June 26th, 2008. This conference on developing sustainable tourism in the North Sea Region was organised by the lead partner, the Christian Albrechts University Kiel, at the island of Sylt, Northern Germany, from 19 to 20 June 2008.



Tourism destinations around the North Sea Coast face similar challenges in building up or improving their tourism business. For almost two years, the To Learn project has researched and analysed the situation of sustainable tourism in the North Sea region. Well-known research institutions in close cooperation with experienced tourism managers entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders have elaborated strategies to improve tourism sustainability. In particular, promising initiatives that have proved to be successful in finding sustainable ways of tourism development have been identified.

To Learn is a joint project of partners from five European countries. The Dutch part of the project is executed by the Stenden Research Group Service Studies and the Stenden Institute Service Management.

Albert Postma, course leader of Master International Leisure and Tourism Studies, is project manager for the Dutch contribution to the European project. The research group Service Studies is closely cooperating with the Stenden Institute Service Management. Lead partner of the To Learn project is the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany. Other project partners are the University of Ghent (Belgium), the South-Danish University in Esbjerg (Denmark), and the University of Stavanger (Norway).



Besides an investigation of opportunities and challenges for sustainable tourism development, each participating country has identified about five examples of best practice and one implementation project in a selected pilot region.

The Netherlands has chosen the Frisian Wadden area as pilot region and within this region the following examples of best practice are identified:

• www.frieslandwonderland.nl
• Mopark (Nationaal Park de Alde Feanen) (http://www.mopark.net/ * MOPARK > Partners > Provincie of Fryslan)
• Care farm Donia State Wester in Spannum
  
• bicycle junctions in Friesland (http://www.fietsen123.eu/content/view/30/86/; http://www.noardwestfryslan.nl/)
• Wheat and mustard mill in Ameland
  
• Contemplation Center in Boksum
  
• Frisian Solar Challenge
  

Toerdata Noord was put forward as the implementation project in the Dutch pilot region. This successful monitoring system for supply and demand in tourism in North-Netherlands was established in 1996 by the Institute Service Management, in close cooperation with the three provincial administrations and the three provincial tourist offices.

To Learn started in the autumn of 2006. Midterm, in November 2007, a conference was held at Stenden university for all the project partners and stakeholders involved. The final conference was organised by the lead partner at the island of Sylt, Northern Germany, from 19 to 20 June 2008. The aim of both conferences is the exchange of knowledge and information between tourism stakeholders in the participating countries, To Learn from each other about critical success factors, and to establish new contacts.



At the Sylt conference Johan Kasper (Stenden Institute of Service Management, 2nd from left) presented the Contemplation Centre in Boksum, and Bauke Folkertsma (3rd from left) presented his vision on destination marketing and the role the world wide web could play in it, illustrating his successful initiative of Frieslandwonderland.



On Friday the coastal protection and beach nourishment at the cliffs on Sylt were visited. The Foundation for the coastal protection of Sylt (SKS) is one of the examples of best practice put forward by the German partner.

During the weeks to come the To Learn project will be rounded of with the writing of a final report with concrete recommendations, detailed descriptions of all projects, analyses of critical succesfactors, and toolkits for the stimulation of sustainable tourism at the North Sea Coast.

The website provides an overview of all aspects of the project.