Project: Sustainable Management in the Tourism Sector (Invent) |
Project Team
(ISOE):
Project-Head:
Project and
Cooperation Partners:
Funding:
Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
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Research Area:
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What's the key to success when it comes to sustainable travel offers? How
can a greater proportion of holiday-makers be encouraged to take holidays
that fulfil the criteria of sustainability? Can mass tourism be reconciled
with the criteria of sustainability? In collaboration with the scientific
disciplines 'environmental sciences', 'tourism management', 'social
research' and 'market research', the "Invent" project developed innovative
travel offers that correspond to the criteria of sustainability. Some such
offers do indeed already exist today but cater for the niche markets
comprised of ecologically committed and interested consumers. The research
partners were therefore particularly keen to see holiday offers planned for
the segments of the mass market. The project stands under the auspices of
Sustainable Economic Management as a focal area of sponsorship by the
Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
For this project, the lifestyle-related social research of ISOE served the function of identifying target groups for whom the offers described above represent a conceivable option. The subsequent aim was to examine the readiness of selected target groups to alter their holiday behaviour along the lines of sustainability, and to assess their acceptance of concrete travel offers. The results of the quantitative and qualitative empirics initially formed the basis on which to draw up a marketing concept and position the new offers but may also be transferred to other areas of consumption. Having secured as a partner the pivotal trade association in the tourist business, the German Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association (DRV), it will also be possible to have recourse to the Association's data and to compare the sociological findings of ISOE with the market research data of the travel industry. The target group model which was developed by ISOE is available in German. The Chair of Tourism Management of the University of Lüneburg has used its know-how to help optimise the chances of economic success of the said offers and establish the sustainability objectives as an explicit component of the marketing strategy. One of the main tasks facing the project partners Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Reise & Touristik) and AMEROPA was to make sure for the entire duration of the project that the planned offers are actually marketable. The Eco-Institute of Freiburg, which had overall charge of the project management, had assessed the measures with regard to their effects on the environment. The holiday package as a whole played a role here – from the outward journey through the stay itself, including accommodation and holiday activities, down to the home journey. The project presented its results at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin (ITB Berlin) in 2005. The press folder with project material is available in German for download. (pdf-file, 2 MB) The final project results were presented on 27th/28th September in Brussels where there were discussed with stakeholders from policy, industry and science, who are engaged in the implementation of sustainable tourism. The proceedings of the Brussels conference “Beyond the Eco-Niche: Mainstreaming Sustainable Tourism” you can download at http://www.invent-tourismus.de/_daten/texte/konferenz.html Further information on the project you will find on the project-website (German) under http://www.invent-tourism.de and in the project flyer (German). |
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