support INsular and low-density areas in the transition towards a more
CIRCuLar tourism Economy
Replication of INCIRCLE methodology for the development of a Circular Tourism Strategy – The experience of Attica Islands’ Regional Unit Technical Partner for Region of Attica CIVINET Greece-Cyprus
Presentation : Maria Kalantzopoulou CIVINET Greece-Cyprus Partner Technical Consultant for INCIRCLE Project INCIRCLE Study Visit – May 2022, Rethymno Session, May 24th
INCIRCLE project
Region of Attica – Greece Attica Islands’ Regional Unit An Introduction
Attica Islands’ Regional Unit in the Region of Attica, Greece
Region of Attica, consists of 8 Regional Units. Area : 3.808,10 sq km Population (2011) : 3.828.434 Density : 1000/sq km Among the Regional Units, density varies from : 12.000/sq km in Central Athens’ Regional Unit or 8900/sq km in Piraeus’ Regional Unit (the most densely populated areas of the country) to 83/sq km in Islands’ Regional Unit
Attica Islands’ Regional Unit in the Region of Attica, Greece Attica Islands’ Regional Unit consists of 8 Municipalities: Aegina, Agkistri, Hydra, Kythera & Antikythera, Poros, Salamina, Spetses and the coastal area of Troizinia – Methana
Area : 879.6 sq km Population (2011) : 74.651 Density : 83/sq km By order of Density, insularity rate can be detected: Salamina: 390/sq km in Saronic Gulf, next to Piraeus Aegina: 150/sq km in Saronic Gulf Spetses: 150/sq km in Argolic Gulf Agkistri : 85/sq km in Saronic Gulf Poros : 81/sq km next to the mainland of Troizinia – Methana Troizinia – Methana and Hydra : 30-31/sq km Kythera : 14/sq km, in Myrtoon Sea
Tourism stands for a substantial percentage of activity in the territory : 48% of GDP in 2018 for the Region. The Islands’ Regional Unit represents 23% of the Region’s area and 1,9% of its population, yet it hosts: - 12% of hotel facilities, - 76% of rent-rooms facilities, - 60% of furnished apartments, - 11% of camping sites. It still functions mostly as a summer destination – much more so than the RoA where the relation between January (least overnight stays) and July (peak) corresponds to an increase of 155%. It lies next to International Airport of Athens and the most important port of the country, Piraeus. Connection within the territory are served by: - 8 ports for the transport to/from Piraeus as well as to the closest mainland, - 1 national airport (in Kythera)
Due to • insularity, • the variety of their characteristics and • lack of connections between them the 8 municipalities do not function as one regional unit from the perspective of tourism. Also for visitors, the insular regional unit does not function as a distinct complement of the metropolitan area
*the majority of tourists arriving to Attica might not even being aware of the existence of an insular section of the region
The islands closer to Athens or to the coast serve as secondary summer housing base for the people of metropolitan area and enjoy a “weekend” tourism to a great extend, whilst the more remote areas enjoy more another form of tourism, more sophisticated and related to their “remote”, “better preserved” character as destinations.
Seasonal pressures from activities of the tourism sector affect all Circular Economy Pillars. More importantly: • Increased waste production and the difficulties of waste management due to insularity and lack of local resources • Increased pressure on water resources that undermines also the quality of water supply • Increased pressure for energy consumption that has to be met via an old energy supply network • Environmental adverse effects mainly due to waste production and un-sustainable mobility.
Seasonal pressures on all Circular Economy Pillars: Mobility management : - Particularities in sustainable mobility management that should be retained and capitalized, e.g. car-free islands or zones, sea transport, hiking tourism etc. - Public transport service is poor as an alternative both for locals and tourists, - Pressure on parking surface and for accessibility for all mainly during high season cannot be met. - Municipalities and the Region of Attica are expected to develop Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans in the near future. Energy management: - Mostly electric power coming from the mainland. - Renewable Sources supply energy in the national mixture at a 45% rate - Supply networks are old – problems in electricity supply in high season - Landscape inadequate for large industrial RES plants
Seasonal pressures on all Circular Economy Pillars: Waste management: - Lack of resources (local staff and local disposal sites) do not allow for proper management and separate waste collection etc. - Still low recycling rates (5-7%) - Unsustainable management (great financial and environmental cost) through transportation by ships and trucks to the mainland’s main landfill (in Fyli) Water resources management: - Not sufficient water reserves (boreholes, desalination plants) for the seasonal demand in most islands (water tank ships carry water in the summer in some areas) - Two islands are now serviced via sub-sea pipeline by “EYDAP” - Water supply network is old and there are estimates for water losses of around 40%. - 100% of the population has access to water supply whilst only 45% to wastewater treatment
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit Working Team of the Region and Stakeholders’ Working Group
Main steps towards the engagement of stakeholders and the development of the INCIRCLE Strategy • Introductory Meeting with Mayors of all Municipalities – Dec 18th 2021 • Establishment by the Region of Attica of a Working Team among all relevant Directorates of the Region and the Technical Partner – Jan 20th 2022 • Call towards the Municipalities for the appointment of representatives – contact persons • Identification of stakeholders from Regional and Local Authorities, the Private Sector especially in Tourism (chambers and collectivities), the civic society (NGOs active in sustainable practices in the territory), academia etc
Main steps towards the engagement of stakeholders and the development of the INCIRCLE Strategy • 1st SWG meeting on February 17th : large participation i.e. 30 people from the RoA (the Governor of RoA and the Vice Governor for the territory opened the discussion), from most local authorities, tourism sector unions, NGOs, university and research institutes, and experts. In the 1st meeting the project was introduced and all participants worked on the Sant’ Anna Questionnaire in order to identify bottlenecks and challenges in the perspective of a circular transition of the tourism sector in the territory • Submission of the data Check List by Feb 25th, and finally on March 4th. • Enlargement of the Technical Partner’s working group with experts on all pillars – March 11th • Collaboration and meetings with the most engaged among the stakeholders, especially the ones representing the local level
Main steps towards the engagement of stakeholders and the development of the INCIRCLE Strategy • 2nd SWG meeting on March 29th : large participation i.e. 25 people from the RoA, from some local authorities, tourism sector unions, NGOs, university and research institutes, and experts. In the 2nd meeting the results of the circular assessment and the collective identification of bottlenecks and challenges has been presented by the Technical Consultant and then a workshop on the identification of strategic objectives that correspond to the challenges and opportunities identified, followed in two groups of random mixture facilitated by the experts of the Technical Partner. • 3d SWG meeting on May 5th : large participation i.e. 25 people, more or less the people engaged in the 2nd meeting. In thee 3d meeting measures for the achievement of the strategic objectives have been presented in a workshop organized in two groups of random mixture facilitated by the experts of the Technical Partner. • Finalization of the Measures’ List on behalf of the joint Working Team of the Region and the Technical Partner
Main points to be raised based on the SWG experience • There is no extensive consultation experience, so the proposed techniques and tools had to be used in a minimal and simplified way to correspond to the stakeholders’ disposition • The viewpoint of the project was that of the Region, yet most of the authority, data collection and knowledge of the matter lies with the local authorities and the local stakeholders. • Data collection proved really difficult, even more so at the level of the territory, i.e. the sub-regional. • Not all local authorities got engaged each by each, but as a collective (the Network of Attica Islands’ Municipalities) they followed the process from the beginning and provided useful data and information.
Main points to be raised based on the SWG experience • Local authorities seemingly did not attend all through the project mainly due to lack of resources to “bother” with “another project” • On the other hand, most of them try to or do engage in more sustainable/circular practices, ask for help or funds, particularly in the areas of mobility, recycling, water supply. • The authorities that did engage with the project are not necessarily the most active but they seem to trust more in the pursuit of the strategy in the future with the assistance of RoA.
Main points to be raised based on the SWG experience • The tailor – made activity in Aegina Island (May 13th – 15th) proved a very good opportunity for local stakeholders to meet in person, exchange views and practices and establish contact for cooperation and coordination of their activities in the future. • The timing of the activity soon after the finalization of the INCIRCLE strategy provided a very broad basis for discussion as well as for the highlighting of the synergistic approach between sectors, stakeholders, and all circular pillars.
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit Bottlenecks and Challenges / Opportunities identified by the SWG
BOTTLENECKS
Lack of adequate financial incentives, and funding tools for the transition towards new circular business models Lack of awareness in the public servants, businesses and citizens Difficulty in establishing collaboration between various authorities and the private sector on circular issues and policies Lack of long-term circular strategies from both the public and private sector
Lack of reliable data and tools for monitoring progress
Presence of legal obstacles and bureaucratic slowness,
Lack of police enforcement, especially on environmental aspects
Challenges / Opportunities
Saving energy and reducing raw materials, energy dependency, and the ecological footprint Reducing the cost of inaction mid- and long-term and the impacts on the natural environment, the cultural heritage and biodiversity Allowing for mutually beneficial collaboration and consistent commitment of stakeholders for the creation and realization of a commonly owned circular strategy Perspective for the adoption of a common policy framework and a robust system of data collection and monitoring Increasing the tourism sector resilience in case of shocks and disruptive events through environmental management practices
Challenges / Opportunities
Increasing the level of specific know-how of all actors operating within the tourism destination, thus raising awareness in the local society Providing competitive advantage by entering into new markets, by attracting new funding opportunities and by improving the fame and image of the destination and addressing new visitors’ target groups that are also willing to pay for circular products and services in a well managed and protected environment in the tourism destination Optimizing logistics and supply chain through the adoption of new technologies and adopting new business models in approaching tourism in a more circular and sustainable way Raising awareness about sustainability, circularity and environmental issues (e.g. climate change) of both locals and visitors through the engagement in circular practices and activities
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit The Development of the Strategy: Objectives and Measures
Objectives and Measures They correspond to the 4 pillars + 1 for Horizontal activities They all serve 2 main principles: • Saving resources both through reductions in their consumption where applicable and through circular management practices • Reducing ecological footprint and emissions of all sorts (pollutants, greenhouse gases, noise) from the tourism sector activities
Sustainable / Circular Mobility Objectives •
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility
•
Accessibility for all, especially those with reduced mobility
•
Improvement of road safety & protection of public health
•
Regeneration of public space and improvement of natural environment
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility
• Elaboration of SUMP, UAP, Electrical Vehicle Charging plans
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility
•
Development of Soft Mobility Networks prioritizing the most touristic areas
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility
•
Development of a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) scheme based on a dense network of green mobility hubs
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility
•
Development of a smart mobile application providing real-time information on itineraries and arrival time of public transport
Encouraging sustainable, active and smart mobility • Economic and/or fiscal instruments favouring the use of electric vehicles of small size and engine capacity
Accessibility for all, especially those with reduced mobility
• Modernization and enlargement of Public
Transport vehicle fleet with cleaner and smaller vehicles, adequate for PRM
Accessibility for all, especially those with reduced mobility
• •
Development of PRM accessibility infrastructure, especially within the major settlements Legislation framework adaptation for flexible on demand Public Transport schemes and policies against transport poverty and spatial segregation of particular social groups and areas
Improvement of road safety & protection of public health
•
Establishment of motorized vehicle access and parking regulations in the areas that receive the greatest demand (UVAR)
Improvement of road safety & protection of public health
•
Establishment of a 30 km/h speed limit everywhere via road signs and adequate street redesign, primarily in areas of sever road accidents and soft mobility networks
Regeneration of public space and improvement of natural environment • Development of an off-street Parking Spaces’ Network in • •
the periphery of island settlements Redistribution of public road space in the island settlements in favour of sustainable mobility and green spaces Development of smart car-pooling scheme for residents and visitors
Energy efficiency Objectives •
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Enhance energy sufficiency through local RES energy production
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Reduce energy poverty
•
Establish energy communities
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Development and implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP)
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Incentives for saving energy and reducing CO2 in tourism sector (restaurants, hospitality, transportation etc)
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Energy retrofitting of municipal buildings, facilities and infrastructures
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Promotion of e-mobility / sustainable mobility and necessary infrastructures for tourism businesses
Support the Green energy transition and the modern energy services provision
•
Electricity distribution/transmission networks’ upgrade and provision of “smart grid” services
Enhance energy sufficiency through local energy production
•
Promotion of small scale RES projects for electricity and heat production
Enhance energy sufficiency through local energy production
•
Reuse of fried oil and organic waste (produced by the tourism industry) to produce biofuels
Reduce energy poverty
• •
Incentives to support energy poor households Establishment of Municipal energy poverty offices for tackling energy poverty
Establish energy communities
• •
Setup of Energy Communities by local authorities, for net-metering the municipal electricity consumption and promoting related activities Creation of Energy Communities by the citizens
Waste management Objectives •
Reduce the amount of waste generated
•
Increase Reuse, Recycling, Separate Collection and Recovery of MSW
•
Improve the waste management system and develop an integrated waste management plan
Reduce the amount of waste generated
• •
Prohibition or minimization of the use of certain types of plastics Prohibition of use of disposable plastics for residents, public and municipal authorities and tourism enterprises
Increase Reuse, Recycling, Separate Collection and Recovery of MSW
•
Increase home and community composting for on-site treatment of urban organic waste
Increase Reuse, Recycling, Separate Collection and Recovery of MSW
•
Increase Reuse through the creation of Mobile Reusing Centers (for furniture, home appliances, clothes, shoes, seasonal items related to tourism e.g. towels, sunscreen, beach masks, sunbeds, etc)
Increase Reuse, Recycling, Separate Collection and Recovery of MSW • Enhance Separate Collection and Recycling Rates
(focused on municipal waste, packaging materials, establishment of recycling corners and green points to improve separation of collection streams)
Improve the waste management system and develop an integrated waste management plan • Replace rubbish bins with zero waste stations
Improve the waste management system and develop an integrated waste management plan • Collection of marine debris and development of
appropriate infrastructure for the management of waste generated from sea-based activities
Improve the waste management system and develop an integrated waste management plan
• •
Access to economic instruments in order to improve waste management and reduce the operating costs Contract establishment with alternative recycling and management systems
Water management Objectives •
Water savings and implementation of CE practices
•
Optimization of water service
•
Ensuring adequate quality of drinking water
•
Protection of the environment through the use of CE practices
Water savings and implementation of CE practices
•
Reuse of recycled water from WWTPs for washing of surfaces or irrigation purposes
Water savings and implementation of CE practices
•
Construction of small stone dams – stepped weirs for the retention of stormwater flow in the streambed
Water savings and implementation of CE practices
•
Construction of cisterns in public and private buildings and hotels for the coverage of water needs of the building
Water savings and implementation of CE practices
•
Installation of telemetry in the water supply network in order to reduce losses
Optimization of water service
• •
Elaboration and implementation of Water Resources Management Master Plan and adoption of technical specifications at municipal or regional level Upgrade of the infrastructure and operation of existing water supply networks
Ensuring adequate quality of drinking water
•
Elaboration and implementation of Water Safety Plans in each municipality
Protection of the environment through the use of CE practices
•
Construction of Wastewater Treatment Plants which use the brine produced locally from small desalination plants in small / isolated settlements
Horizontal objectives
• Raising awareness, sharing information, training, encouraging participation
• Data recording and processing for Circular Transition monitoring
Raising awareness, sharing information, training, encouraging participation
•
Supporting raising awareness campaigns, training and participation for the transition towards a more circular and sustainable model of local and touristic development
Raising awareness, sharing information, training, encouraging participation
•
Establishment of a “circular card” offering points of reward for the contribution in circular practices for all pillars of circularity
Raising awareness, sharing information, training, encouraging participation
• • •
Establishment of participatory processes in decision making on all circular tourism policies Implementation of Green Public Procurements’ processes at the municipal and regional level Development of a Circular Management System for all public events
Data recording and processing for Circular transition monitoring
•
Establishment of a data recording and monitoring system for the transition towards Circular Tourism at the regional level
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit Tailor made activity in Aegina Island May 13th – 15th
The event has been organized by : CIVINET Greece-Cyprus – Municipality of Aegina – Network of Attica Islands Municipalities – Attica Cyclists Community – Kytherean Institute of Culture – ECHO Greece and Katheti (NGOs for sustainable tourism in the areas of Poros and Troizinia – Methana) under the auspice of the Region of Attica It took place in coordination with a weekly activity concerning restoration of hiking trails, organized by Active Citizens of Aegina and Trace your Eco.
Main activities • The presentation of INCIRCLE strategy and the live discussion with the public and the stakeholders • The presentations of circular or sustainable activities mainly concerning mobility by the co-organizers and the exchange of views and information between them
• A leisure activity (hiking and swimming) in Moni islet next to Aegina • Cycling of 10 km, from Perdika to Aegina, along the coastline in a corridor ideal for cycling and walking • Hiking in one of Aegina’s traditional trails in the area of Marathonas
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit prospects, ideas and plans for the future
In the context of the future implementation of INCIRCLE strategy opportunities arise for : • Establishment of a permanent working group between all stakeholders involved for the monitoring and implementation of the strategy • Appropriate data collection and processing, that will be useful for all policy design or monitoring • Monitoring and improving all policies from a “circular” point of view • Securing funds towards circular transition in the context of the approved strategy • Elaboration of Regional or Local Action Plans for the implementation of the Strategy • Awareness campaigns highlighting the fragility of Attica islands resources, ecosystems, and sustainability and the necessity and feasibility of circular transition primarily in the tourism sector • Innovative branding of the territory as one moving consistently towards a circular economy model through the gradual implementation of the strategy
Thank you for your attention! Maria Kalantzopoulou
CIVINET Greece-Cyprus Partner Technical Consultant for INCIRCLE Project Civil Engineer – Transport Planner Meng, Urban and Regional Planner MSc E-mail: mkal.civinet@gmail.com
CIVINET Greece – Cyprus Network https://blog.civinet.gr/
INCIRCLE project Attica Islands’ Regional Unit P.S. A visual overview
Aegina Island
Agkistri Island
Hydra Island
Kythera & Antikythera Islands
Poros Island
Salamina Island
Spetses Island
Troizinia – Methana