STouW logo rid

Tarka Trail-North Devon Biosphere (6)

Hi Everybody! I would like just let you know what I am doing in North Devon, more or less what means to me be a tourism consultant of an area like this one.

Today I discuss it with my boss, and we found interesting things to do. I proposed many things, and after the discussion, we agree about what to do! Below the complete list, I suggested.

North Devon Sustainable Tourism suggestions
Sustainable Tourism projects to help promote and develop a more sustainable way to do tourism

Promotion
– Create a database with all the sustainable tourism offer

– Make a change into the North Devon Biosphere Reserve website; it should be divided into sectors: one part more professional with project details etc.;

one section more touristic with information about ecotourism and link to other tourist websites; and one chapter dedicated to the local community and insert a page for news and events but with a blog that is possible to use also for all the social network.

– Increase social network use ( I am looking for a free of charge program which could help) and also try to be more active and try to involve more people maybe creating a youtube account, Flickr account, Pinterest.

– Think if can be useful insert some more eco-activities into the greentraveller.co.uk and other websites. Because into green traveller website are already their articles from their blog about the Tarka Trail and the Lundy island but there is any holiday offer to do that, can some travel agents try to propose it? Are they willing to promote the area where they live?

– About sustainable businesses, why don’t involve them with a questionnaire about their opinion of sustainability and biosphere reserve.? The right time to ask them probably would be after the middle of September till the first week of October. This is a double gain: involved and promote the biosphere aim to the businesses at the same time.

Things to do, to organise or to support by the Biosphere team how the biosphere team can promote the Biosphere, involve the local community (for example volunteers), businesses and involving tourists as well.

– To include local producers, why don’t organise “degustazioni” or in English “thematic Food taste”. I suggest, for example, different kinds of cheese, mushrooms, meat, jam or beers (I’d love to taste these last two). Furthermore, it could be excellent organise some course of traditional Devon cuisine or dessert specialities. Something is possible to learn in a couple of days to allow tourists attending it.

– To involve local artists, why don’t organise as a partner, a commemoration of the past local history? And let the past became alive again for this special occasion maybe it is possible to ask grandparents to help us with memories etc. Do you promote or are you the partner of some artist studio, network, associations etc.? Why don’t organise an exhibition or be part of one already done as an artist of North Devon biosphere?

Tourism development (more difficult and long projects to develop)

– Is or was North Devon area a location for movies or books? Is there any film commission? If not, why don’t also try this path, if yes why don’t think about a partnership?

Ecomuseum: what is ecomuseum (see page “Ecomuseum introduction“)? The biosphere reserve can promote it and be a significant part of it, the coordinator, for example.

Albergo Diffuso: what is the Albergo Diffuso (see the last article about AD I published: “Québec and Albergo Diffuso” where the AD is very well presented). The Biosphere Reserve can promote it, be part of the partnership who work to develop the tourism program or could be the coordinator and also can help the owners with the building renovations. For example, the biosphere team should suggest what kind of renewable energy is better to use and which traditional materials are recommended.

– Increase signs number of signs made with natural and local content maybe can be ok ( I know this is very difficult, but it is a suggestion from also some tourists)

What am I doing? I am creating the database and start tide up the website content; I need a little bit of space to insert ecotourism offers and what’s up? or news and also I am trying to make some contact with the local community from the social network:

What’s next?? Create some thematic package to promote the areas as if we need to be part of the green traveller’s website and start the proposal for the ecomuseum project.

And also..contact local producers and artists to verify if the Biosphere team can be more involved in food festivals commemorations. Verify also if Devon cuisine courses are available even for tourists and how much involved the Biosphere is with exhibitions and local artist. Send questionnaires for businesses to understand how they feel in relation with the Biosphere, do they know, they are living in a Biosphere Area? How do they feel about that?

Next again?? Try to propose new tourism: the location of books and movies in North Devon and also new accommodation models: Albergo Diffuso.

But I know I can only start the study about Ecomuseum and Albergo Diffuso. This study can become the proposal to ask a grant and realised the project, but maybe it is possible to do something more with film locations tourism.

It’s quite interesting that every change I can make a start with the tide up and understand what is already going!

Cheers!!

Sara