How to improve broad prosperity
At the request of the province of Drenthe, Recreatieschap Drenthe and Marketing Drenthe, CELTH has looked into the question of what needs to be done so that Drenthe's society benefits optimally from recreation & tourism. A concise memorandum provides guidance on how the sector can contribute to broad prosperity in terms of an attractive living environment, health, preservation of culture and social cohesion without direct economic consumption.
The immediate reason for the memorandum is that the R&T domain still has limited participation in the discussion on the (future) interpretation of the) physical space. This is a missed opportunity, as the R&T sector can play an important role as a catalyst of solutions to spatial and ecological problems, by offering opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment, housing market, quality of life and amenities in villages and cities.
Linking opportunities
The memorandum identifies no less than 14 linking opportunities where tourism and recreation can add value to broad prosperity. To cash in on these linking opportunities, a network approach is necessary but the sector must have its foundations in order. This starts with a clear story about the social value of R&T that is translated into a strategic vision with concrete goals on R&T with an implementation programme and investment plan. This basis is needed to have goals in focus in order to then link up with other policy areas in a targeted way.
Working on broad prosperity is also necessary for the R&T sector itself. All kinds of social developments will actually make people travel more. But the way people travel has to be different: sustainable, energy-neutral and circular, supporting facilities and liveability and focusing on health and prevention. All this with an eye for spatial quality that contributes to the destination. This will not happen by itself. Network cooperation is crucial here.
Relevant for destinations
The memorandum 'Improving broad prosperity' was commissioned by Drenthe stakeholders and written by experts from NHL Stenden/ETFI and Breda University of Applied Sciences. Although the point of departure concerns the Drenthe context, the memorandum (only in Dutch) is relevant to all destinations that want to work with broad prosperity.
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