Destination in Balance
The Dutch province of South Holland aims for a healthy, social, and sustainable living environment where living, working, and recreation reinforce each other in the pursuit of broad prosperity for its residents. Leisure activities contribute to the well-being and health of South Hollanders, with tourism supporting economic resilience and providing amenities that also benefit residents. On the other hand, leisure and tourism can exert pressure on the environment and amenities, leading to overcrowding and nuisance. Therefore, the province of South Holland is seeking an optimal level of leisure and tourism where the benefits and burdens are balanced.
Objective
The goal of the research is to establish effective and efficient monitoring of destinations in balance, both now and in the future. This involves developing balance indicators, identifying the necessary data, determining standard values, and tailoring these to specific locations, scales, and stakeholders. Additionally, a decision-making framework will be developed, and insights will be gained into potential courses of action.
Approach
The project is divided into three phases. In the first phase, based on existing (academic) literature and practice reports, a long list of relevant balance indicators will be compiled. These indicators signal where and when bottlenecks arise but also highlight untapped potential. Based on the specific situation in the destinations in South Holland, this list will be narrowed down to a concise list of the most relevant indicators. In the second phase, the availability of existing quantitative data concerning the balance indicators in relation to the balance standards will be investigated, both generally for the province and specifically for destinations within the province. This data will be incorporated into a decision-making framework to be developed. In thethird phase, the developed decision-making framework will be applied in practice to three destinations and discussed in balance tables.
Partners
- Erasmus UPT
- CELTH
- Bureau voor Ruimte en Vrije Tijd
- Bureau BUITEN
Project Team
- Jeroen van Haaren (Erasmus UPT)
- Jeroen Klijs (Breda University of Applied Sciences)
- Diana Korteweg Maris (HZ Kenniscentrum Kusttoerisme)
- Stefan Hartman (NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences)
- Anneke van Mispelaar (Bureau BUITEN)
- Tinco Lycklama (Bureau voor Ruimte en Vrije Tijd)
Timeline
April 2024 – April 2025
Status
Ongoing.