. Many new enterprises have startedup and there has been considerableinvestment in the area. New productdevelopment has been designed to reflectmarket trends, such as the popularity ofwalking. Growth targets, in terms of revenuespending per annum, have been met andtourismÕs contribution to the local economyhas increased from 0.2% in 1986 to 5% in 1998.

There have been considerable identifiableimprovements in quality, with 60accommodation establishments and 25 foodoutlets having upgraded their level offacilities. There are ambitious targets forfuture growth in investment and revenue.However, there is an ongoing need to maintainconsistency in customer care and qualityamongst individual enterprises, improvingcommunication between them and BallyhouraFailte and strengthening customer feedback.

Features of heritageinterest are an

important resource inthe village communities

79

Case Study 2

The tourism context

Basilicata has a modest amount of tourism.There are 461 accommodation enterprises, 200of which are hotels, the rest being mainlyagrotourism. A significant proportion of theaccommodation is on the coast.

Tourism has been slowly growing, witharound 270 000 arrivals in 1996. However, it isvery highly concentrated in the summer seasonand on the coast, with the internal rural areabeing little visited.This is partlybecause the regionhas not got a clearimage. The localheritage andtraditions, typicalcuisine, andbeautiful naturalenvironment arerelatively unknown internationally and even within Italy.

A region which has used extensivemarket research as the startingpoint for developing a specificquality product, based on heritageitineraries and packages, tailored tothe needs of the marketplace.

Basilicata is a small region in the far south ofItaly. It has two short stretches of coastlinebut is primarily an inland region. It covers anarea of approximately 10 000 squarekilometres, 93% of which is agricultural orforested. It has a rich vegetation and anotable cultural heritage ranging from Greektemples and Roman thermal baths to Normancastles and medieval abbeys. It is not heavilypopulated, with just 600 000 inhabitants, butunemployment levels are high at 28%.

Italy

A region rich in historic sites and settlements

A little known attractiverural landscape with arich vegetation

ROMA

BASILICATA


Q

Strategy

It has been recognised that tourism can helpeconomic development, but this requires animprovement in standards of service andproduct presentation, rather than simply instructural hardware.

Rather than a comprehensive tourismstrategy, the approach has been toconcentrate on a specific quality initiative.The broad objectives were:

● to develop collaboration between thepublic and private sectors;

● to understand the needs and expectationsof existing and potential markets;

● to help enterprises meet these needsthrough training and advice;

● to set up and promote a specific qualityoffer, which would influence others throughdemonstration.

The weak market and the lack of co-operation pointed to practical action tointegrate a wide range of small enterprises tocreate a common offer which was relevant tothe marketplace.

The place of quality

The resulting initiative was called ÔTurismo diQualit�Õ, a phrase applicable to the output aswell as the process. It was realised that inorder to create a quality product, detailedresearch was required on the resources, theenterprises and their views, and potentialmarkets as well as current visitors.


Leadership in developing quality rural tourismhas been provided by the BIC (BusinessInnovation Centre), a body based on aEuropean Union model. The BIC bringstogether local authorities and privateenterprises and works closely with theRegional Tourist Board (APT).

A central aim was to create a workingpartnership, known as a ÔcomakershipÕ, ofenterprises and organisations committed toimproving tourism quality. This is now a wellestablished and motivated group, who shouldinvolve other local actors in the future.


The Turismo di Qualit� initiative has followeda number of logical steps.

Extensive product and market research

The first phase, in 1996, involved acomprehensive audit of tourism facilities,services, cultural and environmental heritageand relevant infrastructure. In addition,telephone and face to face interviews wereheld with tourism enterprises andorganisations (hotels, tourist informationcentres, etc.) to record their opinion aboutproblems and opportunities.

The second stage involved two extensiveconsumer surveys.

● Existing visitors were approached through awidely distributed questionnaire probinglevels of satisfaction and expectations.

● Focus group discussions were held in anumber of Italian cities with people whohad never been to Basilicata, includingopinion formers and intermediaries such asjournalists and tour operators. They wereasked to comment about their image of theregion and about marketing ideas to whichthey might respond.

Case study 2

BasilicataItaly

The guide gives a highquality presentation ofthe itineraries with factboxes, maps, pictures anddetailed text

81

These surveys revealed a divergence ofopinion between people who had been to theregion and those who had not. The formerreferred to wonderful nature, low prices,typical and natural food, a cordial populationand much to discover. The latter viewed theregion as poor, with no specific image otherthan being arid, savage, monotonous, hard toreach and parched by the sun.

This negative image, together with theareaÕs inaccessibility, suggested thatinfluencing new markets could not be left tochance, and that a specific product andmarketing programme based on high qualityimages was needed. The positive reaction ofexisting visitors to the local culture andheritage confirmed the basis for a qualityoffer. Feedback from operators with apotential interest in the area pointed to theopportunity to package these strengths inspecific itineraries and programmes.

Bringing people together

An open meeting was held for everyone withan interest in tourism. Over 120 people came(far more than anticipated). Eventually 35enterprises and organisations formed theÔcomakershipÕ group which collaborated on thequality initiative.

A study visit was organised to an area ofFrance with similar structural problems, whichthey had solved through public-privatepartnership. This helped to stimulate practicalideas and was a very positive way of gettingthe group to think and work together.

Developing the quality offer

In order to develop a real product that couldbe sold, each participant was asked to preparean itinerary which involved their ownorganisation, identifying target markets, price,booking arrangements, transportation, andcomplete visit specifications. Experts from theBIC provided assistance.

The itineraries vary from 3 to 10 days; themajority are for groups. They have beenproposed by, and can be booked through, arange of individual accommodationenterprises, hotel associations, agrotourismgroups and local tour operators. Typically, theyinclude a mixture of visiting heritage sites andnature areas, and enjoying local gastronomyand traditions.

The 42 resulting itineraries were publishedin a high quality booklet with many visibleimages, and on a CD-ROM, distributed to touroperators and travel agencies all over Italy andthrough the Italian Touring Club.

In addition to the itineraries, exposure tonew ideas and market opportunities has led tovarious individual quality improvements andinitiatives, such as new restaurants, localevents, environmental improvements andbetter promotion of local produce andhandicrafts to visitors.

Discussing the itineraries with the local cultural association inthe village of Pignola who proposed one of them

Itineraries includemany historic sites,such as the abbey ofS.Michele



The essential process of obtaining feedbackfrom enterprises and existing and potentialvisitors, comparing images, expectations andreal experiences, has been described above.This is being maintained, with furthercustomer satisfaction surveys.

Training workshops and advice on businessand quality improvements were held as part ofthe scheme. This training has been extendedmore widely in the region.

The scheme did not establish specificquality criteria. However those involved wereadvised about minimum standards ofhospitality. Special advice was given onpricing, to ensure it reflected quality and wasbased on cost factors as well as competition.

It is hoped that quality demonstratedthrough the itineraries and participatingenterprises may influence other enterprises inthe area.

Two types of quality label are beingestablished:

● for typical regional food such as a pecorinocheese, red peppers and apricots.

● for the brand ÔBorgo hotelÕ (village hotel),setting standards and providing assistanceand a marketing structure for the use ofapartments or houses in villages asaccommodation.


The modest amount or tourism in the ruralarea to date has produced few environmentalproblems. The Pollino National Park is pursuingsustainable tourism. The designation of certainareas, such as the WWF reserve of Pantana diPignola, caused initial resentment amongstlocal people but the new economicopportunities that this brings through tourismhave now been appreciated.

The training programmes have includedcourses on sound environmental managementfor tourism enterprises.


The approach of creating a quality productbased on market research, through anintegrated group initiative, is imaginative. Itremains to be seen how easy it will be to sellthe programmes. There is a new spirit ofworking together to improve the visitorexperience and to pursue joint developmentand marketing initiatives. This has stimulatedcreativity and provided an example for others.

Nevertheless, difficulties still stand in theway of quality tourism in Basilicata, such asbureaucratic delay in granting planningpermission which can impede the necessaryinvestment to create a quality product.

New training programmes involving youngpeople, linking tourism to heritage andenvironmental management, bode well for thefuture. New legal structures such as the ÔPattiterritorialiÕ should underpin future strategiesfor integrated development based on public-private partnerships.

● Innovative role of the local development agency.

● Product audit and feedback from operators.

● In-depth research on non-visitors as well as current visitors.

● Effective use of international study visits.

● Working together to create a specific product.

● Providing a bookable product by linking small rural experiences.

Case study 2

Basilicata Italy

Key success factors

Hotel Restorante VillaMaria, responsible forone of the itineraries,

undergoingredevelopment

Castle of Lagopesole,restored with assistance

from ERDF

An initiative to restore the many historic doorways in Pignolais an example of response from the local community

83

Case Study 3

An area of dairy farming where alink between tourism andagriculture has been pioneeredthrough creative initiatives, mostnotably a themed cheese route withassociated quality criteria.

Bregenzerwald lies in the far west of Austrianear to Lake Constance. Covering 580km2,with a population of just 30 000, it is a gentleregion of mountains and valleys, Alpinepastures and forests. Agriculture is dominant;40% of employment is in farms or small food-processing enterprises. Milk and cheeseproduction lie deep within the traditions ofthe area and shape the lush, green landscape,with 42 500 tonnes of silage-free milk and 4 260 tonnes of Bergk�se and Emmentalercheese produced each year.

The tourism context

Bregenzerwald has a well-established ruraltourism sector with 15 000 bedsaccommodating 1.5 million visitors. 60% comein summer, mainly for walking, and 40% inwinter for a mixture of cross-country andAlpine skiing. Many also come simply to enjoyan unspoilt rural area with beautiful villagesand traditional wooden architecture. Tourismis quite important in the local economy, witharound half the workforce employed in theservice sector.

Dairy farming hasshaped the green

mountain scenery ofBregenzerwald

Austria

The quality initiativebuilds on a long

tradition of cheese making

WIEN

BREGENZERWALD


QStrategy

In 1991, tourism was stagnating, agriculturebased on ageing family farms was in decline,and there was an overriding sense ofcompetition between small enterprises. It wasdecided that the only way forward wasthrough a joint strategy between agricultureand tourism, driven by co-operation betweenyoung tourism entrepreneurs and youngfarmers. Based on this philosophy, theinitiative ÔNatur und Leben (nature and life)BregenzerwaldÕ was started.

The strategy is to build up the image of thearea, for tourism, agriculture and related ruralproducts, under the common identity ofÔnature and lifeÕ, with the followingobjectives:

● to increase the use of local agriculturalproducts, thereby strengthening theviability of farms;

● to make people aware of the critical roleof the farmer as creator and custodian ofthe cultural and tourism landscape;

● to build networks between producers,processors and sellers, for marketing,motivation and training;

● to encourage direct consumption of localproduce, reducing the costs and pollutionof transportation, and ensuring a fresh,quality experience for all consumersincluding visitors.

In 1995, AustriaÕs accession to the EUweakened the financial position of the smallagricultural enterprises but brought access toObjective 5b and LEADER funds. Thisunderlined the need for the ÔNatur und LebenÕinitiative and enabled it to be more effectivethrough well funded projects.

New tourism guidelines are beingelaborated for Bregenzerwald. Fortyrepresentatives have been working on this andan exhibition has been shown in all of thelocal communities. Target markets have beenclearly defined in Austria, Germany, Beneluxand north Italy.


Although the strategy contains no specificquality charter, its underlying aims are toimprove the quality of life of local people,improve the quality of services and productsfor visitors, and maintain the high quality oflandscape and nature.

It builds on, and conveys to visitors, thephilosophy and spirit of the Bregenzerwalder,summed up in the regional proverb Ôhonourthe old and welcome the new, but to yournative roots be true!Õ.


Traditionally tourism was the responsibility ofthe Bregenzerwald Tourism Association,founded in 1904. In 1997 a joint professionalbody, Tourismus Bregenzerwald, wasestablished by bringing together all 22communities, doubling the budget andappointing two managers. This hasconsiderably strengthened the ability todeliver quality.

This tourism structure works effectively inparallel with the development organisation,Regionalentwicklung Bregenzerwald, createdunder LEADER, which is responsible for newinitiatives, funding and training. It hasadopted a bottom-up approach, keeping thelocal population very well informed. Twospecial newspapers have played an importantrole here.

Widespread co-operation between tourism,farming and food businesses has been critical,especially innovative links between farmersand restaurateurs.

Case study 3

BregenzerwaldAustria

The logos for thestrategy and for the

Cheese Route

Romantic Hotel Hirschen Ð one of the Cheese Landlords

85


The new funding and professional approach ofTourismus Bregenzerwald has strengthened thequality of marketing and the materials used,including Internet access via the Austria TISsystem, CD-Rom information and moreeffective direct mail.

Projected images of Bregenzerwaldemphasise the fine scenery, the greenness,the warmth of the community and wholesome,quality local produce. Action has been takento strengthen the product in reality to meetthese images, developing joint productsbetween tourism and agriculture to meet thestrategic objectives of ÔNatur und LebenÕ.

The Bregenzerwald cheese route

A great deal of effort over three years hasbeen focused on an integrated, themed ruralproject, the Bregenzerwald cheese route. Thisembraces all the elements of ÔNatur undLebenÕ, and is based on strict quality criteria.

It provides a unique selling proposition forthe region, linked to its established image; arange of events and places to visit; specialityproduce to buy; and a greater profile for theregionÕs restaurants, based on cheese in thelocal gastronomy. Underpinning the viability ofdairy farmers helps them to maintain the richgreen landscape, the main attraction forpeople who come to Bregenzerwald.

The route is not simply a physical linkagefor visitors but a group of enterprises andorganisations that present their special offerswithin a common campaign. The 150 membersof the Cheese Route Association are dividedinto seven branches: 40 ÔCheese LandlordsÕ(hotels and restaurants serving cheese); 17 cheese factories; Alpine huts; dairies;farmers; tourism organisations; and otherproducers.

Members pay a fee to a marketingorganisation which has generated aconsiderable amount of press coverage andorganised numerous events, such as cheesetasting, cheese markets, parties, specialgames for children involving cheese, etc.There is an individual web site for the route.

Promoting local products to visitors in other ways

Local agricultural produce is promoted tovisitors in a number of ways.

● Regular culinary weeks with local productsheld by restaurants.

● Annual tasting and selling exhibitions.● A standardised sales point or boutique

ÒBauernkastenÓ for agricultural produce,placed in catering and accommodationestablishments.

● A branded ÒBauernfr�hst�ckÓ (farmersÕbreakfast) at accommodationestablishments, using local agriculturalproducts.


Joint training workshops between tourismenterprises and food producers have fostereda greater understanding of the needs of bothtypes of enterprise and of their clients.Courses include practical marketing andmanagement skills as well as catering,including cooking with cheese.

For the cheese route project, qualitycriteria have been worked up within theindividual branches.

ÔCheese LandlordsÕ have to present cheesein an attractive way to visitors. A workinggroup has been developing ideas for menusand buying schemes. Quality criteria theyhave identified include:

● offering a minimum of five cheesespecialities

● development of special menus involvingcheese

● naming the individual producers on themenus

● participating in special training, both forchefs and waiters.

The promotional print isrich with rural images

Displays of local cheesein a restaurant

Retail dairies areincluded in the CheeseRoute quality network


Attention has been paid to the quality ofthe visitor experience at the cheese factories.Improvements have been made to receptionand sales areas, display techniques andsignposting.

Participants who meet the specifiedcriteria are awarded the ÔCheese RouteÕ label.A further incentive, which strengthens inter-sector recognition, is the Ôinnovation prizeÕ foragriculture awarded by the association ofyoung chefs.


The area has few visitor managementproblems. Initiatives have concentrated onimprovements in enterprise performance, toincrease the level of income retained locally,generate employment and support themaintenance of the landscape.

Two initiatives help tourism enterprises tobe environmentally sensitive.

● �ko-log is a manual developed by a teamof hotel managers, full of practical hintsfor energy and waste saving, etc. andincluding a computer-based energy controlsystem.

● �koprofit is a programme of trainingworkshops and advice based on the manual,leading to better ecological practice andeconomic benefits for a group ofenterprises.

These award winning schemes haveprovided a foundation for the application ofthe Austrian eco-label in the area.


Levels of tourism in the area have remainedconstant; a good outcome in comparison withmost rural destinations in Austria.

As a result of the cheese route, the rangeof cheese types has risen from 6 to 30, andmany new cheese dishes have been created.Turnover in dairy shops increased by over 20%in the first year and they have been able toachieve far higher prices by selling direct tovisitors. In 1998, over 150 cheese events wereheld, attracting some 90 000 visitors.

Bregenzerwald has demonstrated thepositive partnership that can be formedbetween tourism, agriculture and local foodproduction, linked to sound ecologicalprinciples. The new professional tourismstructure, working in parallel with thedevelopment agency, creates a sound basis forthe future.

Working together and taking small, steadysteps towards quality, has proved to be rightfor this area. Success has come through abottom-up, networking approach, with regularmeetings and training, supported bycommitted and enthusiastic professionals.

● A new professional tourism body for the whole area.

● Parallel working between tourism and development bodies.

● A well accepted strategy of mutual support between tourism and agriculture.

● Practical, creative initiatives, notably the Cheese Route, supporting farmers and the landscape through tourism, via food products.

● Joint training initiatives.

● Quality criteria and labels for participants in the cheese route.

● Practical ways of promoting local produce to visitors.

Key success factors

Case study 3

Bregenzerwald Austria

The low energy building at Hotel Widderstein, a participant in�ko-profit

87

Case Study 4

Austria

A small Alpine region which hasactively worked to maintain itsmarket share by creating acoordinated structure and tourismstrategy for the whole area andintroducing a number of qualitylabels and sustainable tourism andtransport initiatives.

Lungau is a small sub-region of the Salzburgregion of Austria. Covering approximately 1 000 square kilometres, it has a population of21 000 spread over 15 municipalities. This isan attractive mountainous area with acomplex of interlocking valleys. It is typicallyrural and it is not an established mountainresort destination. Unemployment is 2% abovethe national average. Many people commuteout of the area to work and some localservices are declining.

The tourism context

Tourism is important in Lungau but notdominant. There are 13 500 beds and the areareceives 1.4 million overnight stays. Tourismemploys approximately 600 people directly(10% of jobs), but overall around 20% of jobsare dependent on tourism. There are 250km ofcross-country skiing routes and five downhillskiing areas, without intensive winter sportsdevelopment. In summer people come simplyto enjoy the mountains, to walk and to cycle.Cultural attractions include castles and folkmuseums, but the main appeal is its ruralatmosphere, local produce and natural,unspoiled environment. Based on thesestrengths Lungau competes with higher profiledestinations elsewhere in the Salzburg regionand further south.

As with much of Austria, there has been asignificant market decline in recent years.Bed-space occupancy currently stands ataround 28%. There is little potential tocounter this with reduced prices, so the areais trying to strengthen its market sharethrough improved quality, a stronger imageand more coordinated marketing.

An area which hastaken a positive

approach to activitytourism and transport

A network ofinterlocking valleys ina lesser known part of

the Alps

WIEN

LUNGAU


Case study 4

LungauAustria

Strategy

In 1995 a comprehensive regional developmentplan was prepared for Lungau, spurred byAustriaÕs accession to the EU and the need fora framework for Objective 5b structural funds.In forming part of this, the tourism strategycould be closely integrated with the needs oflocal people and the wider economy, includingagriculture, forestry and traditional industry. A tourism working group was one of sevensimilar groups involved with the preparation ofthe plan, assisted by regional developmentconsultants. They worked up a tourism actionprogramme for 1996 to 1999, and new tourismguidelines, Lungau 2000, will form the basisfor future action.

Key components of the strategy are:

● A new mountain summer programme basedon activities and the natural environment.

● A ÔsoftÕ winter skiing programme, which isenvironmentally friendly.

● Improving traffic management with anemphasis on public transport.

● An attractive farm holiday product.● Greater identity for, and promotion of,

local speciality products.● Strengthening land use planning policies,

and agreement on capacity limits for newdevelopment.


Improving quality, linked to the environmentalstrength of the area, is central to the tourismstrategy, with its objective of environmentallyfriendly quality tourism.

There are two key aspects of theirapproach to quality:

● Identifying and strengthening thebest enterprises and initiatives within selected themes for which Lungau is well-placed and which match market trends. These include enjoyingnatural products; family holidays;cycling; cross-country skiing; andwalking. In pursuing these themes,the need for cooperation betweenpeople concerned with tourism, theenvironment, transport, andagriculture was recognised.

● Creating strong links with the tourismcampaigns for Salzburg region as a whole,which are increasingly based on qualitycriteria. From past experience, it isrecognised that Lungau is too small an areato maintain a whole range of qualityinitiatives on its own.

The approach involves horizontalintegration between tourism and other sectorsand vertical integration between Lungau andthe Salzburg region.


The key to the new approach lies in bringingtogether the 15 separate municipalities intoone strong body for Lungau as a whole. ARegional Development Corporation (LungauRegionalverband) was formed to implementthe regional development plan. More recently,the municipalities agreed to cease individualtourism promotion and to pool their resourceswithin one body, Ferienregion Lungau, linkedto the Regionalverband, to increase thequality and professionalism of tourismmanagement and marketing. This was difficultto bring about and required a considerable actof faith.

Ferienregion Lungau has two directors. Oneis responsible for internal communication, andalthough working for Lungau is actuallyemployed by Salzburgerland Tourism, thusensuring a seamless link with regional action.The other is responsible for external tourismpromotion and PR.

Involvement of local businesses and otherrelevant organisations occurs through thetourism working group and subject workinggroups.

Q

New technologycentre for wood Ð

a local productidentified to visitors

Lungau works withthe Salzburg regionon many marketing

campaigns linked toquality

89


The working groups have concentrated onstrengthening quality in a number of themedareas, together with associated marketingcampaigns. This has involved identifyingquality criteria, sometimes promoted througha label, and developing links with regional andnational schemes.

Supporting local products

A Nat�rlich Lungau label is available to allkinds of enterprises, such as restaurants,farms, bakers, and wood producers. It isintegrated across other sectors beyondtourism. The main criteria are that the product is made in Lungau; ingredients comefrom the Lungau area; and that the process isecologically sound. For example, restaurantsmust have at least two dishes on their menumade from produce from Lungau organicfarms. The quality label and corporate identityfor the campaign is based on ÔGiant SampsonÕ,a figure from folklore.

Individual initiatives have promoted localfood and craft produce to visitors. TheHolzstrasse (wood trail) lists open-daysthroughout the summer when visitors can go tosaw-mills and other wood related enterprises.Lungau has participated in a Bauernherbst(farm-autumn) festival run across the whole ofSalzburgerland, with the objective ofextending the season.

Quality activity tourism

Ten quality criteria for hotels and guest houseswhich are labelled as Ôwalking specialistsÕhave been agreed. These include provisionthrough the enterprise of:

● knowledgeable hosts able to provide tips towalkers;

● information on other subjects such asbotany;

● walking maps for sale and generalinformation in the bedroom;

● up-to-date weather forecasts;● guided walks;● an inclusive walking programme for one

week each year;● equipment to borrow, such as rucksacks,

thermos etc.;● a special Lungau walkersÕ breakfast and

snacks;

● washing and drying facilities for clothes;● a farewell souvenir from Lungau.

A special guide publicises the code and lists30 accommodation establishments who abideby it, together with ideas for walks.

Similar criteria have been agreed forÔcycling specialistsÕ. Additional services forthis group include a welcome for single nightbookings from touring cyclists and specialequipment such as cycle maintenance kits. Aguide in the same series lists 16 participatingestablishments. Initiatives have been taken toimprove quality for cycling. The Murtal off-road cycle route has become well-known. Anetwork of mountain bike routes have beennegotiated, enabling cyclists to avoid conflictwith landowners. A cycling marketingcampaign includes events such as an annualcycle marathon.

A working group has concentrated on aquality initiative called Ônew winterÕ. Hotelsspecialising in cross-country skiing have beenidentified, with similar criteria to the walkinghotels. A fax service provides immediateinformation on the state of cross-countrytracks, soon to be delivered on an intranet.Route signing and links to public transporthave been improved, and a comprehensiveLungo ski pass introduced.

The Nat�rlich Lungaulabel indicates use oflocal ingredients

Events help topromote the image ofa quality region forcycling

Quality criteria meetthe needs of crosscountry skiers


Case study 4

Lungau Austria

Meeting special needs of families

Families with children have traditionallyformed an important market for rural Austriain summer. There are now strong attempts tostem the decline in this market throughproviding a high-quality product tailored tothe special needs of younger children. Aworking group in Lungau has addressed thissubject. A weekly programme of activities forchildren has been established, and a numberof individual hotels, farms and attractionsspecialise in facilities and customer care forchildren. A similar approach has been adoptedto the activity networks, with accommodationoperators agreeing to a ten point codeincluding: a family atmosphere; relevanthygiene and play equipment; baby listening;and special price discounts.

This product feeds into SalzbugerlandÕsBengelbande campaign, an imaginativepromotion aimed directly at children, usingcolourful materials, messages, competitions,cartoon characters and stickers. The productand promotional imagery are all to do withhaving fun in the countryside, discoveringnature and farm life.


The quality management approach adopted inLungau has centred on quality criteria andlabels for different sectors, based onprofessional judgement and an overallunderstanding or market requirements.

This process has worked quite well, but inthe past it showed up some of the difficultiesin applying criteria and labels locally in asmall area. For example:

● many enterprises have found it difficult tomeet the requirements of the Nat�rlichLungau label owing to the limited amountof local materials actually produced inLungau;

● an initial general quality label, LungauerLandgasth�fe, introduced for hotels andguest houses did not flourished, possiblybecause of the lack of local driving force,and insufficient focus and marketingsupport.

Only indirect qualitative feedback has beenreceived from visitors. For example, theNat�rlich Lungau label appears to be veryrelevant as guests are always asking for localproduce. The scheme has been valuable inunderpinning the natural and rural image ofLungau.

In strengthening the quality managementprocess there is a clear need for moresystematic visitor surveys, including measuresof satisfaction. The new strong tourismorganisation for the area should enable this tohappen.

The approach adopted in Lungau has beenbased on a considerable amount ofconsultation with local enterprises, and adviceand training has been given. Future systematictraining from outside should be supportedthrough a new quality and training centre forSalzburgerland.

Special activityprogrammes are

geared to thefamily market

91


It is believed that the proportion of visitorspending retained in the local economythrough tourism is reasonably high, andnegative impacts of visitors on theenvironment have been kept to low levels.This is partly as a result of action undertakenso far.

Various measures are taken on overallenvironmental quality. For example, air qualitymonitoring equipment measures pollutionlevels at certain times of the year. Resultssuggest that Lungau has a very cleanenvironment.

Public transport system

Promoting tourism by public transport hasbeen a strong feature in Lungau. From thebeginning the approach has been consumerorientated - providing an opportunity for aspecial kind of visit as well as reducingenvironmental impact from cars. The initiativewas started, and has been driven forward, bythe efforts of one local individual committedto public transport. The Lungau T�lerbus(valleys bus) was introduced by him to takevisitors around the area. Initially, it provedquite difficult to attract sufficient use toensure viability. However, various elementscame together to secure a strong andsustainable public transport offer.

● The closure of certain valleys to cars with abus service providing access.

● Promoting the possibility of using buses totake walks without having to retrace onessteps.

● Sponsorship and participation from the skilift companies leading to an inclusivetransport pass.

● Introducing more bus services, includingthe use of small buses, open-top buses andelectric vehicles.

● Promoting use of the valley railway, withinformation about each stop.

● Developing a fully integrated transportsystem and timetable for the whole year,through agreement with the national andregional bus and rail companies, TheLungau-takt (contact scheme), whichincorporates the T�lerbus, mountain lifts,and all other bus and train transport, isbased on visitor needs as well as schoolservices, commuting to work and postaldelivery. It specifies minimum transfertimes between different transport services.

Lungau has won a number of prizes for itsapproach to public transport and is a memberof a European initiative to promotesustainable transport in tourism destinations

Success has required time, attention todetail, a policy to restrict car use as well asimprove public transport, support from themain commercial interests, and a recognitionthat a comprehensive network which is easy touse is an essentialpart of a qualitytransport offer.

Display maps andtimetables showLungauÕs integratedtransport network

Walkers pack into the ÔValleys BusÕ

A booklet of walksusing publictransport, includingbus schedules androute maps


● New central tourism organisation covering 15 municipalities.

● Tourism strategy embedded in the overall economic development programme.

● Strong link between tourism offer and local produce.

● Creation of quality criteria and labels for local produce; and niche markets such as families and activity tourism.

● Strong links to overall Salzburg region for quality and marketing initiatives.

● Comprehensive approach to promoting public transport.

Key success factors

Lungau eco-label

This label has been granted to hotels over thelast three years, based simply on a declarationthat they are filling environmental criteria. The criteria are divided into seven parts, five

of which are obligatory. Strongconditions are applied to themanagement of waste and water.Enterprises are asked to promotethe T�lerbus. A higher level ofdistinction is awarded to thosemeeting the maximum criteria.This process has been successfulin reducing the purchase ofinappropriate material such asplastic bottles and sprays; instimulating direct purchase ofproduce from local farms; andhelping to reduce individual cartransport. There are plans tofurther improve the eco-label,though in future it may be takenover by the national eco-labelscheme for tourism enterprisesin Austria.


The establishment of the Ferienregion Lungauas a joint, central tourism body withprofessional staff is seen as a considerableachievement. The activities of the workinggroups in different sectors, coupled withquality criteria and marketing programmes,has led to a better presentation of productsand to quality improvements. The strong linksformed with Salzburg tourism shouldstrengthen this in future.

It is too early to judge the results of someof the initiatives such as the quality schemefor activity and family tourism.

There has been some frustration locallyover the need for higher occupancy,exacerbated by the overall decline of thetourism market in Austria. However, Lungauhas done no worse than other parts of thecountry in recent years, which given itsrelative isolation and lack of tourism profile isperhaps an achievement. Although there isnow a more positive feeling about pullingtogether, an upturn in performance is requiredto give confidence.

Case study 4

LungauAustria

A hotelÕs Certificateof Environmental

Quality

93

Case Study 5

Spain

An established rural tourismdestination, coordinating a range ofsector and area interests andorganisations, which is pioneering anew integrated quality managementscheme.

Monta�a de Navarra forms the northern half ofthe region of Navarra. Covering an area ofapproximately 5 000 km2, with a population ofaround 77 000, it is made up of ridges andvalleys running south from the Pyrenees. The attractive landscape is both forested andagricultural, and includes a number ofprotected areas. There is a rich and distinctivelocal rural architecture and culture. Thepopulation is ageing and severely declining(falling by 5% in the last ten years). Theagricultural sector is still important but suffersfrom low profitability.

The tourism context

Monta�a de Navarra is a leading area for ruraltourism in Spain. There has been significantgrowth in both supply and demand in the lastfifteen years and tourism is seen as a majorforce for the revitalisation of the ruraleconomy. There are four hotels, 20 designatedÔrural hotelsÕ, and 272 Casas Rurales (ruralhouses offering accommodation); camping isalso very prevalent.

Surveys suggest that visitors come mainlyto enjoy the natural environment. Almost halfcome from the Navarra area and the Basquecountry, with around 30% from elsewhere inSpain and 20% from abroad. Many visitors areyoung and enjoy countryside activities. Thelength of stay averages three to five days andthere are also many day visitors.

Monta�a de Navarra is now facingincreased competition from many other partsof Spain that have started to promote ruraltourism.

A green and deeply ruralpart of Spain

MADRID

MONTANA DE NAVARRA


Case study 5

Montana de Navarra Spain

Q


Leadership in tourism is provided by CEDERNA-GARALUR, a non-profit association founded in1991 to promote socio-economic development.It has 150 members, including municipalitiesand representative bodies from industry,agriculture and tourism.

In Monta�a de Navarra two types of localnetwork have been supported.

● Geographic. There are three distinct localareas, defined by the valley structure:Bertiz, Pirineo and Plazaola. Each has itsown tourism consortium (Consorcio)combining many small municipalities andvarious tourism, craft and serviceenterprises. They are responsible forpublicity, information and signing, and thepreparation of local tourism strategies andaction plans.

● Sectoral. Many tourism enterprises inNavarra relate strongly to sector groupings,such as the Rural Hotels Association,Federation of NavarraÕs Rural Houses (CasasRurales), and the Association of Local FoodProducers.

CEDERNA-GARALUR supports theseconsortia and sector groups with advice andfinance. It is responsible for tourismdevelopment and improvement projects andfor co-ordinating strategy, image andmarketing for Monta�a de Navarra as a whole.Various mechanisms are used to encourage thearea to pull together, such as a standingÔround tableÕ conference on tourism.

Communication with the wider localcommunity is achieved through a programmeof open meetings, and through representativeorganisations which serve on variouscommittees.

Strategy

The mission is to create a single destinationfor ÔMonta�a de NavarraÕ with a united image,while recognising the characteristics andneeds of the local areas and sector groups.

Objectives include:● Improving marketing and communication.● Stimulating more investment in tourism

facilities, including new rural tourismproducts and better infrastructure.

● An audit of architectural heritage andsupport for restoration programmes.

● Better environmental management and useof natural areas.

● Promoting the role of local tourismconsortia for each of the three valleyareas.

● Innovation in tourism management,including the development of a ÔqualitysystemÕ.


Improving quality is seen as the main way tocompete with the new rural tourismdestinations. Quality should be the definingreason why people come to this area.

The concept of quality management is wellunderstood. The Rural Hotels Association hasalready undertaken its own quality initiative.However, it has been recognised that qualityshould embrace all aspects of a visitorÕsexperience and so be of concern to suppliersof public services and infrastructure as well asprivate enterprises. Integrated QualityManagement has been pursued by theConsorcios at a local level. However, itbecame clear that a larger quality initiativefor Monta�a de Navarra was needed, withmore resources and impact. This is beingcentrally developed and administered but withthe Consorcios and sectors playing a strongrole in encouraging participation.

Public exhibition of thetourism strategy of the

consortium of Bertiz

95


CEDERNA-GARALUR has initiated or supportedmany schemes to improve the rural tourismproduct, using tourism to support the localeconomy and architectural and culturalheritage.

Routes and trails

A programme has focused on the pilgrimageroute to Santiago de Compostela, restoringhistoric buildings and creating opportunitiesfor their use as inns and visitor attractions.The former railway from Pamplona to StSebastian has been used to create walking,cycle and riding trails and the stationsconverted to use as interpretation andinformation centres. Some initiatives havebeen taken by the private sector. For example,two rural hotels are promoting walking,cycling and riding routes guided by their ownstaff.

Promoting local produce

A network of 23 producers of speciality localfoods has been established, including cheeses,meats, liqueurs and confections. They havecreated distribution channels to hotels andalso been used more directly as a touristattraction. The groupÕs products have formedthe basis for medieval fairs and banquets,which have been very popular and accountedfor a high proportion of the total sales of theproduce. An external body was appointed todevelop a quality control system for theproduce, providing technical advice and amethod of auto-evaluation at critical points inthe production process.

Rural tourism guide and reservation service

Much of the marketing and informationdelivery is through individual leaflets producedby the three Consorcios. However, acomprehensive Rural Tourism Guide has beenproduced for Navarra, with different sectionsfor the various sector associations (ruralhotels, rural houses, and activity providers)who refer to their own quality standards. Acentral reservation service is promoted withinthe guide.

Former railway station restored by the consortium of Plazaola

Rural hotels have aquality grade indicatedby the number of hollyberries


Case study 5

Montana de Navarra Spain


Quality management system for Rural Hotels Association

A quality system was designed for the 20members of the association by an externalconsultant. It includes:● Membership criteria. All hotels must have

under 25 rooms, an attractiveenvironment, use traditional architectureand promote customer satisfaction.

● A grading system. This has three overallquality levels. Similar tariffs and specialoffer prices are charged by all hotelswithin each level. As well as an overallgrade, the quality of bedrooms and cuisineare also graded separately, as it was foundthat these important features do notnecessarily relate to the general ambienceand service.

The association has also joined thenational quality scheme for hotels in Spain,which introduces more elements to do withmanagement processes, such as personnelmanagement.

Logical steps towards an IQM system

The new IQM scheme for Monta�a de Navarrahas been based on the following stages:

● Discussion groups, held locally and inMadrid, for people who had been toMonta�a de Navarra, and those who hadnot. This revealed perceptions of the areaand the basis on which decisions are made.

● Interviews with visitors, asking what factorsare important to them and how satisfiedthey are with Monta�a de Navarra inrelation to these factors.

● Workshops for enterprises andorganisations. Mixed workshops have beenheld within local areas as well as separateworkshops for five different sectors:accommodation operators; restaurants andbars; complementary products such asrecreational activities and visitorattractions; traders, such as craftproducers and shops; and public sectorservices.

● Defining Ôservice quality normsÕ for each ofthe five sectors with the help ofprofessionals, informed by the consumersurveys and workshops.

● Designing a method of auto-evaluation fororganisations, to check whether they aremeeting the norms but also to help themimprove their own procedures.

Twenty five basic quality criteria have beenidentified, which cover twelve separate areasof operation, including: equipment, cleaning,information, staff training, customer care,suppliers, payment procedures, products,management processes, other services andenvironmental issues.

A Quality Council has been formed,including CEDERNA-GARALUR and theConsorcios, run by a manager and technicalconsultant. This will develop the quality normsand award Ôquality sealsÕ to successfulapplicants, with three grades of distinction.

A programme of five half-day trainingsessions is being run for potential participantsto explain the norms and procedures.

The system is being piloted in one valley.Ten very varied establishments have beenchosen for the pilot: the visitor service in theNational Park; the local tourist office; the tourguide service for the caves; a local town hall;three hotels; a restaurant; a Casa Rural; and aphotographic shop.

Bedroom quality isseparately graded in

rural hotels

Visitor informationservices are included in

the IQM initiative

Even services likephotographic shops are

part of the IQM initiative

97

● Co-ordination based both on sector groups and on local area consortia.

● Concentration on supporting heritage and local producers.

● Strong Rural Hotels Association with its own quality plan.

● Introduction of a comprehensive IQM scheme for the destination.

● Discussion groups and visitor surveys.

● Creation of service norms and a self-evaluation process.

● Piloting the IQM initiative across diverse organisations.

Key success factors

Initial results from customer feedback

The survey of visitorsÕ priorities andsatisfaction revealed some interesting results:

● Visitors were most concerned with thequality of the natural environment,appearance of villages and general level ofwelcome; they were well satisfied withthese elements in Monta�a de Navarra.They were less satisfied with publicservices and commercial offers, yet theseaspects were of a lower priority for them.

● For visitor attractions and events, theywere looking for good information andsignposting, but many were not satisfied.This is the main area where requirementand satisfaction diverged.

● In accommodation, they sought anattractive environment, cleanliness andvariety. In restaurants they sought variety,value for money and typical local dishes.Generally, they were satisfied. Issues suchas signposting were considered lessimportant in these sectors.

● Amongst public services sought, prioritywas given to Tourist Information Centres,which were considered satisfactory.


The strategy has also been concerned withmaintaining and improving the quality of theenvironment, focussing on restoration projectsand on visitor management in some naturalareas, such as the Irati Forest. Through thequality scheme, the rural hotels have becomemore sensitive to environmental issues, such asenergy saving.


This is a good example of an area which hasrecognised the benefits of working as a largerdestination in terms of image and the co-ordination of development but also of workingthrough local consortia and sector groups interms of involving businesses and deliveringprogrammes.

Individual projects for the restoration ofheritage properties, supporting local producersand improving rural accommodation have beensuccessful. Monta�a de Navarra has receivednational recognition for this work.

The Rural Hotels Association is movingstrongly forward and plans to introduce acomputer based reservation network and morepromotion to tour operators.

The development of a comprehensive IQMsystem is a commendable step. Further lessonswill be learned from its implementation. Thechallenge and the main benefit is seen asapplying the approach to public sectorservices, such as infrastructure andinformation. It has already proved valuable inalerting many people to the real needs ofvisitors. The Consorcios may in future be ableto use it as a basis for membership, and it ishoped that participation will spread over timefrom the more committed to all tourismorganisations.

Instructing visitors totake rubbish away withthem, near Irati forest

Visitors are more concerned about signs to attractions than toaccommodation


Case Study 6

France

The tourism context

The D�partement Aude receives around 15mstaying visitors per year. Foreign visitorsaccount for 38% of stays in hotels, and 17% inbed and breakfasts. Much of this tourismoccurs on the coast and in the urban areas.The rural and mountain area of the PaysCathare has relatively limited accommodationwith only 22 hotels and 32 camping sites but alarge number of rural g�tes. Demand in thisarea has been growing strongly. Trends includea growth in demand for short stays,countryside activities, and authentic culture.

The large number of castles, abbeys andcultural museums have formed the basis fordeveloping the quality rural tourism productand image. They receive annual admissionsvarying from a few thousand to 100 000, withmany around 25 000.

A network of historic sites defines the area

An area rich in historic heritagewhich has established a trulycomprehensive quality schemefocused on the ÔPays CathareÕtheme, and undertaken creativework in relating the management ofhistoric properties to ruralcommunities.

The ÔPays CathareÕ is a promotional namegiven to the D�partement Aude in the south ofFrance. This area was the base of Catharism, areligious movement in the 13th century. Thisperiod witnessed many battles and left a richlegacy of fortified towns, villages and ancientcastles perched on rocky ridges.

The rural and mountain area of PaysCathare has a population of 58 000. It hasbeen suffering from some depopulation. Wineproduction is the mainstay of the ruraleconomy, but tourism plays a very importantrole in second place.

PARIS

PAYSCATHARE

An unspoiled rural landscape

99

Q

Strategy

In 1987 a strategy was prepared to strengthenthe tourism economy of the area throughmaking use of the cultural heritage. It wasbased on two surveys, one of visitorsatisfaction amongst 2 000 current visitors tohistorical sites; and another of the image andexpectations of the area from 7 000 potential visitors from all over Europe.These surveys showed that:

● the cultural heritage was a majormotivation for over half the existingvisitors;

● Catharism is well recognised as somethingof interest linked to this area;

● visitors wished to see the sites kept wildand romantic;

● visitors are looking for characterfulaccommodation and outdoor activities,especially walking;

● potential new visitors to the area aredefinitely looking for a high qualityproduct.

Based on this evidence, and widespreadconsultation with public and private partners,the strategy adopted the following priorities.

● Focusing the project around severalhistoric sites (castles or abbeys), providinga complete offer to the visitor with links tofacilities in the neighbouring village,maximising economic benefit to the localcommunity.

● Increasing the quality of facilities andservices, including accommodation,animation and activities.

● Creating a strong marketing plan and brandidentity around the concept of PaysCathare.

● Increasing local income by developing andselling a range of quality local products tovisitors.

The strategy was successfully executed. Asa consequence, the tourism strategy for thewhole D�partement is now to pursue quality asan objective and to carry on the approach.


Quality is central to the Pays Cathare strategy,in line with the tested market expectations. The quality system developed in the area hasinvolved identifying quality criteria for a widerange of products and services, which areawarded the ÔPays CathareÕ brand label. The objective is for the public automaticallyto associate the words ÔPays CathareÕ withquality.

The strategy states that the name shouldnot just guarantee the usual standards ofexcellence but that there will be Ôthat extrasomethingÕ that comes from placing priorityon authentic character and genuine individualquality.

PrintersÕ template for using the logo



Overall leadership is provided by the ConseilG�n�ral of the D�partement Aude. Althoughthe Pays Cathare programme is partly fundedby LEADER and is spearheaded by theassociated local action group, theD�partement has played a strong role in part-funding, coordination and action. A particularstrength has been the involvement of a rangeof the D�partementÕs technical sections, suchas those responsible for development andregional planning.

The current strategy is taken forward by apartnership of the Conseil G�n�ral; thetourism committee of the D�partement; andrepresentatives of private sector tourismassociations and enterprise councils(agricultural, professionals, industry, trade).

This partnership also includes the ÔSEMAude Am�nagementÕ, a mixed private-publiccompany responsible for the management ofthe nine Pays Cathare historic sites. It hasbeen the key agency providing leadership onthe ground, liaising with small businesses andthe local community through a network ofmanagers for each site. Some globalresponsibilities for the Pays Cathare sitenetwork, such as promotion, are also allocatedbetween them. This creative deployment ofstaff has been a key strength.

A newsletter ÔLa Lettre du Pays CathareÕ,published at least three times a year, is animportant medium for strengthening contactand information between participants.


Promoting the Pays Cathare brand

The visitor is immediately conscious of PaysCathare through the logo. This serves twopurposes:

● to identify the destination as a whole ininformation and promotional material; and

● to identify individual enterprises whichcomply with the quality charter.

The latter are brought together in twomain pieces of print. Le Guide du Pays Catharelists all participants by geographical area andtype of enterprise (restaurants,accommodation, shops etc). The guide AudeGourmande lists nominated food producersand vineyards.

Separate leaflets are produced on specificthemes and for sectors such as Ôbed andbreakfastÕ or artists and crafts people whomeet the quality criteria. The logo isprominent on all of these. Care has beentaken with the accuracy of the imagepresented so as not to give false expectations.Text on the cultural or historic heritage iscertified for accuracy by the Centre forCatharist Studies.

Case study 6

Pays Cathare France

The comprehensive guide toenterprises in the qualityscheme, includes entries andlocation maps

Guides and brochuresare checked for

accuracy by historians

101

Information and customer handling

There is no central reservation service,although this is available for much of the ruralaccommodation through G�tes de France.Reservations for the bed and breakfast grouphave been established through an internetservice, which has been successful.

Information is well organised for theindividual traveller:

● visitor signposting, interpretation panels,and identity stickers for participants in thequality scheme carry the Pays Catharelogo;

● each participant in the scheme carries awide range of Pays Cathare print and istrained to ask visitors about their interestsand to promote all the options to them;

● a range of trails and itineraries have beenprepared, such as ÔIn the footsteps of theCatharsÕ, ÔThe Abbeys RouteÕ etc.;

● the nine focal historic sites operate a jointdiscount ticket for multiple visits, and aprivilege card for free admission for local residents.

A group of guides has been certified asÔGuides du Pays CathareÕ through the qualityscheme. They are particularly knowledgeableabout the areaÕs heritage and have a centralenquiry number. However, the limiteddevelopment of inclusive packages andinvolvement of ground handlers and touroperators has been a weakness to date.

Providing an authentic experience

Various projects have been supported,especially in and around the nine focal sites,to gain value from, and present, the historicheritage and cultural traditions. They includethe creation of interpretation facilities,cultural events and building restoration. Carehas been taken in the use of authenticmaterials and techniques. Rural restaurants inthe scheme use their own produce or otherbranded Pays Cathare products.


A comprehensive quality charter

To be awarded the Pays Cathare brand label,enterprises must comply with a qualitycharter. Separate, detailed sets of criteriahave been worked out by professionalsalongside groups of operators, for 19 types ofproduct and service. These can be groupedinto: hotels and restaurants; rural self-catering and B&B; camping sites; places totaste and buy produce; artists and craftsmen;guides; and food products. By 1998 around 600enterprises or individuals had been covered.

The principle of the charters is to promoteand identify extra qualities and a local PaysCathare flavour, over and above normalexpectations. Key aspects are:

● Adherence to national standards for thesector. For example, all g�tes have aminimum of 2 ÔepisÕ awarded by G�tes deFrance; guides need relevant nationalguiding qualifications in languages,mountain or cycling safety etc..

● Provision of a special quality of welcomeand local, rural authenticity.

● Promoting to guests the area, its produceand other participants in the scheme.

Special quality criteria have been devised for artists andcraftsmen

Pays Cathare tags onart and craft goodsrefer to the qualityscheme

Discount card to thenine heritage sites


Case study 6

Pays Cathare France

Components of the charters that relate torural accommodation, for example, cover:

● signposting, parking, quality of entrance, display of the Pays Cathare label;

● external appearance, local authenticity ofmaterials, landscaping;

● interior decor, giving a local flavour but notÔfalse rusticityÕ;

● nature of personal welcome, provision of ahamper of produce or small gifts;

● little extras to provide comfort and well-being in bedrooms and bathrooms;

● a display case of Pays Cathare produce;● telling guests about the area, literature

available, possibly special lectures/events;● recipes from the immediate local area, or

family, not simply the region;● professionalism in all transactions,

including use of credit cards etc.;● readiness to work with others in the

network on promotion and support.

Every member has to attend a minimum offive days training each year, covering localknowledge about Pays Cathare as well ascustomer care and quality standards. This alsohelps with networking and mutual support.

The attribution of the brand label isapproved by a committee for each sector,including representatives of the D�partement,national body (eg G�tes de France), Chamberof Commerce, and a consumer body related tothe sector. Each meets a minimum of once ayear. A detailed proforma is completed,scoring against a long list of criteria. This ischecked by a technical visit to the site. If anapplicant fails, they will be helped withtraining and assistance to rectify the problem.

Special schemes relating to food

Particular attention has been paid to qualityprocesses in the preparation of local food. Anetwork of bakers produce a ÔPays CatharebreadÕ, based on a quality control chainbetween farmers, millers and bakers. A similarprocess has been introduced for Pays Catharelamb, pork and poultry between breeders,butchers and restaurants.

The award Aude Gourmande is given towinners and finalists in an annual agro-foodcompetition, based on criteria certified by theorganisation ÔQuality FranceÕ.

Customer feedback

There has been no systematic control forcustomer feedback throughout the brandscheme. For most sectors, the charter requiresenterprises to seek verbal feedback from theirvisitors. For rural accommodation, enterprisesgive visitors a questionnaire that checkssatisfaction, which must be submitted to theD�partement.

A few visitor surveys have been carried outin the destination as a whole. A survey at thenine focal sites tested satisfaction withsignposting, commercialisation, welcome andoverall level of interest.

Strengthening the process

The new strategy will strengthen the qualitymanagement process. Greater attention shouldbe paid to customer feedback, the contents ofcharters and the inspection process. Thestrategy includes a charter for tourist offices,including window displays, telephonetechniques, coordination of event calendarsand exchange of personnel.


The overall approach seeks economic benefitfrom preservation and promotion of the localheritage and produce. There has been littleenvironmental damage and this is not a majorissue.

Visitor management, signposting andcommunity benefit

A creative approach at the nine focal siteslinks the monument (castle or abbey) to itslocal village. Signposting, carrying the PaysCathare logo, is well planned - advance signingand information panel 5km from thesettlement; continuation signs to a speciallyprepared village car park; interpretationboards there; and onward pedestrian signs.

Pays Cathare bread isbased on a recipe from

the Middle Ages

The Pays Cathare logosupplements standardquality grading in theG�tes de France guide

103

● Strong leadership by the D�partement, involving all relevant sections.

● Creative link between cultural heritage sites and neighbouring villages.

● Use of historic site managers in wider tourism development.

● Creation of a Pays Cathare brand based on heritage and quality.

● Strong promotional campaign around the brand.

● Award of the brand label based on comprehensive set of quality charters.

● Built in training as a condition of award.

● Special quality initiatives linked to food and gastronomy.

Key success factors

In each case the walking route to themonument has been designed to avoiddisturbing local people with noise andpollution, but also to give visitors a flavour ofthe place and take them past shops sellinglocal produce.

In support of this approach, themunicipalities have undertaken qualityimprovement schemes in the villages,including environmental improvements,encouraging appropriate enterprises andregular liaison with local people. Surveys haveshown that 50% of visitors to a monumentwished to stop in the village if it offeredrelated activities.


The value of the approach adopted, managinglocal heritage for economic benefit, andcreating a promotional brand linked to acomprehensive quality charter, has beenwidely recognised. Numerous qualityimprovements can be identified, especially inthe nine focal sites.

Tourism has been increasing, with 5%growth in the last year alone and a reductionin seasonality. The image of the area is nowfar stronger. Response to promotions based onthe Pays Cathare brand has been very positive.

Various measures point to a strengtheningof business as a result of participation in thequality scheme:

● tourist guides who acquired the brand sawa 30% increase in business compared withtheir counterparts;

● certain castles have seen strong growth invisitors, e.g. Villerouges-Termen�s 13 500in 1998 c.f. 3 900 in 1993;

● those g�tes within the brand achieve ahigher occupancy than those outside it;

● the press launch of the Pays Cathare breadgenerated a noticeable increase in sales atbakeries.

A priority is to increase the coverage of thescheme. Currently only around 10% of g�tes arein membership, for example.

The D�partement Aude is developing theapproach throughout the area. Clearly, it willbe important not to lose the quality of theproduct and its relationship to an authenticrural and cultural experience. At the sametime the need for more market segmentationand a more rigorous approach to customerfeedback is recognised.

A logical sequence of signingwhen approaching a heritagesettlement and its castle


Pohjois-Karjala (North Karelia) is a county onthe Finnish-Russian border in the most easternextremity of the European Union. It covers anarea of around 25 000 km2, but has apopulation of just 187 000. The landscape istypically Finnish, dominated by forests andlakes.

Karelia has its own special culture, with astrong Eastern Orthodox tradition. Thegastronomy, music, art and crafts are quitedistinctive, providing a rich resource fortourism alongside the unspoiled naturalenvironment.

The tourism context

The county has approximately 250 tourismenterprises, the majority of which are rural.The domestic Finnish market accounts foralmost 90% of overnight stays but the area isattracting a growing number of foreignvisitors. Typically, visitors have come here toenjoy nature, hiring a lakeside cottage with asauna and probably with a boat, and indulgingin countryside pursuits such as hiking, fishing,hunting and berry picking. Holiday cottagesare mainly available through letting agencies.A small number of farms offer bed andbreakfast, some providing guests with anopportunity to join their hosts in a variety ofrural activities. The area is popular withfamilies as well as retired people.

Case Study 7

Finland

An area which has been creative in linking small enterprises topromote Karelian cultural and forest themes, backed bycomprehensive quality training programmes based on international ISO standards.

A region of typically Finnish landscapes

An objective is to retainthe atmosphere of

traditional accommodationbut to diversify the offer

HELSINKI

POHJOIS-KARJALA

105

Strategy

A tourism strategy for Pohjois-Karjala,completed two years ago, places particularemphasis on tourism based on enjoying theareaÕs nature, forests and cultural traditions.

The strategy recognises changing visitorexpectations, with a demand for betterfacilities, a diversified range of activities andan interest in the special rural atmosphere anddistinctive heritage of the area. It was feltthat many small rural enterprises did not fullyappreciate this; for example, too often poorquality modern furniture was used, and thevalue of traditional materials and produce wasnot properly recognised.

The approach is therefore to:

● work with local enterprises on improvingquality and bringing out Karelian culture;

● be more creative and commercial indeveloping and selling a range of inclusivepackages and programmes.

Improving the overall image of the areawas also seen as a high priority.


Local and national quality initiatives for ruraltourism enterprises have been introduced,based on setting standards, training andquality labelling. Two specific schemes aredescribed later.

Support has also been given to initiativeswhich improve quality through coordinatingand packaging local products, for example inthe delivery of forest and nature basedexperiences and activities.


The Pohjois-Karjala Tourist Service has beenestablished as an independent body, partfunded by the county, which brings togetherpublic and private sector interests. It has 60members, including representatives ofcommunities as well as enterprises. Its mainfunction is as an umbrella marketingorganisation, and it is increasingly involved incommercial sales promotion.

The Tourist Service is not directly involvedin development and product improvementwork. Leadership here is provided by thePohjois-Karjala Rural Advisory Centre, whohave established the quality training andlabelling schemes. The Centre is one of 17throughout Finland which are co-ordinated bythe national Association of Rural AdvisoryCentres. They provide a comprehensiveadvisory and training service for farmers andrural enterprises. The Rural Advisory Centreworks closely with the Tourist Service.


Marketing, reservation and informationservices

The Pohjois-Karjala Tourist Service produces adestination brochure and promotionalcampaign for the area. They generate aconsiderable amount of media coverage,including running a TV campaign aimed atpromoting a quality image of the county. Theyalso provide a central reservation service forself-catering holiday cottages and cabins,together with a few farmhouses. Two recentventures are:

● Selling pre-packaged and tailor-madeprogrammes to groups (such as specialinterest and activity groups) mainly fromFinland, Germany, Sweden and Russia.

● A computer based information systemlinking 10 sites across the area from whichthe public can make enquiries and placebookings, for example for activities.

Q

Entertainingjournalists is animportant marketingfunction

Traditional Kareliancolours and designsare used in the localquality scheme


Mets�nv�ki forest programme

Mets�nv�ki (Ôforest peopleÕ), an initiativeestablished with the help of LEADER funding,brings together around 20 organisations andindividuals able to supply services related tothe theme of forests and forest products.These include activity operators, wildernessguides, food producers and arts and craftspeople such as musicians and wood carvers.

Amongst summer and winter programmeson offer are: complete forest weddings withmusic, food and traditional customs; horse and

sledge excursions; canoeing andrafting treks; husky safaris;kick sledging; forest banquets;a variety of guided tours andinterpretation; andopportunities to observe andparticipate in forestry workprogrammes.

Mets�nv�ki works with thetourist office for thecommunity of Lieksa, withwhom they share an office; thishas been important for success.

They also handle some groups for the Pohjois-Karjala Tourist Service. The programmes aregeared toward groups, although they canhandle as few as three people. Around 25% ofthe market is foreign and they are seekingspecialist tour operators to promote theminternationally. They will shortly become anindependent company.

Some of the aspects of the initiative whichare geared to quality are:

● The use of traditional Karelian materials,including birch bark utensils, knitwearworn by guides, etc. Visitors often then askto buy these products so bringing furtherlocal income.

● Keeping group size quite small, so specialattention can be given to them.

● A strong emphasis on traditional greetingsand farewells.

● Recognition that quality criteria for guidesand new suppliers joining them will needto be introduced.


County based visitor feedback

Market research has been undertaken byPohjois-Karjala Tourist Service amongstexisting visitors. This confirmed theimportance of having friendly hosts. Visitorscommented that Karelian food and traditionsshould be easier to find, but only where it isnatural; it should not be forced. They felt thattraditional food should be available on menus,not simply to order for special occasions.

The need for focused training and quality labelling

An initial response to the new strategy was toset up a large scale training initiative coveringbusiness development and marketing.However, this was not well tailored to theneeds of small enterprises and was notsuccessful. It was concluded that training wasbetter established alongside the enterprisesthemselves working in networks. Pohjois-Karjala Tourist Service undertake their owninspection of properties within the centralreservation system, but the nationalaccommodation grading scheme has beenrelatively little used as it concentrates ontechnical matters more than quality issues.Therefore, the need for a more focusedquality labelling initiative was recognised. Thefollowing schemes demonstrate two ways inwhich this is being implemented.

Karelia � la Carte

This initiative was started in 1991 by thePohjois-Karjala Rural Advisory Centre. Aninitial meeting led to the establishment of anetwork of 30 enterprises interested inmaintaining Karelian culture and traditions,focusing on restaurants and food but alsoincluding accommodation and handicrafts.

A book of traditional recipes was producedand a common logo and promotional materialprepared using a Karelian design. Trainingsessions were held in cooking, hospitality,local culture, marketing and pricing.

Case study 7

Pohjois-Karjala Finland

Use of traditionalKarelian knitwear bystaff is an important

attention to detail

Branded table napkinspromote Karelia

� la carte

107

In 1995 a specific quality initiative wasstarted within the group. Customersatisfaction questionnaires were prepared,initially these were handed back to theproprietors, but will now be collectedcentrally. The co-ordinator also surveyed allparticipants about their commitment toquality. A Ôquality boardÕ was elected bynetwork members from amongst themselves.

Following the above assessment, the co-ordinator prepared a detailed quality manualbased on ISO 9002 standards. The qualityboard found this too complicated, so a simplerversion was produced based on the sameprinciples. It covers: management approach,strategic planning, customer orientation, useof information, personnel management,service processes, obtaining feedback, andenvironmental issues. Members are nowworking to this manual, with the help of oneto one advice and further training.

The ÔUniquely FinnishÕ scheme

A few rural enterprises in Pohjois-Karjala(including some members of Karelia � laCarte) are involved in this national qualityscheme for rural tourism run by theAssociation of Rural Advisory Centres. It is partof a comprehensive approach to qualitymanagement training for the whole farming,food and rural enterprise sector.

The ÔUniquely FinnishÕ label is awarded toaccommodation, catering, craft and ruralactivity enterprises who have completed anintensive quality training course and candemonstrate special levels of service and localFinnish distinctiveness in their products. Thescheme is promoted to visitors through piggy-backing on the Finnish Country Holidayscampaign, who place the label againstqualifying enterprises in their guidebooks. Anumber of touring routes connecting theenterprises are also indicated. The label isused in addition to Finnish Country HolidaysÕown technical star rating system. The quality training is very comprehensive,involving three intensive teaching periods

interspersed by self-assessment and periodswhen participants write their own qualitymanual and action plan. The criteria are basedon a combination of ISO 9002, ISO 14001 andBS8800 (safety). It covers all aspects of theoperation - hygiene, personnel, suppliers,competition, customer handling, marketsegmentation, waste management...etc. andcan take six moths to complete. A set ofchecklists concerning product distinctivenessand services are also used for the ÔuniqueÕ and ÔFinnishÕ aspects.

National inspectors undertake checking,but there were some problems whenparticipants were asked to pay for this; alesson is to plan and cost checking procedureswell in advance and build them into thesystem. Consumer checking is by visitorsmailing back a response postcard to theAdvisory Centre in Helsinki, with the incentiveof a prize draw.

Emphasis has beenplaced on using

traditional local dishes

The national ruralquality label isdistinctive

A host in the quality scheme helps visitors to plant their owntree Ð a way of keeping in touch


Key success factors

● Parallel working between rural advisory agency and area marketing organisation.

● Comprehensive quality labelling and training programmes linked to international ISO standards.

● Quality training programmes at a national and local level.

● Adapting training and standards to be relevant to small rural businesses.

● Combining management quality, quality of local distinctiveness, and sound environmental practice.

● Identifying and promoting local culture and gastronomy through a network group.

● Linking together activity operators and guides to create a joint quality product on a forest theme.

Case study 7

Pohjois-KarjalaFinland


It is believed that tourism brings few problemsto the environment in Pohjois-Karjala asvolumes are light and well dispersed. Someinitiatives have been taken to promotewalking, cycling and transport by boat. Thecounty has a few small national parks ordesignated hiking areas, including the famousKoli National Park which is a nationallandmark. There has been some ratherintrusive tourism development in the latter informer times, but this is now restricted.

The training and labelling schemes haveencouraged tourism enterprises to be moreenvironmentally friendly and have promotedwider economic and community benefitthrough the use of local produce.


Quality is now firmly on the agenda in Pohjois-Karjala. The area demonstrates the successfulcombination of:

● improving attitudes and practice amongstlocal enterprises, based on a training andadvisory agency which knows how to dealwith rural businesses;

● more organised and aggressive marketing,through a professional tourist service.

The development and promotion ofcreative packages to groups, linking togethermany small services, appears to be going well.

Members of Karelia � la Carte havecommented that the main benefit has beengaining confidence from each other andworking together. Knowledge of food andculture has been readily exchangedthroughout the group. Although enterpriseswere already aware of hospitality issues,training on pricing was found to beparticularly important; people wereundercharging.

The Uniquely Finnish label has achieved ahigh profile nationally. A survey showed that35% of people had heard of it. Participants inthe self-assessment process have commentedthat it has made them much more aware ofwhat they are doing.

So far the quality training has reached onlya small number of businesses. A challenge willbe to spread the impact of this wider.

Clear signing in Koli National Park

109

Tourism context

S�chsische Schweiz has been a popular touristdestination for many years, including theperiod when it was part of former EastGermany. There are 15 000 beds and in 1997overnight stays amounted to 1.8 million. Thedistrict receives many day visitors.

In the early 1990s it was felt that therewas a need and opportunity for the district toincrease the benefits brought by tourism,while improving visitor management in thissensitive environment.

A small, popular tourist regionwhose tourism strategy, based on widespread consultation and involving all the key players,has set a clear direction fordeveloping quality, together with the strengthening andrationalisation of tourist services.

S�chsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland) is asmall district in south-east Germany, covering360 km2. It is a forested landscape madefamous by numerous intriguing sandstone rockformations, intersected by the river Elbe.Visitor attractions include many castles andnatural features. Part of the area is a nationalpark. The city of Dresden is just 25 kilometresaway and the district shares a border with theCzech Republic, with which close ties havebeen formed.

Case Study 8

Germany

A well known destination on the River Elbe

BERLIN

S�CHSISCHESCHWEIZ


Strategy

A careful process to develop, and agree, thetourism strategy for the region has been a keyfeature of the approach. This has provided afirm guideline for entrepreneurs, localauthorities and support agencies. The processwas started in 1994 with an open forumattended by people from a whole range ofdifferent fields (tourism, general trading,banks and commerce, nature protection etc.).Wide participation and publicity has been akey to success.

The strategy process is dynamic andongoing, with many meetings both before andafter publication of the strategy document.Local press have been invited to, andattended, all meetings and have providedpositive and effective coverage ofproceedings. Meetings have been held indifferent parts of the region to enablemaximum participation. Workshops on specificsubjects have been established. A reviewdocument ÔDemands and reality - one yearlaterÕ was published to highlight successes,problems and overall feedback. As a result,the strategy is widely understood and used.For example, local bankers have the strategyin mind when making decisions about projects.

The strategy is based on a clear philosophy,combining tourism, culture and theenvironment. Key points include:

● involving local people in tourism planning; ● protecting the landscape, culture and

traditions;● maintaining a good relationship with

agriculture and forestry; ● careful development of sports and leisure;● promoting mobility without increasing

traffic; and● seeking a permanent improvement in hotels

and gastronomy.

The style of the strategy document itselfmakes it memorable and inspirational. A fewevocative pictures of landscapes and peopleset the tone. Throughout, the strategy usesthe first person ÔweÕ, to emphasisepartnership, agreement and commitment - Ôwewish to...Õ, Ôthis is important to us...Õ etc.


Although quality was not separately identifiedas a key feature in the original strategy, itunderpins the whole approach. Prices arecompetitive but cannot be lowered since mostof the tourism businesses run on fairly highinvestments. Thus, increasing quality is seenas the main route to competitiveness.Emphasis is placed on increasing the quality ofservice, as this is seen to be the weakestcomponent of the tourism offer.

One approach to improving quality isthrough restricting new development. Anagreement has been reached on the number ofnew beds to be allowed and renovation hasbeen given priority over new construction.This has led to an improvement in qualitythrough higher occupancy rates, and hasprevented inappropriate new developmentwhich has lowered quality in neighbouringareas.

Q

Rock outcrops are a defining feature of the region

An evocative image bya famous local artist,used for the strategy

and by the touristassociation

Case study 8

S�chsische Schweiz Germany

111


The fact that the tourism destination and thepolitical region cover the same area has beena great strength.

There is one strong leadership organisationfor tourism in the region, theTourismusverband S�chsische Schweiz(Tourism Association). This includes themunicipality and 65 members, of which halfare from the public and half from the privatesector. It has a managing director and twofurther employees and is financed throughmembership fees and tourism taxes (2/3) andprivate money (1/3).

The Tourismusverband has been stronglybehind the strategy and has been responsiblefor the consultation meetings. This hasstrengthened the partnership achieved in thelocal area. It has also been responsible forraising sponsorship from various localcompanies. The Sparkasse bank has beenparticularly active, supporting individualinitiatives and market research.


Marketing services

Two organisations were set up, affiliated tothe Tourismusverband, to improve the qualityof marketing services to customers.

● A computer based information andreservation service, TOURBU, wasestablished in 1995. This enables directbooking to accommodation, activitypackages etc. Its success has been due tocontinually updating the database,extending distribution channels,maintaining customer friendly openinghours, and staff motivation and training.

● The Marketingpool S�chsische Schweiz is aseparate, professional marketingorganisation. It helps its members toimprove the quality of their services andpromotions by providing feedback onmarket trends and needs. It undertakesdirect sales missions and represents itsmembers at fairs, exhibitions and variousother points of sale.

Information services

The ÔKooperationsproject TouristikschalterÕ isan initiative to improve the quality ofinformation delivery to visitors arriving in thearea. This involved reducing the number oflocal tourist information centres, which wereunable to deliver sufficient quality. Thecommunities involved have joined togetherwith German Railways to create a new centrein a central location, at the train station inBad Schandau. The centre now enables a costeffective information service to be availableto visitors seven days a week. During the 1998tourism season (April to October), about 11000 people visited the ÔTouristikschalterÕ eachmonth. Both ticket sales and the reservationservice increased by 20%.

Family orientated packages

Family holiday packages have been introducedas the result of a national German initiativeÔService 2001Õ, and the special qualityrequirements of this market have been takeninto account. A family brochure showsopportunities for activities such as climbingand watersports which are available forfamilies. Child orientated events and discountprices are highlighted. Inclusive packagesinclude a varied programme with activities ofinterest to parents as well as young children.Following this initiative the Tourismusverbandwas able to launch a special family package ina reservation catalogue of one of GermanyÕsbiggest tour operators (ITS- Reisen) with aprint run of 1.2 million.

After-visit contact

The S�chsische Schweiz magazine has a printrun of 270 000 and is fully distributed, partlyto regional households, partly to promote theregion nationwide. It contains articles aboutnew initiatives in the area and acorrespondence section enables previousvisitors to express and share their views.

Securing involvementand support fromcommercialcompanies such asmineral waterproducers

The new rationalisedcentre providesefficient access toinformation


Case study 8

S�chsische Schweiz Germany


Quality criteria for individual products

There are no comprehensive quality criteriafor accommodation and attractions in theregion at the moment, but this is now seen asa priority in taking the strategy forward.Initiatives have been taken in specific sectors.Two examples are given below.

Bike friendly hotels. Quality criteria, basedon national guidance established by theGerman cycling club, have been introduced fora group of hotels on a cycle trail along theriver Elbe. They include provision of safestorage for bicycles, drying facilities forclothes, information on routes and cyclemaintenance services, and willingness toaccept one night stays.

Beef producers. Beef is a speciality of theS�chsische Schweiz and a scheme has beenintroduced to guarantee an optimal quality ofbeef delivered to restaurants. Seven stockfarmers have established a producersassociation which lays down rights and dutiesfor all members. Criteria include:

● cattle have to be born and reared inS�chsische Schweiz;

● cattle must be out pastured duringsummer;

● they must be given fresh feed from thelocal area;

● all cattle over 4 months have to beregistered;

● conditions relating to the transport andslaughter of cattle must be adhered to,including specified weights at slaughtering.

A special logo, information print,advertising materials and menu cards havebeen developed for this project by tourismspecialists working with the producerassociation.

Interactive ways of providing customerfeedback

There is no regular customer satisfactionsurvey. However a small questionnaire isincluded in the S�chsische Schweiz magazineto elicit feedback from visitors andinhabitants. Results are given in subsequenteditions of the magazine, so visitors can feelinvolved in the process. Visitors surveys havebeen undertaken on a one-off basis, sponsoredby the Sparkasse bank.

A mystery shopper initiative was recentlypiloted in the area, involving independentconsultants contacting Tourist InformationCentres and some accommodation enterprisesto check on quality of service. This led tointeresting and helpful feedback forenterprises, but proved very sensitive in termsof relationships with the organisationsconcerned.

The Elbe cycle route is actively promoted with maps showingthe location of services

Leaflets explain tovisitors the qualitycriteria behind the

beef scheme

113


The National Park S�chsische Schweiz plays acentral part in tourism in the region. It hasbeen involved with the strategy from thebeginning and is a member of theTourismusverband. The Park has been involvedwith many activities to communicateeffectively with visitors, such as a specialfamily day and a nature market with regionalproducts. There are many themed walks andinformation points and direct contact betweenthe rangers and visitors. A particular initiativehas been to increase the proportion of visitorsto the park using public transport. Clearinformation which links bus timetables withwalking routes has been an important factorfor success.

Climbing is a major activity in S�chsischeSchweiz. Quality control and effective visitormanagement have been achieved throughestablishing a joint agreement between theNational Park and climbing clubs,concentrating on good practice for climbers inprotecting the environment, and restrictinglevels of use on certain routes.

● A single public-private body giving strong leadership.

● Carefully developed strategy.

● Direct involvement of different influential organisations in the strategy from the beginning.

● Widespread public consultation throughout the region.

● Developing marketing structures to improve the level of service.

● Securing strong press coverage.

● Preparedness to hold down the level of services and facilities in the interests of quality.

Key success factors

Agreement has beenreached with localclimbing clubs


The tourism strategy is a continuous process.To date, around 60% of the original measureshave been carried out. The ongoinginvolvement not only of tourism enterprisesbut also a range of financial and serviceorganisations, must be regarded as asuccessful result in its own right.

The 1997 survey suggested that visitors arenow rating quality of service and facilitiesequally highly. The latter received an averagescore of 2, and the former 1.9, on a scalefrom 1 (best) to 6 (worst).

Everyone concerned is extremely keen tomove the strategy forward and to place evenmore emphasis on quality in the next fewyears.


Case Study 9

The Netherlands

A destination with many caravan andcamping sites, which has successfullyovercome a deadlock betweentourism and environmental intereststhrough a shared vision forimproving both the environment andvisitor amenities.

Schouwen West covers an area of 60km2 at thewestern end of the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. This is one of a number of islandsin the Delta area of the Netherlands, locatedsome 70km south of Rotterdam.

The area is predominantly agricultural.However, road crossings introduced in the1960s and 1970s opened up the island,resulting in more prosperity. The area isimportant ecologically, especially for its wetdune habitats and birdlife.

The flat landscapes nearthe Dutch coast need

careful physical planning

Nature conservation can add colour and

visitor appeal

AMSTERDAM

SCHOUWEN-WEST

115

Tourism context

Tourism only developed in the area after roadcrossings were introduced. Since then theindustry has grown rapidly, and now forms avery important sector of the islandÕs economy. Until recently, much of the development waspiecemeal and uncontrolled, often undertakenby individual farmers looking for new sourcesof income.

The bulk of the accommodation stockconsists of camping sites with pitches fortents and caravans. Many have beendeveloped on farms and are quite small.There are few visitor attractions of any size.Watersports and other rural activities providethe main tourist interest.

The area attracts 2.2 million overnightstays as well as large numbers of day visitors. The main markets are from south Holland,Germany and Belgium. The nature of tourismis changing. Competition is rising andcustomers are increasingly demanding higherquality and a wider range of rural activities,such as walking and nature study. Tourism isgradually spreading away from the coast intothe rest of the island. This is beingencouraged, but in a controlled way.

Strategy

A number of factors have led to a stalematebetween tourism, farming and environmentalinterests in the region. In particular:

● pressure from camping site operators toexpand and upgrade sites;

● growing concern about the environmentalimpact of tourism development;

● increasing interest and importanceafforded to nature conservation.

It was realised that co-operation wasneeded in order develop a wider vision andstimulate change. In result, in 1996 a widerange of partners created a strategy, for theintegrated development of farming, nature,traffic and tourism in the area. It includes acosted action programme of 25 initiativesand is expected to take ten years toimplement. Biannual progress reports reviewthe actions taken.

The strategy has three main themes.

● Nature conservation: to restore andimprove the natural environment.

● Tourism and recreation: to reduce theenvironmental impact of tourism; improvequality; and enable visitors to appreciateand experience the natural environment.

● Infrastructure and traffic: to reducetraffic and its impact and increase the useof public transport.


The goal of the project is to bring togetherdemands for economic development, natureconservation and environmental quality.Quality is seen to be vital to the long termviability of the industry and enabling the localcommunity to live with tourism.

Improving the quality of the visitorexperience has been a key strand in theapproach. This not only meets an increasingdemand for quality from consumers but is alsoseen as helpful in meeting environmentalobjectives.

Caravans located in close proximity need quality improvementand landscaping

Wetlands areas are beingestablished which have ahigh conservation value

Q

116


Tourism development and planning are theresponsibilities of the municipality for theisland. At a regional level they are undertakenby the Province of Zeeland. An independenttourist board handles tourism promotion andinformation delivery locally.

There is a powerful association of tourismenterprises on the island, with 80 members.The group has forged links with other privatesector associations, such as farmersÕ groups,as well as politicians and environmentalinterests. RECRON, the national trade bodyfor campsites, bungalow parks and someattraction parks, is very active in improvingstandards and professionalism amongst itsmembers.

In order to overcome the deadlockbetween tourism and environmental interests,all these agencies have begun to worktogether as part of a national pilot scheme.Recognition of the need for a shared visionbetween the industry and political andenvironmental interests has been a keysuccess factor.

The scheme is operated through:

● a steering group consisting of onerepresentative from each of the agencies;

● a smaller working group, including privateand public sector players and the projectmanager;

● separate teams responsible for specificprojects.

The wider local community has also beenkept informed through open meetings andnewsletters (see below).


Marketing, information and interpretation

The local tourist board operates seven touristinformation centres. It produces a brochurefor the island, with a strong visual emphasison nature, landscape and countrysideactivities.

A network of environmental centres isbeing established to interpret the area. Theyhave a programme of events in June, brandedas the Ômonth of natureÕ.

Planning and landscaping

Considerable efforts have been made tolandscape and conceal camping sites. Most aresurrounded by earth banks and dense planting.Treatment of roads and access routes keepstraffic speed down. A new national park is tobe established along the south shore of theisland.

Rural activities

Past research has shown that increasingnumbers of visitors come to the island forrural activities and nature study. New cycle,walking, riding and canoe routes are thereforebeing developed in the area.


Visitor feedback

As part of the project, a ten year researchprogramme will check on visitor reactions toimprovements. This will be carried out by auniversity research company, using on-streetinterviews as well as postal questionnaires forpost visit feedback.

Quality standards in accommodation

The Dutch Automobile Club provides the mostcommonly used rating scheme foraccommodation, based on quality andfacilities and including testing by a ÔmysteryshopperÕ.

Case study 9

Schouwen West The Netherlands

TOWARDS QUALITY RURAL TOURISM

Planting can help toconceal caravan sites and

improve their amenity

Old buildings arebeing restored as

interpretationfacilities

An artistÕs impression of a well planned landscape is used inthe brochure promoting the scheme

117

It was proposed to move a numberof existing sites for environmentalreasons, despite the fact that thereare no powers to do this compulsorily.This has already been achieved withtwo of the largest sites who havesigned an agreement to move tolocations better for tourism and theenvironment. This was considered agreat success as it was anticipatedthat reaching such agreement wasalways likely to be a hard task.

Inland, two sites have beenselected to develop 60 caravanpitches as a form of farmdiversification. An equal amount ofland has been put aside for conservation tocompensate for this.

Training

Training courses have been established andfeedback is obtained from campsite operatorsabout training needs. The courses aresubsidised and relate to making businessplans, environmental management andnegotiating with local government etc.


Traffic management

ÔTransferiumÕ is a new park and ride scheme.Buses and taxis take people to beaches,villages and campsites. The brightly colouredbuses are easily recognised and some evenhave sand on the floor to get visitors Ôin themoodÕ. Free parking is provided, and aneducation centre at the site increases visitorunderstanding of the area. The scheme hasbeen a big success attracting 250 000 users inthe first season, due to its active promotionand careful design to provide a true customerservice. The number of routes is beingextended.

RECRON operates a national benchmarkingscheme for caravan and camping sites.Questionnaires are sent both to theenterprises and their guests. Results areanalysed centrally, and feedback is offered onhow sites compare to the national average.This will be extended to other areas of servicesuch as employees, and is seen as a steptowards Integrated Quality Management.

Zeeland Camping is a local grouping of 11sites, which undertake joint marketing,purchasing and networking. They operate acustomer led system of quality control. Asimple questionnaire (pre paid postcard) isgiven to all customers, asking them to scoreaspects of service, such as welcome, facilitiesetc. These are sent to the Chamber ofCommerce for analysis. Prospective groupmembers must reach and maintain a visitorsatisfaction score of at least 8/10; any sitefalling below this must provide a plan forimprovement. Members also inspect eachother and offer advice.

The Quality Commission

A key part of the strategy is to control thefuture growth of campsites. However, it isrecognised that some expansion is necessary inorder to improve the product. Eighty hectaresof land has been allocated for this, as well asthe relocation of sites from sensitive areas.Any application to extend must be based onan agreed plan, including a qualityimprovement programme.

Each campsite has been invited to draw upplans for future development. Seventy havechosen to do so and, by 1998, 25 had beenapproved. Free business advice is availableand sites are encouraged to work together, forexample sharing a new swimming pool.

Plans are considered by an independentcommission, established in order to removethe decision from the political arena. Thissmall group includes a planner, arepresentative form the caravan industry, andan academic from the Agriculture University.This balance is important, enabling thecommission to be seen to be impartial but alsosmall enough to work efficiently. Takingcommercial and environmental considerationsinto their decision, they prioritise each planand advise the municipality on whether togive permission.

A high quality newsletterhas been widely distributed

118

Key success factors

Case study 9

Schouwen West The Netherlands

TOWARDS QUALITY RURAL TOURISM

Parking charges have been introduced invillages along the coast to deter parking andencourage use of the park and ride, anotherfactor in its success. Future plans are to moveand close certain roads to keep traffic awayfrom sensitive areas.

Community impact

Several public meetings have been held withlocal residents and businesses to discuss thescheme. These have been well attended, withnumbers sometimes over 100. They haveidentified some demands shared by locals andvisitors, such as the desire for more footpathsand cycle ways. In future, they will usesmaller groups in order to encouragediscussion on specific topics. A newspaperabout the scheme is sent to all households andbusinesses in area, as well as to visitorsthrough tourism outlets.

Owing to a lack of policing in the area inhigh season, free accommodation is offered topolicemen and their families from elsewherein the Netherlands, in return for some timespent policing. National funding has beenobtained to tackle the problem of drunkenteenagers in Renesse by shifting its imagemore towards younger children, for exampleby providing play facilities.

Economic impact

Surveys have been undertaken to estimate theimpact of tourism on the local economy. Theyshowed that 55% of residents work in thetourism industry in some way, and that 70% ofturnover in shops is related to tourism. Thetourism industry is the largest local investor.


The major success has been resolving thedeadlock between the industry andenvironmental interests, by creating apartnership and agreeing a way forward whichwill improve quality and benefit everyone. The next challenge is to put this programmeinto action. Successful developments to dateinclude the park and ride scheme, qualitycommission and the introduction of cycleroutes. Reaching agreement on relocationwith some of the larger sites is a considerableachievement. The approach has attractednational interest, and the concept of anindependent commission has been adopted ontwo other islands in the Netherlands.

The Transferium Ôparkand rideÕ includes a

new visitor centre aswell as buses

● A partnership approach towards resolving conflicts and improving quality.

● An understanding that the market is increasingly looking for quality.

● Independent quality commission approving expansion plans.

● Private sector efforts to set standards and obtain visitor feedback through the systematic use of questionnaires.

● Traffic calming and park and ride measures.

119

Greece

Case Study 10

A project to develop rural tourismin a previously coastal tourism area,based on developing an authenticrural product from the bottom up,supported by a creative marketingprogramme based on packages andassistance to local communities.

The district of Sitia lies at the far eastern endof the island of Crete. It has a fine coastline.The rural area inland is very attractive and farless known, containing a number of scatteredvillages, a variety of historic buildings and astrong agricultural tradition centred mainly onvineyards and olive groves.

Sitia, the main town, has only 10 000inhabitants and most villages have fewer than1 000. There is a strong need to expand theeconomy of the rural area, and rural tourismis seen as offering one solution alongsideother initiatives such as wind and solarenergy.

The tourism context

Sitia sees little mass tourism. However twosmall resort areas, the town of Sitia itself andMakrigialos on the south coast, have a numberof hotels and rented accommodation.Makrigialos has approximately 2 000 beds.Inland there is relatively littleaccommodation, mainly rooms and some self-catering properties, but this is slowlydeveloping.

Visitors are primarily from northernEurope, travelling independently or oninclusive packages. The level of tourism inSitia has remained roughly constant in the lastten years, a reasonable performance in theface of an uncertain market in the rest ofCrete. An important section of the market isolder people with an interest in heritage,culture and nature, as well as beach holidays.

Small hill villages dot the landscape in Sitia

ATHINA

SITIA


Strategy

The objective for rural tourism in Sitia is tochannel visitor spending into the rural interiorof the district, to help the local economy.

It was realised that this must be a gradualprocess. The approach has been to:

● give high priority to maintaining the qualityof the environment, in its own right and asan attraction for visitors;

● encourage people visiting the coast to takeday visits inland, by creating informationmaterial, heritage trails and walkingroutes;

● accept the need for a creative approach tomarketing because of the low profile of therural area, requiring the creation ofspecific programmes sold through touroperators;

● undertake restoration and investment in anumber of inland sites to create anattraction;

● encourage local people to develop ruralproducts and accommodation over time,given confidence from the marketing andhelped by advice, finance and training,

A small visitor survey in 1990 had beenencouraging, with interest in the countrysideand villages roughly equal to interest inbeaches.

Case study 10

Sitia Greece


From the outset it was accepted that, to besuccessful, the rural tourism developmentproject had to be based on providing a highquality of service and hospitality, and a specialrural experience. Emphasis has been placed onthe packages developed by the Rural TourismOffice, and on attention to detail and personalhandling of visitors.


The Sitia Development Organisation providesleadership in rural tourism. In 1994 itestablished a separate Rural Tourism Office,subsequently licensed as a tourism office bythe National Tourism Organisation of Greece.Although this office was assisted with LEADERfunding, the idea of having a rural tourismorganisation in the area had been around sincethe late 1970s, owing to economic need andperceived potential.

The Development Organisation coordinatesdevelopment activity on behalf of 36communities, within four municipalities in thedistrict of Sitia. A small management group ofnine people, including a representative oftourism enterprises, works effectively. Fullmeetings including all the communities areheld two or three times a year in order tokeep them informed.

The chairman of the DevelopmentOrganisation has played a key role. He has aclear vision of carefully developed ruraltourism in the area and has provided strongleadership amongst the various communities.

A strength has been the fact that thetourism office was created within thedevelopment organisation, enabling mutualsupport and a flow of ideas between theagricultural and small business sectors and thetourism initiative.

Q

Rural areas arepromoted as an

alternative and add-on to established

coastal resorts

A focus of thestrategy has been

quality improvementon inland routeslinking sites and

settlements

121


Promotion of packages to tour operators and groups

The Rural Tourism Office has prepared themedpackages that capture the rural quality andtraditions of the area, linking some of thesmaller sites and enterprises. Group size hasbeen kept small (8 to 15 people) to minimiseimpact on the villages and to create a betterquality experience. Themes include Ômeetingnature, the traditions and peopleÕ; ÔRaki(traditional local drink) RoutesÕ; and Easterprogrammes. Many other programmes aretailor made.

Promotion has been mainly through touroperators, contacted directly or through travelfairs. There is also a website. Two specialisttour operators, one British and one French,have used the Rural Tourism Office as a groundhandler for their programmes.

Welcoming activities

An important feature of the programmes is thehandling and attention to detail on arrival.

● Guests are met at Iraklion airport,welcomed to Crete and told about thetransfer to Sitia. The welcome service is ajoint initiative with another ruraldestination close to Iraklion, who act inpartnership with Sitia.

● On arrival in Sitia all guests are given aspecial greeting by their hosts and providedwith gifts of local confectionery and wine.

● Personal requirements are discussed withall visitors at the beginning of their stay,and programmes adjusted according totheir interests.

● Most visitors are keen to meet local peopleand learn more about rural life in the area.The majority of programmes include on thefirst day a visit to the Union ofAgricultureÕs wine co-operative. Discussinglocal issues with visitors enables them tofeel more personally involved with the areaand get more out of their stay.

Developing small sites, linked bytrails

A series of heritage trails, motoringroutes into the rural area, havebeen identified. Some of theprogrammes mentioned above alsouse these routes. Over time sites ofinterest, including churches andother historic buildings, are beingrestored along the routes. They alsoform corridors for investment andsupport in the provision of facilitiessuch as tavernas andaccommodation.

Signed walking routes have been createdfrom two popular coastal areas, throughattractive rocky gorges to inland villages.Water points have been established on them.

Assistance to small enterprises

Technical advice and financial assistance hasbeen given to a variety of small tourismenterprises, including owners seeking toconvert or develop properties toaccommodation in the traditional style ofeastern Crete. Many recipients of finance havebeen local food producers, especially ofhoney, wine, sweets and raki. Some of theseprovide opportunities for visits and tasting, aswell as sales. A number of restaurants havebeen helped in developing and promotingtraditional dishes.

Zakros village community initiative

In order to consolidate tourismincome through integrateddevelopment in certain locations,new village tourism projects arebeing looked at. In Zakros, theDevelopment Organisation hasbeen investing in the creation ofa museum and taverna in an oldwatermill building. This maybecome a focal point for tourismin the village.

A portfolio ofthemed tourprogrammes hasbeen prepared

A walking trail in theÔValley of the DeadÕlinks the coast toinland villages

Visitors gain a localexperience in thewine factory at thestart of their stay


They now propose to establish a womenÕsagrotourism cooperative in the village. Thisform of village community based tourism hasbeen pursued in seven other locations inGreece over a number of years, and involvesthe coordination of accommodation in privatehouses together with central reservation andmarketing, based on the established nationalbrand. In some locations, such as Lesbos, thecooperative also runs a restaurant, withvegetables and other produce supplied bylocal people. By working together, the localwomen gain confidence. Experience elsewheresuggests that it is important to establish clearquality standards from the beginning and toensure that the future development of thevillage as a whole is in keeping with theconcept.


Quality checking for the package programmes

Accommodation in Greece is inspected forminimum standards by the National TourismOrganisation, but the Rural Tourism Officebelieves that these are not sufficient for itspurposes. The tourism officer uses no formalquality criteria but inspects allaccommodation in the marketing programmes,looking for cleanliness, Cretan atmosphere andwarmth of welcome.

Feedback questionnaires are supplied to allguests, either directly or via the touroperators. Around 70% of questionnaires arereturned. These ask questions aboutexpectation and satisfaction for a list ofattributes and facilities. They have confirmedthe importance attached to hospitality, theenvironment, heritage and meeting localpeople. The results have led to changes insome of the enterprises featured in theprogrammes.

The Rural Tourism Office has also found itvery helpful to keep in close contact with thetour operatorsÕ own representatives in thearea, for further feedback on requirements.

Training

A variety of training programmes, such as inagrotourism, small business management andenvironmental management, have beenprovided by the Development Organisationover a number of years. These are now beingprovided by the education centre.

A new initiative has been Total QualityManagement training, funded by an Ecos-Ouverteur programme. This links Sitia withlocations in four other countries and involvesthe preparation of quality manuals for eachparticipating organisation. The Rural TourismOffice has become involved as an operator,and a small number of local tourismenterprises have also been selected to takepart.

Assistance with quality improvement

Direct advice and assistance is available fromthe Development Organisation for enterprisesseeking to make improvements. They haveaccess to various professionals, such asarchitects, who can help work up projects andfeasibility studies.

Case study 10

Sitia Greece

The local community in Zakros is involved in a co-ordinatedinitiative

Close links withinternational tour

operators promote the area and its

programmes

123

● Strong local structure linking together 36 municipalities.

● Positive link between tourism and the work of the local rural development organisation.

● Creative marketing concept based on packages.

● Good links established with incoming tour operators.

● Attention to detail in welcome and other services.

● Practical use of feedback questionnaires.

● Use of routes and trails to channel tourism spending and development.

Key success factors


An important concern in the area is to preventinappropriate tourism development spoilingthe special environment. In the village ofKato Zakros, which has a very beautiful settingincluding the site of a Minoan palace, theapplication of Greek laws to preventinappropriate development neararchaeological remains has been veryimportant in maintaining the visual quality ofthe area. Tourist accommodation and cateringfacilities there have been kept to a very smallscale.


The strategy was for a slow development ofrural tourism in the area, based ondemonstration, assistance and marketingsupport. This appears to be a sensibleapproach. The process of generating interestand confidence is inevitably time consuming,but should lead to a better quality result.

The marketing packages have beensuccessful, especially the link with establishedtour operators specialising in Crete and inalternative travel. Helping ground handlingservices develop links with such operators isan important challenge.

It is possible that there may be a need formore formal quality criteria foraccommodation and other services in thefuture. Simply relying on personal choice canbe difficult for a local tourism organisation.The project could also benefit from pursuingother initiatives such as strengtheninginformation services for visitors already in thearea.

Small heritage sites on the inland routes are being restored


Case Study 11

Iceland

A single small community usingenvironmental quality as the centraltheme for improving the visitorexperience. It has adopted abottom-up approach with littleoutside assistance using localresources in a creative way.

Skaft�rhreppur is a dramatic place wherevolcanic activity has shaped not only thelandscape but also the heritage and culture. As well as grassland and a number of sheepfarms, it contains the worldÕs largest singlecontinuous lavafield that has erupted inhistorical times, and the boundary of EuropeÕslargest glacial icefield. Access is via thesouthern perimeter road around the wholeisland. Inland is wild country with manygeological features, accessible only on tracks.Agriculture has accounted for over 75% ofjobs, but has seen significant decline in thelast 20 years.

A wild and remotecorner of Europe

Tours into the interiorare part of the

product offer

REYKJAVIK

SKAFTçRHREPPUR

125

Tourism context

The district has one hotel, six agrotourismenterprises and a variety of camping andhostel accommodation. It receives around 16 500 staying visitors spending a total of 20 200 nights, an average stay of just 1.23nights. Around 40 000 day visitors stop, oftenjust briefly for services.

The area lacks specific visitor attractions,relying on the special environment for visitorappeal. Icelanders make up 50% of the marketwith many families on short breaks fromReykjavik. Foreign visitors are mainly in touror adventure holiday groups, using the districtas a staging post.

Strategy

In the light of the decline in agriculture, in1991 the district council decided to prepare astrategy for tourism which they saw as acornerstone of their future economy. Thestarting point was the whole community. Aletter sent to every household invited them toan open meeting about the future of tourism.Those who came continued to form part of thecore working group. The strategy took longerthan envisaged to draw up, owing to theemphasis placed on consultation, especiallyamongst tourism businesses.

Three surveys were carried out.

● A visitor survey, to establish visitor profilesand reaction to existing services. Thispointed to the importance of nature andthe environment as the primarymotivation; the need for more attractionsand events as a reason for stopping; andthe need to improve specific facilities suchas the swimming pool, the camp site andcatering in the caf�.

● A survey of all tourism operators in thearea, asking for opinion on visitorsÕ needsas well as their own assessment of theareaÕs strengths and weaknesses. Similarissues emerged.

● Counts on the ring road to ascertain whowas not stopping.

From this assessment a strategy was drawnup based on improving quality, with the mainobjectives being:

● to use the environment as a major issue inSkaft�rhreppur, as a focus for qualityimprovement and for attracting visitors;

● to increase the length of the season andlength of stay, giving visitors a greaterreason for stopping in Skaft�rhreppurthrough increasing attractions and events;

● to improve the quality of visitor facilitiesand amenities.

Target markets were identified. Icelandicfamilies, who already respond well to the areaand are less seasonal in their pattern ofvisiting, were seen as a primary target.

The strategy has been implementedthrough an action plan. It was reviewed in1996, based on further communityconsultation. The objectives were retainedand a revised action plan established.


Anchoring the strategy on surveys of residentsand visitors is in line with quality managementprinciples. Action has involved a balance ofimproving the quality of environmentalmanagement and of general tourism facilitiesand services, based on the use of localresources.

The smallinterpretationcentre meets ademand for moreplaces to visit

The local shop andbank are importantfacilities for visitorsand support thetourism strategyQ



As a very small community, they have beenable to tackle quality issues directly.Leadership is provided by Skaft�rhreppurDistrict Council. As a result of the strategy,they appointed a tourism officer who was alsoresponsible for the environmentalimprovement programme. The council has aTourism and Economic DevelopmentCommittee. Day to day work is devolved to atourism steering group, which is very small andinvolves representatives from theSkaft�rhreppur Tourism Association as well asthis committee. The tourism officerÕs job ispart funded (30%) by the Icelandic RuralDevelopment Fund; otherwise there has beenno external funding.

A key feature of the approach isconsultation and involvement of the wholecommunity. The Skaft�rhreppur TourismAssociation plays an important role. Only twothirds of the 25 members are tourismbusinesses, the rest being other enterprisesand individuals who are interested in helpingwith tourism. This is seen as a considerablestrength. The association has no funds andacts mainly as a pressure group on the council.Issues concerning quality of the destinationand individual facilities are often raised,leading to mutual encouragement to membersas well as representation to the authority.

The involvement of enterprises, such as thelocal supermarket, filling station, bank andpost office, with the Tourism Association andthe strategy process is interesting. Personnelin each of these have been involved in training(e.g. for languages) and take part asvolunteers in activities such as footpathmaintenance. They have become muchfriendlier to tourists. The enterprises alsosponsor certain activities.

Information to the local community haspartly been through features in the annualnewsletter from the district council,distributed to each household.


Creating more for visitors to do

As a result of the strategy, initiatives havebeen taken to retain visitor interest.

A small interpretation centre coveringgeology and volcanic activity has beenestablished. It is an example of a communityapproach, with relevant external help. Localpeople are involved and consulted on itsrunning and about half of its funding camefrom community organisations such as thefarmersÕ union and womenÕs clubs, as well asfrom the district council. It collaborates withnational research bodies who base staff therewho can interface with visitors. It is promotedto passing groups and individuals and itsimpact on the community and tourists is beingmonitored.

A sequence of events has been establishedto add interest to visitors. Three differentevents held each week include:

● talks in the church on nature, history etc.;● a series of one hour guided walks each

week, with a nature and culture theme;● childrenÕs activity days.

There are also four main event/activityweekends each year, including familyweekends, mid-summer celebrations,childrenÕs weekends and chamber musicweekends. Local people get involved in theseactivities as well as visitors. Visitors are givena ÔwhatÕs onÕ news-sheet, a simple A4 listingwhich changes each week. This is part of thequality welcome.

Case study 11

Skaft�rhreppur Iceland

The local craft associationsells products above the

Information Centre

The village church is the venue for talks on the environment

127

Operators providing excursions into theinterior have been encouraged, with anemphasis on personal guiding. Local crafts area strength, including woollen goods, othersheep products, use of local lichens andmosses etc. A craft workers group has beenestablished and a small craft centre set upabove the tourist information centre. Thereare plans for at least one location to interpretpast and present rural life and farming.

Quality improvement in the village shop and cafe

The small supermarket is an important facilityfor tourists, especially tour groups who stockup there. It has taken seriously the provisionof a quality service, with training for staff andthe production of a quality manual coveringmany aspects of dealing with customers. Staffhave been encouraged to take simple languagetraining. The shop decided to open earlier inthe morning to suit the needs of tour groups,and promoted the new arrangements to themby personal letter. It has also assisted farmersinvolved in tourism to be moreenvironmentally friendly in their services andpackaging, ordering and stocking food andother materials for them in bulk. This is agood example of integrated qualitymanagement at a local community level.

As a result of the customer surveys thecaf� attached to the filling station, which isheavily used by visitors, has improved itsservice, now providing hot meals and menus inEnglish.

Swimming pool - a problem of inflatedexpectations

The swimming pool remains a qualityconundrum. Although criticised in visitorsurveys, it is more than most people wouldexpect in a community of 600 people.However, most communities in Iceland have ageothermal pool with a jacuzzi. Geologyprevents this in Skaft�rhreppur and so theyare unable to meet visitor expectations.

Cautious marketing

A single map-based destination brochure hasbeen produced for Skaft�rhreppur. Theintention was to keep this factual and notover-sell the area. The area has benefitedfrom media coverage in Iceland as a result ofthe work on the strategy and their declaredenvironmental aims.

They are concerned about promotingthemselves as an environmentally friendlydestination, lest people who come aredisappointed that they have not done more.Therefore their approach has been to sayÔSkaft�rhreppur is getting betterÕ rather thanto imply that it has achieved its goals.


Seeking appropriate accommodation standards

There has been no attempt locally to setformal standards of facilities and services.

Iceland has no official accommodationrating system. However, holiday farms inSkaft�rhreppur are members of Icelandic FarmHolidays, whose annual inspection and ratingis important in maintaining quality standards.Interestingly, each room is rated according tofacilities, rather than the establishment as awhole. This reflects the fact that many farmsare big, with a range of accommodationincluding chalets, en-suite rooms, basic B&Brooms, dormitories and sleeping bag

The quality manualprepared by thevillage shop

Farm tourism is wellorganised nationallyand locally


accommodation, due to the number ofadventure tourists and groups, as well asfamilies, who use this form of accommodation.The detailed description of standards shouldnot lead to false expectations.

Accommodation is also provided in schools,community halls, and mountainhuts, with central reservationhandled through the district office.This is basic accommodation, butpromoted as such so it meetsconsumer expectations.

Training - a mixed success

Training has been a mixed success.Icelandic Farm Holidays haveorganised training for theirmembers which seems to haveworked quite well. Locally, there

was an attempt by the district to set up acomprehensive training programme. Take upwas very poor, as people were too busy anddid not see the need, so it was cancelled. Animportant lesson was that training has to beworked up with the potential participants andtailor made to their circumstances. In the endthere was some targeted, one-off training onrequested subjects such as basic foreignlanguage skills, I.T. and environmental issues.

Comparing quality image with otherdestinations

In 1996, as part of the strategy review, asurvey of consumers both in the area andelsewhere in Iceland gauged opinions ofSkaft�rhreppur and its quality. People wereasked to rate the area against threecompetitor destinations in Iceland in terms ofquality and price, and a price-quality matrixwas drawn up. It was rated as a relatively highquality and low price destination, and beatthe other three areas in this respect. This wasseen as a positive result and the strategy isnow to move the area even further in thisdirection.


Getting everyone working for the environment

A number of farms have participated in anenvironmental quality management exercise,involving training, target setting and a workprogramme on each farm. A study tour toAustria proved valuable. In part, this wasinspired by feedback from visitors, who werecoming because of their interest in nature andwere asking the farmers about theirenvironmental policies.

The tourism officer also has responsibilityfor environmental management relating totourism and keeps a close watch over certainsites suffering erosion from walkers, partlyowing to the loose volcanic ash. Volunteersfrom the community work on these sites,creating new paths and making others morerobust. In the Lakag�gar valley a separatewarden has been appointed, largely due tothe profile given to conservation and visitormanagement as a result of the tourismstrategy.

Case study 11

Skaft�rhreppur Iceland

School accommodationis simple but meets

expectations

Farms provide a rangeof accommodation,separately graded

129

Action has been taken to inform everyoneabout their environmental heritage andcurrent issues. Seminars on the subject havebeen attended by visitors and local residents.

Schemes have been introduced to involvevisitors themselves in conservation.

● Walking clubs work on footpaths. ● Off-road driving clubs have been made to

work on restoration and maintenance ofthe tracks they use.

● As part of a programme to stabilise thevolcanic ash soil, trees are sponsored byvisitors and planted by them in a VisitorsForest, resulting in very positive feedback.

The importance of the environment in thetourism strategy has led the council to takeup these issues more generally, including themanagement of energy and waste.


Tourism has grown, albeit slowly, in the area.The main hotel has increased its staffcomplement from 12 in 1992 to 23 in 1997.

Population has declined in the district by1.2% from 1990 to 1997, against a 2.5%average in rural areas for Iceland as a whole.The fact that a remote area likeSkaft�rhreppur has done relatively less badlyis put down to the tourism strategy.

There have been noticeable improvementsin the range of activities and events and inthe way visitors are treated by all types ofenterprise and organisation.

● Tourism and environment synergy.

● Advantages of working in one small community.

● Use of visitor and business surveys to guide strategy.

● Role of non-tourism businesses, such as village shop.

● Creative addition of attractions/events from within the community.

● Involving visitors in conservation.

● Not over selling the image.

● Future linkage between small communities.

Key success factors

The price-quality survey mentioned aboveindicates a positive result. People are moreaware of Skaft�rhreppur across Iceland andsee it as a good place to visit, with concernfor the environment.

The nomination as IcelandÕs winner in theEU Tourism and the Environment Prize gaveSkaft�rhreppur a major boost, not only interms of local public relations but also innational awareness.

The creation and slow evolution of thestrategy got local people talking about tourismand enabled far more acceptance of it as apositive force, especially amongst youngpeople (the more elderly remain moresceptical).

As this is a very small authority it is notcertain that the funding commitment can becontinued. It has become apparent thatvisitors see the area as part of the largerSkaft� region. For example, many requestslocally are about the neighbouring Skaft�fellNational Park. Therefore the district may betalking to its neighbours about combiningeffort and funding with them.

Working parties from the local community undertake footpathmaintenance

Visitors are invited tosupport plantingschemes to stabilisethe ash soil


A heavily visited destination,tackling a deteriorating visitorexperience through environmentalimprovements, informationprovision and visitor management.

The Trossachs is an area of approximately 260 km2 in the heart of Scotland. It is one ofScotlandÕs outstanding scenic areas: here thepeaks and lochs of the highlands meet thegentle wooded hills and agricultural land ofthe lowlands. The population of around 6 000people is dispersed throughout small ruralcommunities, and the two larger centres ofCallander and Aberfoyle. Forestry, agricultureand tourism are the main employers.

Case Study 12

Tourism context

The region has a strong identity. Scenic beautyand accessibility from major urbanconurbations makes it a hugely popular visitordestination, attracting 2.2 million visits eachyear. A handful of sizeable attractions caterfor the mass market, but the majority oftourism businesses are small and family run. A number of public sector agencies have along-standing commitment to developingtourism in the area.

Visitor pressure and a lack of investmenthas led to a decline in the quality of visitorexperience and some environmentaldegradation. To tackle these issues theTrossachs Trail Tourism ManagementProgramme, supported by a partnership of keypublic sector bodies in tourism, wasestablished in 1992. This is one of twelve suchprogrammes in Scotland tackling sustainabletourism at a local level.

The Trossachs landscape is promoted as ÔThe Highlands inminiatureÕ

United Kingdom

LONDON

TROSSACHS

131

Q

Strategy

A comprehensive and highly structuredstrategy was prepared at the outset of theprogramme based on wide consultation withthe industry. The overall aim has been todevelop tourism in a way which:

Ôbrings maximum benefits to localcommunities and the local economy, whilesustaining and enhancing the quality of theTrossachs environment which comprises theareaÕs main attractionÕ.

A series of inter-related objectives formthe basis of the strategy.

● to safeguard and enhance environmentassets;

● to strengthen the local tourism industryand improve the quality of the visitorexperience;

● to increase visitor contributions to thearea;

● to increase visitor understanding andrespect for the area;

● to monitor visitor levels and activities inorder to find ways of managing andcontrolling their impacts.

The document sets out short, medium andlong term goals and makes detailedrecommendations about implementation. In 1996 a ÔTaking StockÕ workshop was held inorder to assess achievements. Feedback waspositive and it was agreed to keep thedirection set by the original strategy.


Improving the quality of the visitor experiencehas been an important objective throughout.Key mechanisms for achieving this have beenenvironmental improvements, visitormanagement and information provision.Individual agencies have also tackledimproving quality through training schemes,improvement grants and marketing.


A number of public sector agencies areinvolved in tourism in the area, both at astrategic level (regional tourist board; localgovernment), and as landowners (ForestryCommission; regional water company). As wellas participating in the tourism managementprogramme some are also involved in TheRural Stirling Partnership, which focuses onsustainable economic development, includingtourism related projects.

The partnership seeks to complementrather than replace the existing programmesof the partner agencies, such as marketing.However it provides a wider platform fortackling joint issues and attracting funding.

The tourism management programme hasbeen very successful in bringing togetherinfluential agencies with differing remits,including potentially conflicting aims such asenvironmental conservation and tourismpromotion. Flexibility in the level and form ofcontribution, creates a balance between thosepartners who offer financial resources andothers who can contribute in kind. A projectofficer co-ordinates the partners and acts as afocal point. Having a local person in thisposition has been a key success factor inunderstanding local issues and fosteringcommunication with the wider community.

The area willbecome ScotlandÕsfirst national park,requiring closecooperation betweentourism andenvironmentalinterests


Lack of involvement from the private andcommunity sectors was soon recognised as aweakness in the partnershipÕs approach, andefforts were made to rectify this.

● A community forum has been establishedwith representatives from the private,voluntary and community sectors to discussthe progress and future work of themanagement programme. Themingmeetings on priority issues has beeneffective in focusing participation.

● Good communication has been establishedwith the local community councils leadingto a number of community schemes, suchas restoring the old milestones on localroads. Many improvements have benefitedvisitors and locals alike and led to goodpublic relations with the local community.

● The Trossachs Tourist Association hasprovided a channel for communicating withthe private sector and has made an inputto a small number of projects.


A central aim of the partnershipÕs work hasbeen to improve visitor orientation throughinformation provision and signing.

The Trossachs Trail

The Trossachs Trail is a car touring routelinking tourism enterprises and naturalattractions throughout the area. The route issigned and attractions are featured on acolourful map-based leaflet available in largequantities in various languages. The leaflet isextremely popular with the local industry andvisitors. It strengthens the identity of theTrossachs, orientates visitors and holds themin the area for longer.

Information and signing

A network of 40 information boards havebeen established in car parks and lay-bys.Village welcome signs have been establishedas a cooperative venture, with communityinput into their design. Traffic signing has alsobeen improved in a number of places, to aidvisitor orientation and increase road safety.

Tourist information centres

The two tourist information centres in thearea have been ÔthemedÕ and promoted asvisitor attractions in themselves.

● The Rob Roy & Trossachs Visitor Centre inCallander includes a themed attraction,event space and shop as well as a touristinformation service.

● The Trossachs Discovery Centre wasdeveloped in 1998 to replace the smalltourist information centre in Aberfoyle.The centre combines a tourist informationservice with environmental interpretationand an orientation centre for theTrossachs. An exhibition area containsinteractive displays about natural andcultural heritage aimed at both adult andjunior audiences. The new centre hasattracted a 400% increase in visitornumbers and a much wider clientele,including the many coach parties whichstop in the town.

Case study 12

The TrossachsUnited Kingdom

Designing town andvillage welcome signswas a way of involvingthe local communities

Information provisioncentres on a highprofile leaflet

The Trossachs Trail is clearly signed

The Trossachs Discovery Centre helps to orientate visitors andhas received a very positive response

133

Both centres incorporate environmentallysound management practices such as energyand water saving devices and the TrossachsDiscovery centre has been designed to reflectthe local geology using both highland slate andlowland sandstone.

Physical infrastructure

A great deal of new investment has been putinto physical infrastructure such as footpaths,litter bins and toilets. Many of these facilitieshad degraded as a result of visitor pressureover time. Redevelopment of visitor facilitiesat Loch Katrine required a large scaleinvestment. New car parks, toilets and caf�facilities were needed to cater for the 180 000visitors to the loch each year. The newdevelopments were designed to besympathetic to the character of the area usinglocal materials and styles, and interpretationabout the site was significantly improved.

Safety measures

The partnership has been proactive in tacklingsafety issues on the roads and in countrysideactivities, including the following specificmeasures.

● A leaflet has been produced promotingsafety through simple messages aboutcrime, road safety and precautions formountain and water activities.

● Development of walking routes has drawnon advice from the police and landowners.

● Published walking guides are comparedwith mountain rescue statistics and thecondition of footpaths on the ground, inorder to prioritise maintenance and patrolmeasures. Publishers are also advised ifprinted walks are unsafe or if unsuitablemessages are conveyed.

● A programme has been introduced toimprove rights of way on the ground. Onmore dangerous climbs the start of thetrack is often left uncleared in order todiscourage casual walkers.

Gastronomy

The Food Partnership Project is a local schemeset up by the Rural Stirling Partnership inresponse to national research findings. It wasshown that although food rates second only toscenery in attracting visitors to Scotland, itrates very poorly in post visit consumersatisfaction. Two local groups wereestablished, a producers group and consumersgroup, to encourage local purchasing and topromote the marketing opportunities that thiscan offer tourism businesses. The scheme hasnow become a national project called ÔNaturalCooking of ScotlandÕ.

Marketing

The majority of the areaÕs marketing activitiesare undertaken through the regional touristboard who produce a range of print and acentral booking service. More locally, aTrossachs website has been established by thelocal tourism association.

Better managementof car and coachparking using localmaterials

Information onwalking is carefullychecked

Various types of display panel have been used to assist visitormanagement



Monitoring

A comprehensive monitoring programme hasbeen a key strength. It aims to track the scaleand distribution of visitation, as well as visitorattitudes and satisfaction.

● People and traffic counters have beenplaced on footpaths and roads.

● There have been Trossachs wide visitorsurveys in 1994 and 1997.

● One off visitor surveys have beenconducted concerning specific facilities,such as tourist information centres, LochKatrine and local shops.

● An economic monitor, involving interviewswith 130 enterprises, has investigatedgeneral levels of business as well asmeasuring awareness and impact of theprogramme amongst local businesses.

Recommendations in the original strategyfor extensive environmental monitoringproved too ambitious and expensive toimplement, but the above surveys andcounters have at least enabled a measure tobe taken of changes in visitor volumes overtime. There is an opportunity to make use ofaerial photographs taken by one of thepartner agencies, Scottish Natural Heritage.

Tracking visitor pressure has helped totarget spending effectively and to back upapplications for funding. Feedback on visitor

satisfaction has been used in thedecision process. For instance,

walking guides wereproduced to caterfor visitor demandfor short circularwalks; and the needfor more

environmentaleducation has been

met through theTrossachs Discovery

Centre and otherinterpretation.

Training, grants and quality assurance

The local enterprise company and regionaltourist board operate several schemes aimedat improving quality in the local industry:

● A small grants scheme offers localbusinesses up to 8 000 euro for physicalimprovements or market development.

● A training programme offers over 40workshops each year. These includenational programmes such as WelcomeHost, focusing on customer care, as well ascourses tailored to local circumstances.Over 550 training places have been takenup in the Trossachs area since 1993.

● The promotion of the Scottish TouristBoardÕs Quality Assurance Scheme. Thisinvolves an annual inspection leading toclassification of the establishment by type(hotel, guest house É etc.) and award of a 1 to 5 star quality grade within each typebased on points scored against a long list ofquality checks. At the same time,enterprises can be judged for accessibilityfor disabled people, within three categoriesaccording to whether the premises areaccessible to people in wheel chairs ontheir own or only with some assistance.


Conservation and visitor management arepriorities behind all the activities of theprogramme. Visitor codes and environmentalmessages are incorporated into all print andare heavily promoted through the TrossachsDiscovery Centre.

One solution to protecting sensitive siteshas been to Ôinterpret at a distanceÕ. Whilstvisits to such sites are not encouraged,interpretation boards have been introduced atsuitable viewpoints allowing visitors to enjoythem at a distance. A camera watch has alsobeen set up to transmit live footage of aperegrineÕs nest to a visitor centre.

Case study 11

The Trossachs United Kingdom

Enterprises receive adetailed pack ofinformation about thenational QualityAssurance Scheme

135

The TrossachÕs Trundler is an old fashionedbus running around the Trossachs Trail duringthe summer, offering visitors the opportunityto explore the area without using a car.Although users are increasing year on year,uptake of the service has been a littledisappointing. This is felt to be a result ofinsufficient marketing and there are plans toincrease both promotion and levels of servicein the future.

The Green Tourism Business Scheme

The Green Tourism Business Scheme is anational scheme promoted by the localagencies in the Trossachs. It is run by theScottish Tourist Board as an additionalelement of their Quality Assurance Schemeand enables enterprises to be awarded aneco-label at bronze, silver or gold level. It isbased both on self-assessment and aninspection, often combined with the overallquality inspection. Elements covered includetreatment of waste, energy, water, noise,sources of materials, storage, transport, thelocal environment and communication withstaff and the public. Particular featureslooked for include commitment and astructured approach to improvingenvironmental practice over time.


A large number of the projects suggested inthe original strategy have now been put inplace and there is evidence on the ground ofenvironmental regeneration and improvedvisitor facilities. Results from the visitorsurveys indicate quite high satisfaction levelsamongst visitors and suggested improvementshave been acted upon. A consumer survey forthe Trossachs Discovery Centre showed 90-95%visitor satisfaction with the variouscomponents.

The economic monitor in 1997 showed thatoverall there has been an upturn in businesslocally and that one in five enterprises feelthat the TTTMP has made a small but positivecontribution to this.

The area won the Scottish Tourist BoardThistle Award for Best Area Initiative in 1994as a result of the way in which the natural andmanmade attractions have been combinedwithin a concentrated area.

A key lesson has been the need to plan forthe ongoing housekeeping of capital projects,as some facilities such as information boardshave suffered from a lack of maintenance bylandowners.

In the longer term, the future of thedestination will rest greatly on therecommendation to designate the area asScotlandÕs first National Park, which will beginits work in 2001.

● Increasing the quality of the visitor experiencethrough physical improvements.

● A focus on visitor orientation and information provision.

● A strong strategy accompanied by clear goals and action plan.

● A flexible partnership of influential agencies achieving more than would be possible individually.

● A local base generating credibility and community involvement.

● A systematic and comprehensive programme of monitoring.

Key success factors

Simple tips forvisitors are displayedin the DiscoveryCentre, and a modelof the Trundler busencourages use

Interpreting at adistance provides avisitor experiencewithout damage tosensitive wildlife


Case Study 13

Portugal

An initiative to conserve a wealth ofheritage properties by creatingquality branded accommodation,which has been broadened todevelop other products in thedestination as a whole.

Vale do Lima is a small rural district of about 1 276 km2 in the north of Portugal. As well asthe River Lima it contains the mountainouscountry of Peneda Ger�s, PortugalÕs onlynational park, and has a strong architecturalheritage. Of the 167 000 inhabitants, onequarter are involved with agriculture, mainlywine production. However, agriculturalincomes and productivity are low and tourismis seen as a valuable source of income.

The tourism context

Tourism first began to become established inthe Vale do Lima around 1983, based on thedevelopment and promotion of ruralaccommodation enterprises. People come hereto enjoy the typical countryside of northernPortugal, the fine wines and local traditionand culture. Around one third are fromPortugal and a further third from GreatBritain, with Germany, the Netherlands andSpain also important markets. The level ofbusiness is low outside July, August andSeptember.

A region rich in manor houses and historic buildings

LISBOA

VALE DO LIMA

137

Strategy

The history of tourism in the area has beenprimarily resource driven. A governmentscheme to fund the renovation of old manorhouses was picked up most actively in thisarea owing to their far greater prevalencehere than anywhere else in Portugal. Manyhad been abandoned or used only as secondhomes. The scheme was an opportunity forowners to generate commercial incomethrough tourism.

The strategy has been in two phases. Inphase one, the objectives were:

● to preserve the old houses in their originalarchitectural style;

● to create high quality accommodation,involving Ôliving with the familyÕ; and

● to establish a marketing programme forthem.

The second phase has been to establish thearea as a more integrated rural tourismdestination, involving:

● diversifying the type of accommodationavailable;

● creating a quality brand for theaccommodation product; and

● developing tourism facilities, attractionsand events in the area to give people areason for coming and to improveoccupancy.


The strategy has been driven by adetermination to provide visitors with aquality experience in keeping with the specialcharacter and heritage of the buildings andthe natural environment of the area. It wasfound that the kind of people who could beattracted to this relatively isolated location,and who would appreciate the kind ofaccommodation involved, were looking forattention to detail in service and in all otheraspects of their stay.


The tourism initiative for Vale do Lima hasbeen spearheaded by TURIHAB, a private non-profit organisation established to develop andmarket rural accommodation. Thisorganisation was later responsible forestablishing a LEADER group in the area,ADRIL, as a vehicle for stimulating and fundingthe wider tourism development of thedestination.

Success has partly been due to the factthat both TURIHAB and ADRIL have involved anetwork of local organisations in theirstructure. The Board of Directors of TURIHABincludes representatives of the local bank, theassociation of municipalities and theassociation of entrepreneurs. The members ofADRIL include these bodies, as well asrepresentatives from the national park, theunion of craft workers, the local polytechnicand TURIHAB itself. ADRIL and TURIHAB workclosely together, and with the local office ofthe regional tourist board, with whom theyshare a building.

TURIHAB is democratically organised. The property owners are members of theorganisation and have a considerable say in itsoperations. Funding is through membershipfees, a commission on central reservations,commercial sponsorship and co-financing fromLEADER.

Q

ÔCasas AntigasÕ formthe highest level inthe brand



Creating a quality accommodation brand

TURIHAB has created a network ofcharacterful rural properties, under the brandname ÔSolares de PortugalÕ, concentrated inthe Vale do Lima but with members alsoelsewhere in the country. Accommodationcomprises small hotels, individual homes andapartments. As well as the special attentionpaid to the decor, such as the use of antiquesand fine art, a notable feature is the personalcare provided by the host family. Meals aretaken with them and visitors are helped toorganise their stay. Every owner speaks aminimum of one foreign language, many ofthem two or three. Following feedback fromguests, who are looking for additional facilitiesand flexibility of accommodation, quality hasbeen improved at some properties throughadding swimming-pools, tennis courts andriding stables, and increasing the proportion ofself catering apartments.

TURIHAB runs a very effective marketingcampaign. They have established contact with125 tour operators, who now produce 62% ofthe bookings. There is an Internet site and acentral reservation service; in future allmembers should be electronically linked.Public relations forms a major part of themarketing with many hundreds of free nightsgiven to tour operators, journalists andopinion leaders. Themed programmes forgroups are offered to operators, includingwine-tasting, walking, cycling, gardens,culture, and horse riding.

Following the creation of the brand inPortugal, TURIHAB decided to establish aquality brand ÔEurope of traditionsÕ at aEuropean level, working with partner groupsproviding quality accommodation and personalservice in Belgium, France, Britain andIreland.

Developing visitor interest in the destination

Visitor feedback suggested that there was toolittle to do in the destination, so throughADRIL the following initiatives were pursued:

● a golf course, carefully fitted into thelandscape and using old buildings, withTURIHAB guests offered a 20% discount;

● a horse riding centre and trail;● a shooting reserve;● the Via Verde, a walking and cycling trail

created from the former valley railway;● a consortium of craftsmen, backed by

technical and financial assistance;● competitions and special events organised

by the regional tourist board to encouragerestaurants to prepare local dishes.


Accommodation categories and criteria

The basic criteria for membership of TURIHABinclude: attractive settings; old houses with anauthentic interior and exterior; good qualityfacilities; and the commitment and attitude ofthe owner. As the brand is based uponindividual attention, the owning family has tolive in the house containing the guest rooms.Three sub-brands have been created to helpto match the different types ofaccommodation to price bands and to theneeds of different market segments:

● Casas Antigas Ð the finest manors andpalaces, with beautiful gardens andluxuriously furnished with antiques;

● Quintas Ð smaller country houses and farmhouses;

● Casas Rusticas Ð cottages, mills and similarrural buildings converted mainly toapartments.

Case study 13

Vale do Lima Portugal

Furnishings are traditional and in keeping with the buildings

Effectivecommunication is a critical element

of success

The strategy has been to develop

more activities in the destination,

such as golf

139

The classification is made by the marketingdirector and an architect.

In terms of service, there are few rigidrules and criteria. However the members haveagreed guidelines on certain components. Forexample, breakfast must consist of coffee,different sorts of bread, cheese, home-madejam, fresh fruit juice and seasonal fruits.

Encouraging quality improvement

Financial assistance, in the form of interestfree loans covering around 40% of theinvestment, is available for the conversion ofbuildings of character into accommodation.Initially this was from the government, andcurrently from ADRIL.

Members of TURIHAB meet three times ayear to discuss quality improvements, pricingetc. The marketing director makesrecommendations to individual establishments.Attention is paid to little extras like flowersand gifts. A scheme is planned for members tovisit each otherÕs properties to give advice andto learn.

It was found that there was no need forcustomer care training owing to the richtradition of hospitality in the area. Trainingcovers technical aspects such as languages,interior design and cooking local dishes.

Customer feedback

All members of TURIHAB have a guest book forgeneral comments and a separate book forcomplaints. Any complaint is followed up byTURIHAB, often with an inspection. Therewere only eight in the previous year.

The main way in which TURIHAB hasobtained feedback has been simply throughlistening to guests and making a note of theirneeds when taking reservations. Moresystematically, all guests are given aquestionnaire to monitor their needs andsatisfaction levels. These are analysed byuniversities in Portugal and the UK, and havedirectly led to the provision of new facilitiesand improvements.

Wider quality checking

The system above applies to TURIHABmembers. Other accommodationestablishments and restaurants are checked bythe regional tourist board. Restaurants aredivided into three categories, with criteriarelating not only to hygiene but also to levelsof service, appearance and quality of themenus.

Rather than the activities of TURIHABcreating problems by introducing a two-tiersystem, it is generally felt that the qualitythey have achieved has demonstrated thepotential and helped to improve overallquality in the area.

Some ÔCasas RusticasÕ are in old mills

A market expectationfor more facilitiessuch as pools is beingmet



There is sensitivity to the potential impact oftourism on the environment, although fewproblems have been encountered so far. ADRIL has worked with schools to promoteenvironmental understanding and also worksclosely with the national park.

There have been various spin-offemployment benefits from the programme ofbuilding renovation. For example, business hasbeen enhanced for the 2 000 stone masons inthe region.

Focusing investment on isolated communitiesthrough Ôvillage brandÕ tourism

ADRIL has established a special scheme torestore collections of houses, rather thanindividual properties, in remote rural villagesin the Peneda Ger�s National Park. Thisscheme, which increases economic benefit toisolated local communities with greatest need,has been carried out so far in five villages.The product has been given a brand identityÒAldeias de PortugalÓ and the initiative isbeing taken up elsewhere in the country. All the village schemes have been subject tocommon quality standards set by ADRIL. A system has been established for jointmarketing and central reservations.

A training programme Ôservice and qualityÕhas been established for the property ownersand also for young people in the villages. Thelevel of involvement of the wider localcommunity within the villages has varied fromplace to place.


Feedback and surveys of guests has confirmedthe strong demand for characterfulaccommodation coupled with high standards. The quality and variety of facilities demandedincreases each year.

As a private organisation, close to themarket and to the suppliers ofaccommodation, TURIHAB has been able toact quickly and flexibly to deliver quality. Atthe same time, its integration with thecommunity in the Vale do Lima has enabled itto stimulate and support necessary qualityimprovement and investments in thedestination as a whole. The close co-operation between TURIHAB and ADRIL hasbeen a key factor for success.

The number of overnight stays has beenrising steadily in the area. Members ofTURIHAB have been growing in number overthe years and this is set to continue. TheAldeias de Portugal scheme has also beensteadily expanding.

Benefits include not only securing newjobs in tourism but also considerableenvironmental improvements through therestoration of many fine buildings. Localhandicrafts and construction techniques havebeen revived. Many people engaging in ruraltourism for the first time have reportedunexpected social and personal benefits frominteraction with the guests.

● Involvement of a network of regional organisations in the structure.

● Well focused financial scheme supporting quality accommodation.

● Leadership through a private organisation strongly linked to the market and product.

● New developments in the destination introduced to meet reported visitor demands.

● Philosophy based on restoring and maintaining local heritage.

● Developing quality brands at a local level and then expanding them to a national and European level.

● Introducing focused investment projects within selected villages.

Key success factors

Case study 13

Vale do Lima Portugal

Traditional craftsmensuch as stone masonshave been supported

The Aldeias de Portugalbrand promotes village

properties

141

An area where a rich industrialheritage has formed the basis forworking towards a good qualitytourism offer. Successfulmechanisms have been implementedfor bringing the private sector andvoluntary groups on board.

Case Study 14

Vallonbruk is an area of 400km2 in the countyof Uppland and lies about 100km north ofStockholm. The landscape and culture stronglyreflect the regionÕs industrial heritage built uparound the Dannemora iron mine. The area ischaracterised by small ordered forging villagescalled ÔbrukÕ, which sit alongside statelymanor houses, flat expanses of forestry andmanmade lakes. The forges closed around1900 and the mine in 1992. New employmentopportunities have been found in the tourism,conference and steel industries.

Sweden

Former mining activityshaped the areaÕs

industrial past

Well ordered villages andfine manor houses are

typical of the area

STOCKHOLM

VALLONBRUK


Case study 14

Vallonbruk i Uppland Sweden

Tourism context

The region has almost 600 bedspaces,provided by a small but varied accommodationbase of 16 enterprises, including manor househotels, inns, bed and breakfasts andcampsites. A handful of small attractions suchas mining museums and craft workshops havebeen set up. In addition, a great deal has beendone to animate and interpret the areaÕsindustrial, cultural and natural heritagethrough guided walks, festivals and otheractivities.

In the summer of 1998 the area receivedaround 210 000 recorded visitors, and this hasbeen growing. Tourist visits are highlyconcentrated in the summer months, butconferences and corporate visits provide animportant source of business for manyoperators throughout the year. Many visitorscome on day trips.

Strategy

A very simple strategy for tourism in the areais based on four key aims: ÔSave, Describe,Animate and PromoteÕ. This is a missionstatement rather than a full strategy, settingan underlying direction but retainingflexibility. The focus is on conserving,interpreting and promoting the industrial andcultural heritage in innovative and effectiveways. The statement also emphasises the needfor partnership between all relevant interestsin working towards these aims. The ultimateobjective behind all activity is to create newlocal employment.


The destination illustrates a number of factorsimplicit to integrated quality management.Central to the approach has been an aim tomeet customer needs more closely, includingresponding to feedback both from visitors andfrom service providers. Efforts arecontinuously made to improve the tourismproduct and service, through training,packaging and interpretation. There is alsoquality in the consistency of the approachtaken by the partnership and individuals,which has always aimed to stay true to thetraditions and character of the region.


Although some bruk were involved in tourismas early as the 1970s, there was littlecooperation and coordination. In 1995 thecounty government set up a public/privatepartnership in order to coordinate and developtourism at a destination level. This partnershiphas now expanded and been established as anon profit society called Vallonbruk i Uppland,with funding from various public sources,private sponsors and the EU. The societycouncil includes representatives from thecounty government, local heritage societies,community representatives and privatecompanies. The project leader has provedvital as a coordinator and point of contactwith the wider industry.

Q

The villages and industrial heritagesites are interspersed

in a landscape of lakesand forests

143

A key strength in the societyÕs approachhas been the establishment of two kinds ofworking groups.

● Three groups have been established withinthe society to work up qualityimprovements on information andmarketing; education; and signing. Eachconsists of four or five representatives fromvarious public and private interests. Thegroups have proved very effective intackling priority issues.

● Direct contact with the wider industry hasbeen achieved through five networkinggroups based on industry sectors i.e. innsand manor houses; caf�s; tourist guides;local heritage societies; and handicraftsand artists. Each group has between sevenand eleven members and meets three orfour times a year. The groups have beenvery successful in encouraging enterprisesto share experiences and work together forthe first time.

Vallonbruk i Uppland also operates a widermembership scheme for individuals interestedin local heritage and the societyÕs work. These150 members are invited to special events andreceive a newsletter three or four times ayear.


Promoting and packaging the product

A priority for the society has been to establishdestination wide marketing. A number ofdestination brochures have been producedand a web site has been established.

There have been attempts to targetcertain market segments. In particular, effortshave been made to promote activities forchildren, including painting workshops, guidedwalks and puzzle trails. These are highlightedin the print and web site as ÔFun forChildrenÕ and a dedicated leaflet has beenproduced for schools. The corporatemarket has been identified as anotherprimary market segment. A group guideand other marketing activities promoteconference venues, opportunities forcorporate entertainment and unusualteam building activities, such as rockblowing and driving mine vehicles.

Packaging the product has been auseful tool for extending the benefits oftourism. A number of educationalholidays have been developed focusingon product strengths such as Walloonhistory, arts and crafts. The Big andSmall Bruk package encourages overnightstays by offering two nights accommodation,guided tours and attractions in two bruk. Aholiday package developed around a localcraft festival at Easter has resulted inadditional business at a time of year that isgenerally very quiet. Inns and restaurantspromote their Christmas activities together inthe brochure ÔVallonbruk in AdventÕ.

Visitor signing and logo

A working group is taking a structuredapproach to improving visitor signing.

● Information boards have been set up onmajor roads into the area displaying amap, information on each bruk andleaflets to take away. Displayadvertisements have contributed to thecosts involved.

The Valonforge museum is one of a number of sitesinterpreting the industrial heritage

A special brochurepromotes opportunitiesfor conferences andcorporate functions

The distinctiveVallonbruk logo has theshape and design of aniron stamp


● The next step will be to develop road signsleading into each bruk.

● The third stage will be to tackle signingwithin the bruk themselves.

The aim is to develop a consistent networkwith a family style. Each bruk has its own ironstamp design and these are used as communitylogos. Vallonbruk i Uppland commissioned alocal artist to design a similar iron mark logo,which is displayed on all publicity material.

Central booking office

A central booking office for group visits hasbeen established. This Ôone stop shopÕ offers asolution to the problem of making bookingswith small and often part time enterprises.Rather than offer set packages, the demandhas been for itineraries tailored to meet clientneeds. This flexibility has also enabled smallerand new enterprises to be included in order tospread the benefits.

The service is funded at present throughthe society but operated by a localindependent telemarketing company. Acautious response from private enterprises ledto the service being offered free of charge ona trial basis. However as the office hasgenerated substantial additional business in itsfirst year, it is hoped that operators will bewilling to pay commission in the future.

Attractions/interpretation

A great strength of the destinationÕs product isthe way in which guided walks, specialactivities and events bring the heritage andsmall attractions to life. These are oftentailored to the needs of the customer, be it achildrenÕs party, corporate day out oreducational visit. Examples of targetedactivities include childrenÕs ghost walks;company dinners held underground in themines; and 18th century theme nights at alocal inn. One to one attention and innovativethinking are key success factors, furtherstrengthened by the central booking officespecialising in this service.


Training

The EU ADAPT programme has provided theresources for an extensive trainingprogramme. Early courses addressed thoseservice quality issues felt to be of highestpriority, such as customer care. At the end ofeach workshop, participants are asked tosuggest further training needs and subsequentcourses have been tailored to meet them. Forexample, requests from local guides led to aGerman language course covering thenecessary specialist vocabulary. An importantsuccess factor was an early recognition thatenterprises only have the time and interest forshort one or two day workshops. Although theADAPT programme has now finished, trainingremains an ongoing priority in order tomaintain service standards. Network groupsalso provide a think tank for identifying newtraining needs. A request from the inns andrestaurants group has resulted in plans for aneducation programme on local and traditionalfoods, with EU Leonardo funding obtained forthis.

Case study 14

Vallonbruk i Uppland Sweden

A coordinatedprogramme of events is

part of the offer

145

● Small working groups, each tackling a priority issue.

● Sector network groups to foster communication and cooperation with tourism enterprises.

● Feedback mechanisms from both operators and visitors.

● Making more of local heritage and attractions through innovative interpretation, tailored to customer needs.

● Market segmentation; developing the product, service and marketing to priority customer groups.

● Central booking office.

● A commitment to training as a tool for quality improvement.

Key success factors

Visitor feedback

A short questionnaire in the main destinationbrochure gave some useful indications aboutvisitor needs. One clear demand was for moreactivities in the region. Along with visitorfeedback through the tourist informationcentres, this has resulted in the establishmentof a cycle hire firm and proposals for cyclingholiday packages, as well as more guidedwalks and other activities. There are plans forstudents to administer a more thorough survey.

Restoration and conservation

Extensive restoration projects have beenundertaken in some of the bruk, with manyprotected by law as Building Memorials. Statefunding for restoration is available tolandowners via the county government. Workis undertaken by local builders keeping totraditional methods and materials, and isoverseen by experts from the county museumservice. Although the society has no directinvolvement in the process, the projectmanager has been very active in finding emptypremises for new tourism operators and localheritage societies, and identifying sources offunding.


Environmental degradation is not yet aproblem in the area and active restorationprogrammes contribute to the conservation ofthe built environment.

The central aim for Vallonbruk i Upplandhas been the creation of local employmentand they are beginning to monitor this with anannual survey of enterprises. The society givesconsiderable support to new entrepreneurshoping to establish themselves in the area.Wherever possible they seek to use localproduce and producers and are currentlyworking with local craftsmen such asblacksmiths to develop a range of good qualitylocal souvenirs.


Enterprises have reported rising businesslevels, especially from the conference andcorporate sectors. A number of new tourismenterprises and jobs have been created in thearea, including a childrenÕs bruk playhouse,caf�s, a specialist activity operator, touristguides and a privately run tourist informationcentre. Most have attended the societyÕstraining courses and networking groups, whichhave proved valuable sources of support andadvice.

A new level of communication has beenestablished between communities, which hascreated a shared commitment to quality andrecognition of the benefits of workingtogether. Vallonbruk i Uppland has beensuccessful in bringing small enterprises onboard by offering services free of charge or ata discounted rate until they have proved theirworth. Future success will depend on theoperatorsÕ willingness to make a greaterfinancial contribution to these activities.

Small cateringenterprises are involvedin networking andquality improvement


Case Study 15

FranceA regional naturepark working to aformal charter, throughwhich tourism is beingdeveloped in anintegrated manner withother economic sectors andenvironmental management aims.

The Vosges du Nord is a regional nature parkof some 122 000 hectares in north eastFrance. It has a common border with thePfalzerwald in Germany, both areas beingdesignated as biosphere reserves. The centralpart is heavily forested and is the home ofcertain rare species such as lynx and falcons.Sandstone is a feature of the region and isused in the typical architecture which is verywell integrated into the landscape.

The area faces some problems with ruraldepopulation, a weak infrastructure, andencroachment of scrub resulting from adecline in agriculture. Being a designatedregional nature park since 1975, localgovernment works with national governmentto overcome these problems by integratingheritage preservation into local developmentplans.

Tourism context

Tourism is an important factor in the economybut is not highly concentrated and the regionretains its authentic appeal. The park receiveslarge numbers of day visits from thecatchment of 10 million people within twohours drive. Staying tourism is highly peaked inJuly and August and annual occupancy levelsare quite low.

Attractions include museums, exhibitions,castles, and relics from the two world wars.Numerous hiking, riding and cycling trails criss-cross the area. Tourism has traditionally reliedsimply on visitors coming for these activities,with little packaging or promotion. The markethas been declining and there is a need toincrease the quality of the offer.

There are approximately 400 tourismenterprises in total in the area, with 11 000beds in a mixture of hotels, agrotourism andprivate accommodation. There are 200restaurants and 27 camping sites.

A fine balance of forest, farmland and heritage sites andsettlements

PARIS

VOSGESDU NORD

147

Q

Strategy

Every regional nature park in France has toprepare a charter document. Every ten yearsthe parkÕs activities are reviewed against thisand a new charter is granted based on a newstrategy for the forthcoming period. Thecharter is therefore a contract that defines theparkÕs objectives and actions. The currentcharter for the Vosges du Nord dates from1994.

There is no separate tourism strategy, butrather this forms a significant part of theoverall area strategy set out in the charter.This means that tourism is very well integratedinto other sectors and policies. The chartercovers the following main themes:management of landscape and nature;protection and upgrading of heritage;development projects; and education andcommunication with the public. Tourismpolicies are contained within all of these.

Elaborating the charter was a very carefulprocess, taking three years, involving 150meetings and contact with over three thousandpeople. Experts contributed and the localpopulation was asked for its views. The formalreview and checking process is an importantfactor in its success.


Improving quality lies behind all the work intourism and is seen as being closely related toenvironmental management. The tourismchapter in the charter contains the followingobjectives:

● to guarantee a quality tourism destination;● to promote a form of tourism that respects

the environment;● to strengthen cooperation between tourism

enterprises;● to promote high quality tourism products;● to improve communication and marketing;● to improve the regional organisation of

tourism.


The Vosges du Nord falls across both regionaland departmental boundaries but has thebenefit of one strong organisation, SYCOPARC,which was created to implement the charter.SYCOPARC is a mixed body that brings togethernational agencies, the regions and districts,and organisations representing communities,commerce and industry. It is fully funded witha strong technical team of 17 people. Thisprovides a solid foundation that is a key factorfor success. As the central developmentorganisation, SYCOPARC is able to raise moneyfor projects from various European, nationaland local sources.

To ensure effective leadership andcooperation, SYCOPARC created tencooperative associations between communitiesto overcome the problem of fragmentation.

Initially SYCOPARC was responsible for allthe tourism activity. However, in order toencourage closer coordination of the privatesector, it established a tourism working groupfor the park, bringing together all the localtourism offices and organisations. This has ledto the formation of a new tourism association,ATOUPARC, for the whole park. SYCOPARC nowintends to pass marketing and promotionalactivity to this association while it remainsresponsible for tourism projects anddevelopment. It has found that working withlocal tourism associations, which in turn workwith enterprises at a local level, is the bestway to ensure efficiency.

The Museum of thePark is one of anetwork of many siteswith coordinatedmanagement andmarketing

One of ten touristinformation centres,run by a localassociation ofcommunities


Case study 15

Vosges du Nord France


Quality communication and interpretation

The Park produces a range of high qualitybrochures. They involve interactive elements,such as giving visitors hints on how to behavein an environmentally friendly way andincluding feedback questionnaires. In order toimprove quality, the Park has been trying toencourage many of the smaller communities torationalise and streamline their owncommunication material. Progress on this hasbeen slow and remains a challenge.

A special booklet Ð Carnet du ParcÐ assembles in one place informationon a whole range of places to visitand things to do. This includes notonly information on sites to visit andtrails to follow, but also a completeprogramme of organised events,activities and guided walks. In thesummer months, there is an activityevery day. These have proved verypopular with 40 participants onaverage, three quarters comingfrom the surrounding area and onequarter being tourists fromelsewhere.

Quality of signposting and interpretation ishigh, with many themed trails, informationboards and carefully restored sites. Anexample is the castle of Petite Pierre with itsexhibition with many interactive elements,including a presentation on the Park Charter.

Hiking packages

Promoting hiking packages was seen as anatural way of improving the quality of thetourism offer, matching the product to markettrends. SYCOPARC had to take a lead as thesmall tourism enterprises had no knowledge ofpackaging and the hiking trails were theresponsibility of a hiking club who had nointerest in incoming tourism. SYCOPARCnegotiated with landlords to obtain specialprices; developed a flexible range of packagesfor visitors to choose from; organised luggagetransport services; and linked in visits to localattractions along the routes. Based oncontacts with many small tour operators, 2 400 bookings were taken in the best year. A visitor questionnaire identified needs forimprovement to the trails such as bettersigning into the villages and to local facilities.This information was passed to the hiking clubto undertake improvement work, supported bya percentage of the turnover from thepackages to help finance this. As a publicagency, SYCOPARC could not continue to runthe packages. However, it has had difficulty inpassing the initiative on, and problems inmaking enterprises stick to the agreed pricesand arrangements.

The ÔCarnetÕ providesthe visitor with a truly

comprehensiveinformation source

A well coordinatedprogramme of cultural

events is a particularstrength

Part of the revenue from walking packages was directed topath maintenance

149

Integrating gastronomy and landscape

An imaginative initiative ÔLe paysage a dugo�tÕ was introduced to solve anenvironmental problem and provide a qualityvisitor experience at the same time. In orderto control the encroachment of shrubs in thevalleys, SYCOPARC introduced a herd ofHighland cattle in fifteen communities. Thesehave formed a popular visitor attraction.Twelve restaurants have been trained toprepare Highland meat as a speciality, leadingto a gastronomic fortnight in late Novemberthat helped to extend the tourist season. Itproved very popular, and three francs per dishsold were put towards a fund for managing thelandscape.

Transnational co-operation

A joint tourism brochure and castles trail hasbeen produced with the Pfalzerwald. Aninnovative initiative to provide a qualityvisitor experience was the creation of anadventure playground on the border, plannedby children from German and French primaryschools, helped by a local artist.


Quality standards and labels

The Vosges du Nord uses national qualitystandards and grading for accommodation,catering and tourist information centres. Inaddition, good use is made of quality labelsestablished in parallel with the other parks inFrance.

● G�tes Panda. This is a special kind of ruralself-catering accommodation that has tofulfil certain environmental standards. Thelabel is granted by the WWF incombination with the French Federation ofRegional Nature Parks and G�tes de France.G�tes Panda provide guests with a box ofinformation and instruments fordiscovering nature.

● Nature hotels. These have to be situated inparks, meet certain environmental andquality criteria and contribute to theprotection of the environment.

● Park Marks. This is a special label given toa range of local products in each Park. Inthe Vosges du Nord it is awarded bySYCOPARC and covers local agriculturalproduce etc.

Joint standards for attractions

In order to provide a common quality standardfor heritage visitor attractions, SYCOPARC hascreated a network of 31 discoveries sites,managed by a group of five conservators. Amuseum pass provides a discount on visits tomore than one museum and incorporates aquestionnaire for visitor profiling and feedbackthat enables the pattern of visiting to beclosely monitored.

Visitor feedback

Obtaining feedback from visitors onsatisfaction levels is incorporated in allthe individual initiatives mentionedabove. In addition, a more global visitorsurvey is undertaken quarterly at themajor tourism sites and evaluated withthe help of experts.

Awareness training

SYCOPARC has developed a clever wayof training and networking betweenthose staff who have contact withvisitors, including people working ininformation centres and museums. Theinitiative, called ÔTicket D�couverteÕ, involvesa series of meetings, each one combining afamiliarisation visit to a tourism facility, adiscussion on a particular theme, and know-how exchange and networking between theparticipants. It is a valuable way of gettingstaff involved in thinking through issues,sharing ideas and feeding back knowledge ofvisitorsÕ needs. Sensibly, it is never promotedas a ÔtrainingÕ project by name and this maypartly explain its popularity, with around 45people attending each meeting. Participantscontinually suggest new themes andknowledge gaps to be filled in the programme.

A truly integrated linkbetween parkmanagement,agriculture andtourism

One of the nationalquality schemesbetween parks inFrance

Questionnaires indifferent languagesused in the qualitysurvey of museums


Case study 15

Vosges du Nord France


Integration of tourism development andpromotion with environmental protectionoccurs naturally within the Vosges du Nord asit is enshrined within the approach ofSYCOPARC. Tourism is seen as a major forcefor preserving the local heritage andtraditions. 627 hectares are granted specialnature protection status.

Particular emphasis is placed on preventingproblems through educating visitors in how tobehave. Good practice codes are placed in allpublications and much of the interpretationwork is geared towards this.


SYCOPARC has adopted a well planned andconsistent approach over a number of years.They believe that rather than proceed tooquickly, it is important to move forward stepby step and to find the right solutions to meetlocal needs. This has led to a much increasedlevel of acceptance of tourism within the localpopulation. A firm foundation has beenestablished for cooperation between thevarious authorities and agencies.

Visitor feedback has been very positive andis continually used to improve the quality ofthe offer. It is has also enabled SYCOPARC toobtain a clearer picture of the market in theabsence of official statistics.

The advent of the regional tourismassociation will lead to a coordinated tourismmarketing plan in the next few years, whichwill further enhance professionalism and thedelivery of a quality service. Another priorityfor the future is to build stronger links stillwith the Pfalzerwald in Germany including atransnational biosphere reserve and morecooperation in tourism development andmarketing. The Vosges du Nord is alsoparticipating with ten other parks on aEuropean charter for sustainable tourism inprotected areas which identifies criteria foreffective management and will facilitatebenchmarking.

● Formal charter linking tourism with other sectors and environmental management.

● Professional central body, fully funded.

● Co-ordination between diverse local authorities and communities.

● Innovative initiatives, including visitor feedback.

● Sharing quality labels and know-how within French Federation of Parks.

● Creative training and networking systems.

● Cross-border and European level co-operation.

Key success factors

Further cross borderinitiatives are planned

in the future

151

Glossary of terms related to IQM

The purpose of the glossary is not toprovide all the official and standarddefinitions but rather to help the readerwho is not familiar with some of the issuesrelated to Integrated Quality Management(IQM) of tourist destinations to be clearabout the meaning of some of the wordsand expressions, with a short explanation.This glossary is common to the threepublications of the European Commissionconcerning IQM of rural, coastal and urbandestinations.

Documents containing official andstandard definitions or useful informationabout the terms listed in this glossary arementioned under the item ÒReferencesÓ ofthis Annex.

About tourism

TouristA tourist is a person who is travelling andspending at least one night away from the areawhere he usually lives or works, whether forprivate or professional reasons.

TourismTourism covers all activities undertake by atourist during his/her travel and stay away fromthe area where he usually lives or works,whether for private or professional reasons.

Annex: glossary of terms and references

Tourist destinationA tourist destination is an area which isseparately identified and promoted to tourists asa place to visit, and within which the tourismproduct is co-ordinated by one or moreidentifiable authorities or organisations.

Rural tourist destination (with a reference toagrotourism)A rural tourist destination is an area whichattracts tourists who come to enjoy thecountryside and countryside-related activities asa primary motivation. In this type of destination, agrotourism coversthe provision of small scale tourist facilities,especially accommodation, on an agriculturalholding or equivalent private rural property,conveying an experience of the countryside.

Coastal tourist destinationA coastal tourist destination is an area whichattracts tourists who come to enjoy the seasideand seaside-related activities as a primarymotivation.

Urban tourist destinationAn urban tourist destination is an area whichattracts tourists who come to enjoy towns andcities and related activities as a primarymotivation.

Visitor managementA process of seeking to influence the movement,activities and impacts of visitors and associatedtraffic in an area.

NB: For statistical purposes, very detailedexplanations are given in the CommunityMethodology on Tourism Statistics, Eurostat(1998), see ÒReferencesÓ


About quality and quality management in tourist destinations

QualityQuality of a product or service is its ability tosatisfy the needs of the consumer. In a touristdestination, the tourist must be regarded as aconsumer.

Quality standard and certificationA quality standard identifies a level of quality forgoods or services.A certification is a document delivered by anofficial body proving that a product or a servicecomplies with a quality standard.

Quality managementQuality management covers all the activitiesachieved to satisfy the needs of the consumer.

Integrated Quality Management (IQM) of atourist destinationIQM of a tourist destination is an approach whichsimultaneously takes into account and has afavourable impact on the activities of tourismprofessionals, on tourists, on the local populationas well as on the environment, (i.e. the natural,cultural and man-made assets of thedestination).

The IQM strategy implemented at thedestinations has the requirements of tourists asone of the major considerations.

Tourism strategy (with a view to IQM)A clear written statement of objectives fortourism development, marketing andmanagement, with identified targets, whichforms the basis for an action programme.

LeadershipOne or more organisations providing a focus foractivity, which is clearly recognised by allplayers, and which communicates effectivelywith them.

Local communityThe local residents of an area, as individuals orgroups.

Local produce (including handicrafts)Food and other natural materials grown orproduced within the identified local destination.Handicrafts are not strictly included within localproduce but are associated with this term.

NB: for standards, concepts and theories aboutquality and quality management, seeÒReferencesÓ

About environment, sustainabledevelopment and IQM

EnvironmentThe natural resources and cultural heritage of anarea, including water, air, soil, space, landscape,natural sites, biodiversity, built heritage,historical associations, arts and crafts and localtraditions.

Sustainable developmentSustainable development is a broad politicalobjective, encompassing an intention to avoidactivities that will cause long term damage to theenvironment and a desire to ensure an adequatequality of life for present and future generations.Sustainable development involves economic,social and environmental dimensions.

Sustainable tourism developmentSustainable tourism development is about keepinga balance between the needs of the visitor, theenvironment and the host community for currentas well as future generations. Tourism cancontribute to the three dimensions of sustainabledevelopment as follows:- in economic terms, sustainable tourism

development can improve the competitivenessof the enterprises, in particular SMEs, directlyand indirectly related to tourism, and bringbenefits to the local economy,

- in social terms, sustainable tourismdevelopment can enable at the same time tomeet the needs and to encourage aresponsible behaviour of the tourists, of thepeople working in tourism enterprises and ofthe local population,

- in environmental terms, sustainable tourismdevelopment can ensure the protection andrational management of natural and culturalresources.

Link between environment, sustainabledevelopment and IQMIn brief, these three concepts are not identicalbut cannot be dissociated. Sustainabledevelopment is a broad concept of whichenvironment is one dimension beside economicand social dimensions. Integrated QualityManagement is an approach focussed on consumersatisfaction but based on the three dimensions ofsustainable development.

NB: for more information about environment andsustainable development, see ÒReferencesÓ

Annex

Glossary of termsand references

153

References related to IQM

The purpose here is not to present anexhaustive list of references but to mentiondocuments referred to in this publication aswell as some documents about tourism,quality and sustainable development helpfulin relation to IQM. Some Internet addressesare also indicated.

Documents referred to in this publication

Part I, Chapter 1

1 United Nations, Commission on SustainableDevelopment, Decision concerning tourism andsustainable development, New York, April1999.

2 Weiermair, K., On the concept and definitionof quality in tourism In: Quality Managementin Tourism, AIEST, St Gallen, 1997.

3 Parasuraman, A et.al., A conceptual model ofService Quality and its implications forfurther research. In: Journal of Marketing,Vol 49, 1985.

4 Kano, Attractive quality and must-be quality.In: The Journal of the Japanese Society forQuality Control, April 1984.

Part I, Chapter 2

5 European Commission, Eurostat, CommunityMethodology on Tourism Statistics, 1998, andCommission Decision No. 1999/34/EC relatedto tourism statistics, December 1998.

6 LEADER European Observatory, Marketingquality rural tourism: the experience ofLEADER 1, 1997.

General documents about tourism

● European Commission, The role of the Unionin the field of tourism, Commission GreenPaper, COM(95) 97, 4 April 1995.

● European Commission, Community measuresaffecting tourism, Report from theCommission, COM(97) 332, 2 July 1997, andCommission staff working paper, SEC(97) 1419,11 July 1997.

● European Commission, DG XXIII, Facts andfigures on the Europeans on holiday, 48thedition of the Eurobarometer, 1998.

● European Commission, DG XXIII, Employmentand tourism: guidelines for action, Finalreport of the conference organised by thePresidency of the the Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Commission,Luxembourg, November 1997.

● European Commission, Enhancing TourismÕsPotential for Employment, Communicationfrom the Commission, COM(1999) 205, 28April1999.

● Palmer A., Tourism destination marketingallianceshttp://cobweb.utsa.edu/FACULTY/VHELLER/readings/dest-mkt-alliance.html.

About quality and qualitymanagement in tourist destinations

● AFIT, D�marches qualit� et tourisme, Guidede Savoir-faire, AFIT, 1998

● AFNOR, NF Service : 3 offices de tourismecertifi�s, Communiqu� de presse, juillet 1997.

● Allouard C. et coll., Certification etManagement de la Qualit� : D�marches,m�thodes et outils pour ma�triser et mettreen Ïuvre la qualit� � tous les niveaux delÕentreprise dans le syst�me ISO 9000,Editions WEKA, Paris, 3�me trimestre 1995.

● Balfet, M., LÕaudit marketing touristique,Editions Economica, Paris, 1997.

● Benchmarking y calidad total en empresasturistica, Jornada sobre la calidad, AVT,Valencia, 1996.

● Bieger, T., Management von Destinationen undTourismusorganisation, R. Oldenbourg Verlag,1997.

● Boniface, P., Managing Quality CulturalTourism, Routledge, London, 1995.

● Coyle, M.P. and Dale, B.G. Quality in thehospitality industry: A study, InternationalJournal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 12,No. 2, 1993

● Dr Delvosalle C., Les vrais d�fis de la qualit�,Chaire Qualit� - Gembloux - 1994/1995.

● EFQM, European Quality Award, 1997.● Espaces (Revue), Dossier : La Qualit� dans le

Tourisme, n¡125, Paris, Janvier-F�vrier 1994.● Estudios Turisticos, Nine articles about quality

in tourism, Edition No.140, Madrid, 1999.● European Commission, The European Way to

Excellence, DG III, 1996.● European Commission, Integrated Quality

Management in Tourism, Proceedings of theEuropean Tourism Forum organised by thePresidency of the Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Commission,Mayrhofen, Austria, July 1998.


● Feigenbaum A.V., Comment appliquer lecontr�le total de la qualit� dans votreentreprise, Les Editions de lÕEntreprise, 1984.

● Go F., Govers R., Achieving service qualitythrough the application of importanceperformance analysis, in Quality Managementin services, published in the proceedings ofthe EIASM Workshop, Agder College,Kristiansand, Norway, 28-29 April 1997.

● Godin, P., Quality, environment andsustainable development in touristdestinations : towards an integratedapproach. English version in IITF Integra,2/99, Vienna, June 1999; French version inCalvier Espaces no. 61, Paris, July 1999.

● Handszuch, H., Quality and Communicationwith tourists, World Tourism OrganisationNews, Madrid, January 1998.

● Hoffmann, H. B., Integrated Total QualityManagement : a See-ing Approach Ð AnEmerald Isle case study, EuropeanPostgraduate Programme 1994/1995 inEnvironmental Management, 1995.

● ICHE, Normas para la calidad hosteleraespanola, Madrid, ICHE Enero 1998.

● Ishikawa K., Le TQC ou la qualit� � lajaponaise, AFNOR, 1984.

● ISO, Normes Internationales ISO 8402, 9000 et14000, ISO Gen�ve.

● Keller, P., Quality Management in Tourism,Reports 47th Congress 1997 Thailand, EditionsAIEST, Saint Gall, 1997.

● Lanquar, R., La qualit� : un d�fi pour letourisme moderne, Centre des Hautes EtudesTouristiques, S�rie C, n¡125, Aix-en-Provence,1988.

● Lanquar, R., La qualit� et le contr�le dequalit�, Rapport du programme de travail1986-1987, OMT.

● Laws, E., Tourism marketing : service andquality management perspectives, StanleyThornes Publishers, 1991, Cheltenham.

● La lettre de lÕAFAQ, Octobre 1996 N¡15.● Olsen, M.D. (ed.) Service quality in

hospitality organisations. Cassell, 1995.● Saunders, I.W. and Graham, M.A. Total

Quality Management in the HospitalityIndustry, Total Quality Management, Vol.3,No.3, 1992.

● Witt, C.A. and Muhlemann, A.P. Theimplementation of total quality managementin tourism: some guidelines, TourismManagement Vol.15, No.6, 1994.

About environment and sustainabledevelopment

● Council of Europe, Recommendation No. R(94)7 on a general policy for sustainable andenvironment-friendly tourism development,1994.

● European Commission, A EuropeanCommunity strategy to support thedevelopment of sustainable tourism in thedeveloping countries, Communication fromthe Commission, COM(1998)563, 14 October1998.

● European Commission, Towards sustainabledevelopment: from concept toimplementation, working paper, ConferenceÒTowards a new development approachÓ,Brussels, November 1994.

● European Commission, Fifth EnvironmentalAction Programme, 1992, and Progress report,1997.

● Germany: Bundesministerium f�rwirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit undEntwicklung, Sustainable Tourism as adevelopment option - Practical guide for localplanners, developers and decision makers,Eschborn, 1999.

● Middelton, V., and Hawkins, R., Sustainabletourism Ð A marketing perspective,Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998.

● Spain: Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda,Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Spain - ASustainable Tourism (in English and Spanish),Madrid, 1999.

● United Kingdom: Department for InternationalDevelopment, Changing Nature Tourism -Developing an agenda for action, London,1999.

● United Nations, UNESCO, World TourismOrganisation, Charter on sustainable tourism,Lanzarote, 1995.

● WTTC, WTO, Earth Council, Agenda 21 for thetravel and tourism industry, 1997.

Some addresses on internet helpfulin relation to IQM

● AEIDL/LEADERhttp://www.rural-europe.aeidl.be

● CENORM (European Committee forStandardisation)http://www.cenorm.be

● Council of Europehttp://www.coe.en

● European Commission, DG XXIII.D, TourismDirectoratehttp://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg23/tourisme/tourisme.htm

● EFQM (European Foundation for QualityManagement)http://www.efqm.org

● ISO (International StandardisationOrganisation)http://www.iso.ch

● United Nations, Commission on SustainableDevelopment (CSD)http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd.htm

● United Nations Environment Programme,Industry and Environment (UNEP IE)http://www.unepie.org/tourism/prog.html

● WTO (World Tourism Organisation)http://www.world-tourism.org

● WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council),including the website ECoNETThttp://www.wttc.org

Annex

Glossary of termsand references