I am forwarding you a call for comments and suggestions received form the UNWTO for the first draft of the document: "A Closer look at Tourism: Sub-national Measurement and Analysis- Towards a set of UNWTO Guidelines, UNWTO"
At the end of the last meeting of the Executive Committee in 2016, Patrick Torrent, President of NECSTouR, presents the year 2017 by the NECSTouR's perspective and wishes a great 2017 to all its Members!
A vdeo-summary of all our main activities implemented in 2016 is available here
Mr Taleb Rifai - Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – took advantage of his institutional visit to Brussels, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with NECSTouR, to advance the contribution of Tourism to sustainable regional development in Europe.
In March 2016 the Flanders Government presented its strategic outlook for the future: a long term strategy for Flanders “2050 vision”.
Vision 2050 sets out a vision for an inclusive, open, resilient and internationally connected region that creates prosperity and well-being for its citizens in a smart, innovative and sustainable manner. This long-term strategy provides a strategic response to the new opportunities and challenges Flanders is facing.
We are still looking for youngparticipants to take part in a free one-week pilot test in the Netherlands to experiment activities related to Spirituality.
The Spirit Youth project is financed by the European program COSME and coordinated by NECSTOUR . It aims to develop a European transnational tourism itinerary for young people around the concept of Spiritual Tourism, understood in a global sense.
Patrick Torrents - President of NECStouR - intervened during the closing panel of the European Tourism Day 2016 and presented the 6 NECSTouR recommendations for "Joint Promotion of Tourism and Cultural and Creative Industries in third Countries" for 2017.
2017 will be a particular year, that the United Nations declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
During the European Tourism Day, Mr Patrick Torrent and Mr Jan Korthoudt - President and Vice-President of NECSTouR - had the occasion to meet with Mr Hanspeter Wagner, Mayor of the Municipality of Breitenwang and Rapporteur for the NAT Commission of the Committee of the Regions.
It was the occasion to exchange reciprocal priorities and express NECSTouR's support for the CoR own-initiative opinion on Tourism.
The first pilot testing in Prato took place between 7-11 of November, and was a great success. 25 young people, from across Europe all travelled to Prato, in Tuscany, to participate in a range of spiritual tourism activities organised in and around city by local partners. These partners were engaged by the project partner, who are situated in the city. The testing lasted 3 days, and began with a welcome party for all the participants to meet one another.
It is time for our Members to choose on which Working Groups being engaged and to cooperate together on the thematic of their choice!
On the 5th and 9th December we will organise virtual Open Days in order to present to our members all our Working Groups, gather their opinion and ideas and collect their engagement!