Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on  The contribution of tourism to the socio-economic recovery of areas in decline
Date: 2005-09-28
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: declining industrial region, economic development, economic reconstruction, social development, tourism

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II

(Preparatory Acts)

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

420th PLENARY SESSION OF 28/29 SEPTEMBER 2005

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The contribution of tourism to the
socio-economic recovery of areas in decline’

(2006/C 24/01)

On 10 February 2005, the European Economic and Social Committee, under Rule 29(2) of its Rules of
Procedure, decided to draw up an opinion on: The contribution of tourism to the socio-economic recovery of
areas in decline.

The Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 27 July 2005. The rapporteur was Mr Mendoza.

At its 420th plenary session held on 28 and 29 September 2005 (meeting of 28 September 2005), the
European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 135 votes to 2 with
2 abstentions.

1. Introduction

1.1
The European Economic and Social Committee has
already drawn up various opinions as a contribution to the
In this context, the
creation of a European tourism policy.
drafting of a further opinion is proposed, which would act as a
reference point for certain tourism initiatives — backed by the
actions of European, national, regional and local institutions,
social partners, other civil society organisations and tourism
sector players — in a united effort to offer alternatives to areas
in decline, particularly to local people and businesses that are
financially dependant on these areas, with a view to main-
taining economic activity and all the benefits which this brings.

— Public hearing held in Córdoba (Spain) and second study
group meeting, which enabled the identification and verifi-
cation of best practice for initiatives aimed at rehabilitating
areas in economic decline through tourism, in line with the
opinion's main objective of publicising experiences that can
be proved to be effective and serve to boost these initiatives
or the development of others in areas that were, are or may
in the future be suffering socio-economic decline.

— The third and final meeting: shaping the final document for

Section discussion and the EESC plenary session.

1.2
This document is intended to contribute to the much-
needed regeneration of a number of areas throughout the Euro-
pean Union, which are, for various reasons, currently in socio-
economic decline.
the
tourism industry can offer these areas.

focuses on the alternatives that

It

Two situations with mutually complementary features

1.4
should be taken into account:

The following procedure for the drafting of the final

1.3
version of the opinion is being followed:

— First study group meeting: drawing up the list of issues to

be addressed in the opinion.

— As is apparent throughout this opinion, tourism is a great
opportunity and alternative for areas in decline;
it can
provide them with a source of economic activity with enor-
mous potential for social and business development and job
creation. The regeneration of areas in decline can and
should bring about the establishment of new industries
with better prospects and able to improve the quality of
life.

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— Some areas in decline may become tourist destinations
capable of absorbing the expected increase in global
tourism;
this should be achieved in a diversified and
sustainable manner.

tourism. Special reference is made to the role of the European
Structural Funds in the regeneration of areas in decline. The
institutions have an important role to play in providing the
training needed to reskill the labour force from industrial areas
in decline for jobs in the services sector.

2. Scope and outline of the opinion

The opinion is not intended to be a review of the
2.1
processes which have brought these areas to their present situa-
tion, nor should it analyse restructuring activities carried out in
other sectors (industrial, mining, agricultural, etc.), although
such activities may provide pointers for our proposals.

2.2
In our analysis, we will begin by distinguishing whether
the area in question has undergone specific restructuring or
whether it is a deprived area yet to develop major industries,
where tourism can provide a starting point and drive more
widespread development.

2.3

Hence, our opinion is set out as follows:

issues — social,

2.3.1
Analysis of the situation of areas in decline and the
labour, business and institutional
principal
commitment aspects, etc. — which should be taken into
account in future tourism proposals. The precise identification
of what is understood by the term ‘areas in decline’
is of
utmost importance, since diverse circumstances and conditions
can lead to different alternatives.

2.3.2
aspects:

Therefore, our opinion addresses

the

following

taking account of

from various perspectives,

2.3.2.1
The situation of areas in decline: identify these areas'
the
failings
following: problems sometimes caused by a history of depen-
industry or business; environmental
dency on one type of
disadvantages or deterioration;
inadequate or ill-suited infra-
structures which impede the move into tourism; labour force
with a background of skills which cannot be transferred to the
tourism sector; social environment unsuitable for integrating
new activities such as tourism. The fact that areas in decline are
not usually natural tourism areas should be taken into account
in particular, since this makes it especially difficult to find the
right
tourism,
sport tourism, education and many other alternative forms of
tourism. In particular, ‘positive experience’ is recognised as the
basis for all tourism products and should be identified and
promoted.

tourism: cultural and archaeological

form of

2.3.2.3
Social roots as an objective: industries in decline have
been linked for many years to the areas where they initially
developed and subsequently declined. This means that local
people have over the years established a bond going back
generations from both living and working in these areas. The
tourism initiatives that we are setting out should go a long way
to maintaining this bond by creating the conditions that make
it possible: housing, services, communications, etc. Another
way of encouraging this social bond is through the creation of
stable jobs. Although tourism is a good source of employment,
the serious problem of seasonality can hinder the development
of this social bond and cause unwelcome migration at certain
times of the year.

2.3.2.4
Social dialogue, vital to the analysis and development of
alternatives: we propose that social dialogue through unions and
associations be the cornerstone of
the establishment of a
commitment by workers and employers to carry out projects
and initiatives. This bipartite dialogue should lead to a tripartite
dialogue involving the authorities in the search for feasible
alternatives. Other civil society and tourism sector organisa-
tions should also help to bring projects to fruition.

2.3.2.5
Promoting initiatives committed to sustainable tourism:
despite the social upheaval that socio-economic decline repre-
sents for large areas, it is clear that the approach adopted for
new development alternatives can not only correct errors in the
way previous measures were planned, but also situate new
activities within the socially, economically and environmentally
sustainable parameters advocated by the EESC for tourism

2.3.2.6
ning of tourism activity:

The environment as a focus of recovery and plan-

— although this opinion is not

intended to examine the
origins of an area's socio-economic decline, it can be seen
that due to natural, geographic or geological reasons, many
areas in decline have developed a dependency on one type
of industry. This has often not only failed to respect the
environment, but has caused it real damage. The new envir-
onmental criteria and commitments can facilitate the
recovery of these areas and help to boost projects' tourism
potential;

Institutional commitment:

2.3.2.2
this opinion represents a
call for the cooperation which is essential between the different
authorities and institutions;
should describe the forms,
it
scenarios and models of interinstitutional cooperation as well
as the public resources that can contribute to the launch of

— our opinion will establish the priorities for environmental
the development of

initiatives that should complement
tourism projects.

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2.3.2.7
Sustaining and increasing business activity and the
promotion of productive investment: we have tried to draw up as
specific a list as possible of initiatives supporting entrepreneur-
ship. Entrepreneurship in areas in decline is rooted in past
specialisation, due to entrepreneurs direct involvement in the
traditional industry or in ancillary businesses. In this respect,
the opinion explores various initiatives for establishing and
maintaining businesses, business training and capacity building,
developing criteria for competitiveness, research and develop-
ment, design, marketing,
should also encourage
etc.
approaches such as promotion, partnership and cooperation
between businesses and between businesses and the authorities,
and the creation of networks between businesses, areas and
sectors. Special attention should be paid to micro, small and
medium-sized businesses.

It

2.3.2.8 Maintaining and increasing employment
levels as a
priority: the process of socio-economic decline in businesses and
sectors constitutes the greatest social cost due to the loss of
jobs; therefore the main objective of regeneration initiatives
should be to maintain and, if possible, increase employment in
areas in decline. In order to do this, we propose that, in addi-
tion to transitional social protection schemes, the development
of tourism initiatives should also aim to promote job-creating
investment, vocational
training and retraining, promotional
measures, a culture of self-employment and a social economy.

2.3.2.9
Integrating all factors that contribute to a tourism policy:
tourism projects for the socio-economic recovery of areas in
decline must provide a boost for all the factors, in addition to
those already mentioned, which shape tourism policy. Thus,
the
cultural, historical, heritage, natural,
sporting and other factors must be established.

contribution of

2.3.5
Fostering self-employment is undoubtedly an impor-
tant factor in enabling workers to adapt to a new situation.
Indeed, the study of this contribution will greatly benefit areas
in decline in their transition to tourism areas and to rural
tourism areas particularly. The support
this type of
employment needs to be an effective instrument in this difficult
adaptation process should be studied.

that

2.3.5.1

Some initiatives to develop in this field:

At a European level, self-employment is defined as
2.3.5.1.1
workers' capacity and decision to practice an activity for their
own account, either individually or as a group. A self-employed
person is above all a worker who, in undertaking an indepen-
dent activity, maintains civil and commercial relations with
suppliers and clients.

2.3.5.1.2
For years, self-employment has represented an
effective form of defence against industrial economic crises,
since it has made it possible to maintain employment levels
and meet the need to create new jobs.

2.3.5.1.3
young working people and women.

Self-employment is currently increasing amongst

To be effective,

2.3.5.1.4
tourism services based on self-
employment must encourage the development of new profes-
sional skills. Some, but by no means all, of the new rural
professions that can be created, are as follows:

— Specialised trade in local products

— Traditional crafts and food products

— Sports and environmental leisure services

— Audiovisual and virtual reality facilities

A significant challenge, already successfully met in
2.3.2.10
certain areas, is that of making good use of aspects of previous
activities in the design of new tourism alternatives.

— Cultural promotion

— Childcare, campsites and hostels

2.3.3
It is very important to analyse in detail the diverse
experiences of the EU countries, not only to try to adapt them
to other environments, but also to support and reinvigorate
them. Since positive experiences do not seem to be very
common, it is not easy to come up with a very extensive and
diverse range of examples of such initiatives.

— Natural medicine

— Aesthetic enhancement

— Traditional construction and revival of trades

— Internet cafés

— Promotion of local property

— Advice on the new activities

In particular, account should be taken of the possibi-
2.3.4
lity of different tourism destinations in areas in decline oper-
ating as a network, providing a strong base for promotion and
mutual support.

— Production of goods and services usually consumed in

tourist accommodation

— Specialised attention for the elderly.

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2.3.6
Furthermore, social tourism will certainly play a role
in the future as an alternative for numerous areas in decline
seeking new economic activity through tourism. Due to its
distinct characteristics, social tourism is a particularly useful
tool in the fight against seasonality and for the staggering of
holidays.

2.3.7
The new European scenario for developing tourism alterna-
tives in areas in decline: the opinion refers to the opportunities
that
the enlarged Europe provides for establishing general
frames of reference for action, exchange of information, inter-
project associations, the promotion of best practice, the devel-
opment of public-private cooperation, etc.

2.3.8
The commitment in the Constitutional Treaty to citizens,
their rights and the most deprived regions and areas, enables
our opinion,
together with the section on tourism in the
Constitutional text, to provide a European response more in
touch with national, regional and local situations.

Integration of lines of action that can contribute to an
2.4
alternative: the EESC's previous opinions, the Commission's and
European Parliament's initiatives and the initiatives of institu-
tions such as the World Tourism Organisation and the Interna-
tional Bureau of Social Tourism, are explored in the text of this
opinion.

2.5
Experience as a key focus: this opinion is intended to be
practical and useful, particularly for areas that we wish to help
recover. Therefore, it will set out a list of best practices in the
development of this type of initiative.

3. Areas in socio-economic decline

3.1
It is not easy to define exactly what is meant by areas in
decline as referred to in this opinion's title, not only because of
the diversity of their characteristics, the origin and cause of
their decline and the scale or range of its effects, their geogra-
phical spread, but above all because of the gravity of the conse-
quences for local residents and businesses.

3.2
Perhaps the main element that should be studied in
order to characterise and distinguish the different kinds of areas
in decline is their economic history, in the form of various indi-
cators. This should make it clear whether the situation has
arisen recently due to outside technological, social or economic
changes, or whether it is a permanent situation and the area
has never, at any point in its history, achieved the economic
development needed to bring wealth and prosperity to its inha-
bitants. This difference is undoubtedly very important in identi-
fying the ideal way to tackle the decline and finding valid alter-

natives. Business experience, the training of the local people
and hence the possibility of finding a replacement or new
activity all differ greatly from one case to another.

3.3 Where areas have not yet achieved a good level of
economic development, the causes of the situation can be very
location, extreme environmental condi-
varied: a peripheral
tions, insufficient infrastructure, a local population lacking in
entrepreneurship and finally a whole group of factors that have
caused and continue to cause the local population to migrate
to areas with more opportunities for economic development,
both in their own country and abroad. In short, the progressive
depopulation and subsequent social upheaval of large, mainly
rural, areas of Europe is a problem being decisively addressed
by EU regional development policies and instruments. Tourism
and the development which it brings are the objective of
several useful actions in this field.

at

time

some

areas have

enjoyed strong
3.4 Where
economic development based on a number of activities (agri-
culture, mining, the textile, metal or chemical
industries for
example) and have for various reasons had to abandon this
activity, the problem is basically the breakdown of a social
model, with all the repercussions of this for the local popula-
tion and the fabric of the local economy. In these cases, depen-
dence on one type of industry or lack of economic diversifica-
tion are additional factors that can hinder the search for an
alternative to the job losses that economic decline entails.

the heart of

3.5
There are many factors that can and do contribute to
the decline of a formerly active, profitable and competitive
area, which created both employment and wealth. However, on
a global scale, it is possible that the globalisation of economic
activity and technological change lie at
these
factors. Markets are changing rapidly, often very suddenly, and
the stability that industry brought to those nations that knew
how to properly apply industrial principles in previous centu-
ries has disappeared and been replaced by technological and
social change, expanding markets, real-time information on a
global scale, worldwide competition and the relocation of
labour has been
manufacturing and services. The cost of
presented as the main factor in the location of industries, but it
is research capacity, development and innovation, the proxi-
mity and quality of
training, and
employees' skills that, together with access to technology, deter-
mine the competitiveness of an economic activity. Ending the
process of deindustrialisation in Europe and finding alternative
ways of creating employment is possibly the biggest challenge
facing Europe, as the Lisbon Strategy acknowledges.

services, management

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reverberate down the generations

3.6
The effects of the decline of an area on the local popula-
tion and businesses are wide-ranging: job losses, general impov-
erishment, demographic changes, depopulation and the loss of
the industrial fabric. However, it is important to point out that
these effects
in many
different forms. Those suffering directly from economic decline
often find in social protection schemes a type of replacement
that is undesired, but needed insofar as the necessary income is
received through social subsidies. This is the case when large
industrial and mining businesses close down and young and
middle-aged people, potentially capable of the work, are forced
into inactivity and reliance on social subsidies. Although this
situation is undesirable, the problems of the next generation,
who do not have jobs or subsidies, are even more worrying. In
situations of this type, entrepreneurship, diversification of activ-
ities and training are more than an alternative, they are an
absolute necessity.

3.7
In short, it is for these areas in decline, those that have
not achieved economic development and those that have lost
it, that tourism can represent a viable alternative, moving their
economic development towards a strong, stable industry, with
good current and future prospects, which creates jobs and is
capable of sustaining an economic, social and environmental
balance. It is clear that the cultural and economic change that
this will in all likelihood entail will not be easy and not all
cases will be successful, but there are few alternatives for areas
in decline and it is possible that those alternatives available
would place demands that would be even harder to meet.

3.8
It should not be forgotten that sometimes within or
near large cities, even cities with a thriving economy, margina-
lised and run-down areas with little or no economic activity
can spring up. In these cases, various international events can
assist the economic recovery and revitalisation of such areas.
Examples such as the World Exhibitions in Seville and Lisbon,
the Olympic Games in Barcelona, or more recently, Athens,
have proven essential
to physical rehabilitation. They have
unleashed a new momentum and created conditions conducive
to such areas becoming a new tourist destination.

4. Objectives and methods of action

Having analysed the situation, origins and essential char-
4.1
acteristics of areas in decline,
it makes sense to define the
objectives and methods that will facilitate our study, as indi-
cated in this opinion's title, of the contribution of tourism to
the socio-economic recovery of areas in decline.

suitable conditions for personal and social development, so
they do not feel obliged to emigrate or move. In short, it is to
maintain the social fabric that has survived for generations in
the area. Therefore, tourism initiatives proposed as alternatives
must effectively provide not only the necessary infrastructure,
but also stable employment for those people who work in
tourism in its widest sense. Establishing tourism products that
are sustainable and viable in the long term is vital to offering
an alternative to the unemployment brought about by socio-
economic decline, if maintaining social roots is to be a primary
objective.

4.2
The diversification of economic activity is also an objec-
tive of all economic development in areas of decline. Should
one of the causes for the decline be technological or market
changes in areas where economic activity is characterised by
dependence on one type of industry,
it seems clear that in
order to avoid a repetition of this situation, complementary
and diversified activities, capable of sustaining the region's
economy in the future, should be organised. Because of tour-
ism's cross-sectoral nature involving many players, businesses
of all sizes,
family and multinational businesses, businesses
with wide-ranging social objectives and commercial interests, it
effectively diversifies an area's industries.

The

activity,

sustainable balance of

economically,
4.3
socially and in particular environmentally,
is another of the
objectives of developing areas in decline. Often, declining
industrial or mining activity has led to serious deterioration of
the area's environment; obsolete and abandoned buildings,
contaminated industrial waste, physical damage and polluted
soil are frequently the result of past industrial activity and are
evidently not ideal conditions for the development of tourism,
which generally seeks conditions where nature is at its most
attractive.

4.3.1
In principle, it falls to businesses that have carried out
their industrial activity in an area to recapture the original
least rehabilitate them as far as
natural conditions or at
possible. Obviously it is not easy to apply this principle since
the very situation of industrial decline inhibits this. Therefore,
it is up to the public authorities to provide subsidies and guar-
antee that the surroundings are suitably maintained. This is
particularly important when businesses that are relocating have
received public funds on starting up. Businesses' social respon-
sibility should induce them to meet these additional costs of
their activity.

4.1.1
First and foremost, it should be pointed out that the
main objective of all economic development can only be to
the people who live locally, with
provide the population,

In order to achieve these difficult objectives, various
4.4
methods should be used to bring about success. The first step
in the process should be social dialogue: this is key to devel-
oping alternatives. Social dialogue between social and economic

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players, between businessmen and workers through unions and
employers' associations,
is the cornerstone to the success of
projects and initiatives. Civil society — its various community,
consumer and civic associations — can and should participate
in the process.

industry, react to decline and job losses in these sectors by
choosing to intensively develop tourism. Therefore it is devel-
oping tourist brands and products strongly connected to the
idea of Asturias and nature:

In particular, however, the authorities need to commit
4.4.1
themselves and actively participate in the promotion of alterna-
tives for areas in decline, be it tourism or other industries or
services. Cooperation between different levels of administration
and public institutions should pave the way for the success of
the initiatives; they should, if necessary, support the economic
viability of the projects. The EU's Structural Funds are powerful
tools for such an action, coordinated at European, national,
regional and local
levels, for researching and implementing
regional development projects and initiatives capable of revita-
lising areas in decline.

this

The training of people in areas in decline is one of the
4.5
regeneration process. Vocational
building blocks of
retraining should be guaranteed for the long-term unemployed,
to enable them to find work in alternative activities, which are
usually very different in their requirements and skills from
previous activities. Past experience shows that this regeneration
is a huge challenge and that only through intensive and contin-
uous training is it possible to transform industrial workers into
service sector workers. The same can be said for the next
generation, those that have not suffered directly from redun-
dancy, but who have no employment prospects in the area's
industry. Only training can enable them to over-
traditional
come this lack of job opportunities.

The current process of European enlargement can bring
4.6
both advantages and disadvantages: on the one hand, there are
more areas to be redeveloped with an industrial, mining or
agricultural past which is difficult to overcome. On the other
hand, it is clear that the demand for mobility in leisure and
tourism has been substantially increased, thus strengthening the
tourism industry. Activities promoting sustainable tourism
throughout Europe, according to the criteria of the European
tourism model, can be a valuable tool in the economic develop-
ment of some areas in decline.

5. Good practice in the use of tourism in the socio-

economic regeneration of areas in decline

5.1
One of the main objectives of this opinion is to bring
together and study the various good practices in which tourism
has proven a successful alternative for areas in decline.

Therefore, as well as

5.1.1
the numerous experiences
assembled at the hearing held in Córdoba, organised jointly by
the EESC and the provincial authority, other instructive initia-
tives have been brought together and merit study and analysis,
so they can potentially serve as examples.

5.2
The experience of Asturias (Spain): this successful case
saw the whole region, formerly characterised by mining and

— Tourism and Nature: Asturias Natural Paradise

— Tourism and Culture: Asturias Cultural Treasure

— Tourism and Gastronomy: Tasting Asturias

— Tourism and the City: Cities of Asturias

— Tourism and Quality: Stately Homes of Asturias

— Mesas de Asturias (Restaurants of Asturias)

— Aldeas Asturias Calidad Rural (Villages of Asturias: rural

quality)

— Asturias por la Excelencia Turística (Asturias for excel-

lency in tourism).

5.2.1
This new strategy of local development has been very
successful — employment in the region has increased by 8 %
in this case, environmental
in recent years. It is clear that,
sustainability has been the basis for high-quality tourism,
in
harmony with nature, and that both economic and social
players as well as public institutions have actively chosen to
support this strategic change and new regional model.

The experience of Zabrze (Poland):

throughout
the
5.3
region of Silesia,
the economy and
the transformation of
markets has led to the closure of many businesses, causing the
loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the creation of a desolate
landscape scattered with post-industrial wastelands. Numerous
efforts have been made to promote tourism, but the region
continues to suffer from its traditional clichéd image as an
industrial region of gloomy landscapes and environmental
degradation. Although this image seems unattractive to tourists,
it may be an asset for the social and economic life of the
region if
the area's industrial heritage were exploited for
tourism, just as the authorities desire and plan. It is a matter of
rehabilitating post-industrial sites by turning them to new uses,
which are mainly tourism-oriented and are not seasonal activ-
ities. Thus the industrial heritage and unique character of these
regions and cities is conserved.

5.3.1
However, this project has a great many obstacles to
overcome. Problems relating to the poor technical state and
general dilapidation of the sites are compounded by various
issues of property ownership, the lack of financial resources
and skilled management staff,
the under-developed tourism
infrastructure and other factors, meaning that only a limited
number of industrial heritage sites are able to meet the criteria
for becoming successful tourist attractions. The role that the
European Structural Funds such as the ERDF and the ESF can
play is vital to overcoming the obstacles of capital financing
and training the local population.

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5.3.2
A regional plan for using post-industrial sites for
tourism has been drawn up: ‘The circuit of industrial heritage
sites’ comprises some 30 sites, selected on the basis of various
tourist capacity and
criteria, such as accessibility,
visitor security.

interest,

5.3.3
In the specific case of the municipality of Zabrze, a
medium-sized city situated in southern Poland, the local autho-
rities have learned to appreciate the importance of industrial
tourism and since 2003, Zabrze has been a recognised model
of industrial tourism and has received various tourism-related
awards. Zabrze has learned not only how to implement its
alternative to the decline of its mining industry but has also
become a centre for discussion and encouragement of future
industrial heritage tourism projects in Poland and throughout
Europe, holding the International Conferences to study ‘The
treasures of
in
September 2004 and May 2005. The fruits of these conferences
are the Zabrze Resolutions, which offer a valuable insight into
the use of industrial heritage in tourism and leisure. The WTO's
willingness to be involved in creating an Industrial Heritage
network, which cooperates in product promotion, should be
noted.

industrial heritage for tourism and leisure’

Overall the experience of Zabrze offers a wealth of
5.3.4
knowledge and experiences, which can undoubtedly be useful
to other similar places that wish to adapt to tourism. The EESC
fully recognises, supports and will promote the value of
tourism at every opportunity.

5.4
The experience of the Museo Minero de Río Tinto in
Huelva (Spain): the Río Tinto mine used to be a rich source of
precious metals that had generated wealth since Roman times.
In 1982 the mine closed and became an economically deprived
area. The Museo Minero de Río Tinto today protects the legacy
of all these ups and downs. It is an information centre for the
Parque Minero de Río Tinto, a theme park made up of the
villages and landscape of the mining area. The Parque Minero
covers an area of 900 hectares and visitors can take a train ride
along the former railway that transported the ore to Huelva,
visit former mines, a Roman cemetery and the mining district
set up by the English company which owned the mine at the
end of the 19th century. In short, a previously disused area has
been transformed into a place for leisure, heritage and cultural
regeneration.
In this case, an ‘experience’ based entirely on
attracting tourists has enabled operators to profit from areas
where the only other alternative would be abandonment.

villages of the Valle del Alto Guadiato in the province of
Córdoba have joined forces in a project to promote attractions
such as the Museo geológico Minero de Peñarroya-Pueblo-
nuevo. This initiative seeks to attract tourism capable of revita-
lising the economy of villages suffering from unemployment
due to the mine closure. The upshot is a comprehensive and
coordinated initiative, comprising industrial and geological
attractions, gastronomy,
sport and culture and involving
various communities such as Fuenteovejuna, Bélmez and other
localities in the area.

5.6
The ‘Sistema del Museo de la Ciencia y de la Técnica de
Catalunya’ (Spain) is a network covering some 20 points of
interest relating to the industrial heritage of the region of Cata-
lonia, including the textile, paper, tanning and transport indus-
tries. In centuries gone by, Catalonian industry was undoubt-
edly of major importance, not only economically but also
culturally, architecturally and socially;
the
collective identity of Catalonia. The ‘Sistema’
is intended to
promote tourism to all the 20 points of interests and in short,
to act as a network of cultural tourist attractions. This model of
activity is ideal for other similar projects.

forms part of

it

5.7
Another interesting initiative is that of the International
Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS), which has contributed to the
alternative development of a coal mining area in decline in La
Roche-en-Ardenne (Belgium), through the creation of a holiday
resort for social tourism that is creating substantial employ-
ment in the area.

there

are different

Throughout Europe,

5.8
innovative
tourism initiatives that seek, at least partially, an alternative to
economic decline. A good example is that of traditional fish-
ermen who offer tourists the opportunity to join them for a
working day on board their boat. In this way, tourists experi-
ence professional and cultural contact, which has great tourist
appeal and increases the income of an activity in decline.

5.9
The EESC supports the joint declaration of the European
Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and
Tourism Sectors (EFFAT) and the Confederation of National
Associations of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Establishments
in the European Union (HOTREC) on Principles and Guidelines
for Maintaining and Developing Tourism Jobs in the Rural
Areas.

6. Conclusions

5.5
The mining and industrial area of Peñarroya-Pueblo-
nuevo (Spain) has a valuable industrial heritage and constitutes
the remains of a 20th century manufacturing centre. It is reco-
vering by adapting to provide various leisure activities for the
local population and visitors. It should be noted that various

At the numerous meetings of the study group set up to
6.1
prepare this opinion and the successful hearing held in
Córdoba, it was possible to form not only the views mentioned
above but also valuable conclusions and recommendations.

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6.2
Tourism, as recognised in various Commission and
EESC documents and multiple studies, is an economic activity
of great importance not only from a strictly economic perspec-
is especially
tive, but also socially and environmentally.
important to point out that it is a powerful, stable industry
with good future prospects, which creates high-quality jobs if
developed according to criteria of short-, medium- and long-
term sustainability.

It

6.3
The socio-economic decline of areas in various Euro-
pean countries has different causes and characteristics, but in
all these areas the fall in employment and absence of economic
alternatives are both the most conspicuous and most distressing
consequences for the local people, who are frequently forced to
migrate in search of different alternatives to the traditional
activities of the area. The depopulation of large agricultural or
mining areas is the undesired result of structural economic
change.

6.4
Sustaining the social roots of the local community is the
main objective of all policies intended to achieve regional
balance and therefore provide viable alternatives for these areas
in decline. The European Structural Funds are essential instru-
ments in this policy of maintaining social roots. Preserving or
creating employment should be the main priority of such a
policy of social integration.

6.5
For many different areas in decline, tourism can be a
good alternative source of economic activity, with great poten-
tial
economic and employment development.
Numerous experiences at all levels prove and confirm this.

social,

for

6.6
However, areas in decline in search of a tourism alterna-
tive still have formidable long-term difficulties and obstacles to
overcome. It should be noted in particular that such areas do
not in principle ‘naturally’
lend themselves to tourism, but
rather the opposite, since they sometimes lack tourist attrac-
tions and have dilapidated surroundings. It is very difficult for
these areas to recover or create an environment where tourism
can flourish. Therefore it is important to create products and
services capable of generating demand.

— People and their belongings must be safe.

— An absence or lack of coordination in the promotion of the

tourist destination.

— A lack of specialised technical advice, which can help to
identify those factors which could make the new businesses
viable.

6.8
But it is precisely this possibility of a tourism alternative,
together with the difficulties inherent in the process, which
should motivate public institutions, social players and citizens
in general to rise to the challenge of making this possibility a
reality. European regional policy and other European policies
on tourism, culture, employment, transport and infrastructure
should work together
this challenge successfully.
Ignoring the situation of areas in decline or failing to address
the risks and difficulties of the tourism alternative does not
seem a valid strategy. Alternatives other than tourism for areas
in decline are both rare and difficult.

to meet

In order that the tourism alternative for areas in decline

6.9
is viable, it should meet numerous conditions:

— It must promote the cultural, heritage and natural values of
the area. Local communities, even in areas in decline, are
often the guardians of unrivalled cultural wealth.

— It should respond to global issues, using integrated develop-
ment plans to create a diverse range of products and
services required by the tourism sector.

— It should promote tourism products that provide accommo-
dation near a variety of tourist attractions. Tourist accom-
modation is one of the investments which bring stability to
the tourism sector and create additional
local business.
Hotels and other forms of temporary accommodation are
to be preferred to residential tourism, so as to guarantee
long-term viability.

6.7
Besides this basically unpromising situation, there are
many different obstacles to the tourism alternative that areas in
decline must face:

— It should develop according to criteria of economic, social
and environmental sustainability, so that this activity brings
about the creation of many businesses and therefore jobs or
self-employment.

— Financially, a lack of capital to create products and tourism

infrastructures.

— Culturally, the local population do not normally have the

skills needed to work in the tourist services sector.

— It should create a competitive and diversified business envir-
onment so that changing market conditions, the globalisa-
tion of economic activity and relocation do not affect the
area in the future.

— With regard to accessibility and mobility, potential tourists
must be able to arrive safely to the created or promoted
tourist attractions.

— It should foster, through vocational training, quality in all
in customer service, working conditions and

its forms:
respect for the natural world.

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— It should form links with other, similar destinations in
order to create networks that strengthen the promotion of
all their products, brands or destinations.

— It should offer innovative products and services. The exten-
sive and thorough incorporation of
information and
communication technologies (ICTs) will undoubtedly be an
important factor in competitiveness. The use of the internet
by large, medium and,
in particular, small tourism busi-
nesses is an essential tool for promoting their products and
positioning themselves on the market.

— It should guarantee the rights of

the consumer since
tourism cuts across a wide range of sectors and the busi-
nesses involved are usually small.

6.10
Clearly, the tourism products chosen in each area will
vary according to multiple factors and it is difficult to identify
which is ideal in each case, but as an example it is worth citing
some activities that are directly or indirectly linked to tourism
and can create an alternative tourist area: agri-tourism and
rural tourism, complemented by craft industries, the production
and sale of local food products, industrial tourism (for which
we have described some examples of good practice), health
tourism and cultural tourism. Institutional support for rural
tourism is essential for its long-term viability.

6.11
The types of businesses developing tourism products
and activities in areas in decline are no different to other
tourism businesses, but the following should be noted:

— Self-employment, which has been an effective form of
defence against industrial crises and which in a situation
where new activities are being created can provide business
solutions geared to the most entrepreneurial young people.
In the case of rural tourism, self-employment and family
employment are more common than in other sectors.

— Cooperatives (workers groups, producers, consumers, advi-
sory, etc.) which are responsible for accommodation (small
tourist services or
lodges), different
hostels, campsites,
travel
creating and
working within a network is an important added benefit
that different countries, such as Italy through Legacoop,
have used to boost the number of cooperatives in the
tourist sector.

arrangements. The possibility of

— Collective bargaining agreements would have to take
account of the particular situation of micro-enterprises so
as to ensure quality of employment and meet their diverse,
variable and complex needs.

— The organisations that manage social

tourism in many
countries can collaborate very effectively to make tourism
an alternative for areas in economic decline. The number of

tourists that they manage annually can be an incentive for
establishing tourist itineraries and products in these areas.
The experience of BITS (International Bureau of Social
Tourism), for example in the holiday resort of Liguerre de
Cinca in Spain, which brings a great economic boost to the
region,
is very valuable. Furthermore, various holiday
resorts in Portugal managed by INATEL provide substantial
economic activity for the whole region.

is vitally important;

6.12
In order to ensure the viability of tourism businesses
set up as alternatives in areas in decline, the creation of diverse
and complementary activities, capable of combining for a
common goal,
this would develop an
authentic ‘tourism alliance’ in which each business should see
itself as part of an overall tourist product. Thus, the alliance of
gastronomy, culture, nature, accommodation and, in short, all
those economic activities aimed at attracting tourists, whether
public or private, must be coordinated. This type of alliance,
that is sometimes, although not always, used in traditional
tourism, is invaluable in the case of new developments in areas
in decline, because of the extremely difficult and precarious
situation for businesses in such areas. The idea of the ‘tourist
circuit’, involving a whole range of businesses, is one way of
putting such an alliance into practice. At all events, cooperation
between businesses should be encouraged by all economic and
social operators.

7. Final comments

The socio-economic recovery of European areas

7.1
in
decline is an important and difficult challenge for public institu-
tions at all levels, socio-economic players and citizens, but it is
a challenge that cannot be ignored if we are to avoid aban-
doning some regions to depopulation and their local commu-
nities to poverty or migration. The tourism alternative is only
its capacity to
one of the possibilities, but its added value,
the preferred
create jobs and its future prospects make it
choice.

7.2
In fact, both European policies and the documents
drawn up by the institutions emphasise this: the European
Commission, the Parliament and the European Economic and
Social Committee encourage and promote this alternative, but
financial support from the Structural Funds for initiatives in
this field are still insufficient and are increasingly difficult to
use as instruments of economic regeneration. It is proposed
the Commission undertake a pilot project, based on
that
successful experiences, to study better ways of using the Struc-
tural Funds for the promotion of tourism in areas in socio-
economic decline.

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7.3
Other institutions such as the World Tourism Organisa-
tion (WTO) and the International Bureau of Social Tourism
(BITS) are carrying out initiatives of great strategic value in that
they strengthen and foster promotion and communication
networks, which are vital to the viability of tourism projects in
areas in decline.

7.4 Within Member States, coordination of
initiatives at
different levels of administration — national, regional and local
— should be stepped up. Tourism observatories, which analyse
the sector's possibilities and propose different
integrated
tourism development
strategies and policies, are effective
instruments for analysis and action.

7.5
The EESC, through various opinions relating to tourism,
is promoting European policies focused on the creation of a
European tourism model, not necessarily based on regulations
but on values and principles of sustainability, environmental

protection, quality of services, products and employment,
consumer safety, public-private cooperation, accessibility for all
and promotion of local heritage, cultural and other values to
ensure that tourism in Europe and all countries respects and is
underpinned by the principles of short, medium and long-term
sustainability. This opinion is an addition to this strategic and
policy-oriented body of work and assesses the positive contri-
bution of tourism to the socio-economic recovery of areas in
decline as a basic element of the European tourism model.

8.
The European Economic and Social Committee will
publish and distribute this opinion, which will be the EESC's
contribution, entitled ‘The Córdoba declaration on the contribution
of tourism to the socio-economic recovery of areas in decline’, to the
European Tourism Forum 2005, to be held in Malta in October
2005.

Brussels, 28 September 2005

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND