Promoting Sustainable Tourism in Multi-dimensional Protected Areas

Project background

Schinias, in Marathon, Greece, is an area of international significance with unique ecological and cultural attributes that attract over 1 million visitors each year. With the newly constructed Rowing Centre for the 2004 Olympic Games and the newly formed Marathon National Park, the number of visitors and the pressure on the area’s natural resources are expected to greatly increase.

Project objectives

The overall objective of this project is to promote sustainable tourism and accessibility in the Marathon National Park, a multi-dimensional protected area with a profound historic, cultural and natural heritage. An integral part of the project is the promotion of environmental awareness and accessibility for the disabled. The long-term goal of the project is to help minimize the environmental impacts of visitors and economic activities on the National Park, thus contributing to the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Europe.To achieve this goal, this project has set the following objectives:

1. reducing the environmental impact of activities in a multi-dimensional venue with Sustainable Tourism action plans;
   
2. improving environmental performance by implementing EMAS in all Park activities;
   
3. rendering natural, cultural, historic and recreational attractions accessible to the disabled;
   
4. promoting environmental awareness and accessibility at European level;
   
5. encouraging behaviour modification for over 1 million people/year on sustainability issues.