WHITBY has joined up with four other European communities bordering the North Sea in a project to increase tourism.
Through the Beacon Town Forum, the Whitby area has been taking part in the project, named CREST, studying the Creation of Sustainable Tourism destinations.
During the past two years, small communities from similar remote, coastal destinations arou
nd the North Sea have shared practical experience in tackling the range of social, economic and environmental issues that affect tourism.
Forum spokesman Harry Collett said: “Through CREST we have a vision for the future of tourism in the Whitby area that will be good for residents and visitors alike.
“Now we need the involvement of the wider community to turn that vision into reality.
“If there are enough groups interested in working together, we will arrange further meetings to carry forward joint actions at a local level – actions not words.”
At the meeting in Whitby there will also be an exhibition that includes ideas and proposals for the future of the town and the area from students at Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape. The university will work with Whitby Town Council on a townscape design project during this year and next.
The two-year study examined the experiences of the five communities – Whitby, the Scottish Orkney Islands, the Danish islands of Læsø, Sweden’s Koster and Norway’s Hvaler.
The study’s main finding was that remote European coastal communities, which have experienced decline in traditional industries such as farming, fishing or oil, need to develop sustainable tourism plans to ensure that tourists visit not only during the sunny summer months but also at other times of the year.
Linda Carlsson from Sweden who led the project said: “Remote coastal communities have often relied on traditional industries for their survival. Now these industries are in decline, these towns and villages need to look at alternative means of creating jobs.
“Remote communities across the North Sea region face similar issues. What we have done is bring them together so they can learn from each other's experiences and produce a sustainable tourism action plan for use by all remote coastal communities.
“In the 21st Century when globalisation has such an effect on our everyday lives, it is important to retain our local identity and culture and create sustainable year-round tourism destinations.
The full article contains 395 words and appears in Whitby Gazette Friday newspaper.
