ECOTOURISM TRAINING CONCEPT Project nr: ES1-LEO _8

Transcription

1 ECOTOURISM TRAINING CONCEPT Project nr: ES1-LEO _8 FIRST YEAR REPORT Kick-off meeting 1,2 and 3 October 2012 Astrikas, Chania, Crete, Greece BIOLEA ASTRIKAS ESTATE Kick-off meeting location

2 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Selby College, Abbot's Road, Selby, UK Mr. Ian Thomson Ms. Ashley Geary Ms. Kim Nightingale Ms. Yasmin Atton Ms. Bronwen Barr Ms. Megan Carine Rayko Tconchev Tourism and Entrepreneurship school. BULGARIA Mrs.Mariyana Todorova Mrs. Svetla Ivanova Vlaams verbond van het katholiek secundair onderwijs (VVKSO) BELGIOUM Mr. Erik De Bou Mr. Patric Noelanders IES Monastil School. SPAIN Mrs. Ana Esteve Lopez Mrs. Saturnina Ruede Egido Tenimenti Fanini s.a.s. ITALY Mr. Marco Fornaciari da Passano Mrs Francesca Fanini

3 I. PRACTICAL AGREEMENT Turkey was absent from all communications between partners and was absent from the kick off meeting. It is assumed that said partner does not wish to continue with this partnership. The partnership will continue without the Turkish participation. It was decided by the participants that the second meeting will take place on October 25 th of March 2013 in the UK and will be organized by Selby College. Contact person Mr. Ian Thomson. It was decided that the third meeting will take place on the 16 th of May 2013 in Bulgaria and will be organized by Rayko Tconhev school. Contact person Mariyana Todorova. It was decided that the fourth meeting will take place on October 3 rd 2013 in Italy and will be organized by Teinimenti Fanini s.a.s. Contact person Mr. Marco Fornaciari da Passno. A budget of 130 euro per person was set as a maximum limit for organizational expenses that participants shall contribute towards common organizational expenses to the organizer of each subsequent meeting. Such organizational expenses shall cover all cost incurred during the official dates of the meeting including various fees, transportation, and scheduled meals. Hotel charges should be arranged and agreed upon by each participant prior to each meeting. It was decided that a website shall be designed and constructed for the project. Selby College was appointed to proceed accordingly. Contact person Mr. Ian Thomson. It was decided that a logo should be designed for the project. It was proposed that students from the educational facilities of the partner countries should design the logo, possibly through a friendly competition. It was also proposed that an ecotourism questionnaire response form should be designed for eco tourists visiting partner s establishments. The data collected during the life of the program will be very important to understand how visitors see eco-tourism and resolve important questions concerning the subject of the project.

4 II. DIRECTION OF THE PROJECT The main objective of the project and its participants is to form a common understanding of the concept of ECO TOURISM. Each partner will present what eco tourism is considered to mean in his/her region presenting functioning enterprises / activities as case studies. The project inspires to collect sufficient knowledge in order to form a common and useful conclusion and decide the best way in which it can be incorporated into education. The Crete kick-off meeting was successful (was rated excellent by most of the partners) in presenting ECO TOURISM in Western Crete. Speakers presented functional ecotouristic activities on the islandof Crete and the scheduled visits created valuable case studies. This meeting brought to the surface important issues concerning ecotourism, which will be addressed throughout the program. Kick-off meeting 2 nd of October 2012

5 III. REPORT OF THE MEETING EVENTS October 2 nd, 2012 The program was followed without changes. G. Dimitriadis of Biolea, welcomes the participants and introduces the Mayor of Platanias, Mr. Ioannis Malandrakis, who presented the local government s outlook for ecotourism.

6 Mr. Antonis Dourakis, from Dourakis winery, presents the activities of the Roads of Wine of Western Crete network. Mr. Dimitris Kalaitzidakis, Gen. Director of operations for Grecotel A.S., presents the Agreco Farm ecotouristic concept.

7 Mr. Petros Marinakis, Gen. Director of Botanical Park, presents the park s activities and its philosophy of operation. Ms. Sharon Jackson, MSc, Director of European Sustainability Academy presents the academy s scope.

8 Ms. Chloe Dimitriadis, marketing / promotion manager, presents Biolea. Olive oil tasting and appreciation during lunch break in Astrikas village. The traditional Cretan dishes served were prepared with organic and local ingredients. Visit to Dourakis Winery

9 Agreco farm, at the flourmill making bread.

10 October 3 rd, Partner s presentations. Selby College. UK Rayko Tconchev Tourism and Entrepreneurship school, Bulgaria Tenimenti Fanini s.a.s. ITALY Vlaams verbond van het katholiek secundair onderwijs (VVKSO), BELGIUM IES Monastil school. Spain

11 Visit to the mountain retreat, Milia. Welcome by Mr. Tasos Gourgouras, Gen Director / partner. The Milia dinner, prepared with locally grown organic products.

12 Mr. Gourgouras presenting the operating principles of Milia. Departing from Milia mountain retreat.

13 IV CONCLUDING REMARKS On the whole, the Crete kick-off meeting was a great starting point for the Ecotourism Training Concept project. The partners were able to discuss and debate the definition of, and issues surrounding, ecotourism and set goals for future meetings. Perhaps the most important lesson of this meeting was the necessity for a common language between European countries and educational facilities in order to disseminate homogenized information regarding ecotourism.