An autumn featuring meetings and dialogue centred on the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) is a management tool – a kind of certification path that enables protected areas to develop sustainable tourism practices. Obtaining or maintaining it requires the collaboration of all public and private stakeholders willing to act within a shared tourism strategy.
A process that began in 2015
The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park received its first ECST in December 2015. Since then, the ideas of the involved operators, along with the Park’s sustainable tourism projects, have been gathered together in a five-year Action Plan.
In 2019, a new process began for the renewal of the ECST, which was officially awarded for the 2020–2024 period by the Europarc Federation in a ceremony held in Brussels. The current goal is now to confirm this important recognition for the third time, following the usual principles: prioritizing conservation, contributing to sustainable development, involving all stakeholders, planning tourism effectively, and pursuing continuous improvement.
Open dialogue
2025 represents, therefore, an important moment for reflecting on the first ten years of the Charter, in preparation for the 2026–2030 five-year period. The meeting program began in September with an initial forum in Sedico, marking the start of the ECST renewal process. During October, it has already been possible to carry out the first round of local working-group meetings in Feltre, Belluno and Agordo, while additional dates have been planned for November and December.
The second round will include the following meetings:
- Monday 3 November at 4 p.m. – “Don Tamis” hall, Agordo;
- Tuesday 4 November at 10 a.m. – Park’s Nature Museum, Piazza Piloni, Belluno;
- Tuesday 4 November at 4 p.m. – Sala Consiliare hall of Unione Montana Feltrina, Feltre.
And the third round will be as follows:
- Tuesday 2 December at 4 p.m. – Sala Consiliare hall of Unione Montana Feltrina, Feltre;
- Wednesday 3 December at 10 a.m. – Park’s Nature Museum, Piazza Piloni, Belluno;
- Wednesday 3 December at 4pm – “Don Tamis” hall, Agordo.