ELENA MACCIONI

Short CV:

is a policy analyst in the field of rural development with experience on networking at European level. She joined the Contact Point of the European Network for Rural Development in 2013; since 2015 she works on the analysis of the Rural Development Programmes and now she is supporting the work of a Thematic Group on ‘Smart and Competitive Rural Businesses’

Colum Joyce

Summary of intervention:

The Connemara Programme was founded in 2012 with the purpose of helping Connemara to address the issues of recession and recovery. It focuses on the preparation of community, businesses and individuals to engage and compete in the Digital Economy using the appropriate technologies and skill sets. It has, to date. identified over 150 new business opportunities for Connemara and actively champions in socio economic activities and initiatives focused on Rural Repopulation. The Programme has digitised over 50,000 items of information on Connemara and created a photographic data set of over 100,000 up to date potos

Donatella Murtas

Short CV:

Donatella Murtas trained as an architect and environmental engineer. Based in Italy, she is a freelance consultant with a strong experience on cultural heritage, Ecomuseums, landscapes and in working with local communities in relation to these themes through participative approaches to help promote rural development. From 1999 to 2011 she has been the ideator and coordinator of the ‘Ecomuseo dei Terrazzamenti e della Vite’ in the South of Piedmont.From June 2011 she is the coordinator of the Italian Branch of the International Alliace of Terraced Landscapes. She is often invited to speak chiefessays.net at national and international seminars and conferences.

Summary of intervention:

Vitality is about life (‘vita’, in Italian), a life worth of it.

The perfect recipe for ‘worth of it’ has to be found avoiding the risk of banalization and with a new, special attention given to the everyday. We are more and more aware that we should look not for one but for many, diverse, site specific, sensitive recipes based on the widest concept of heritage and needs. Simplicity, happiness, creativity, dynamic partnerships, peer-to-peer approach, indipendence, might be some key, inspirational concepts to lead the research.

José María de Juan Alonso

Short CV:

Founder Member and Vice President of EARTH-European Alliance for Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (Brussels) – Allied with ISTO-International Social Tourism Organization. Since 2008.
Founder Member and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of INTERPRET EUROPE – European Network for Heritage Interpretation (Germany). Since 2010.
Founder Member and Member of the Board of Directors of SANNAS (Spanish Network for Sustainability Triple Balance-Common Good Economy Companies). Madrid. Since 2015.
Managing Partner of KOAN Consulting SL-International Sustainable Tourism Consultants/ Spanish Partner of Green Destinations-Quality Coast.

Core experience:

Formulation and execution of national and international projects on turism development in rural areas, nature protected areas and emerging destinations all over the world, under the philosophy of sustainable and responsible tourism.
Supported by local authoriities, national or multilateral donors, as to public-private partnerships.
Projects centered in the: deep market intelligence and the real connection with the market, accurate product development and product market matching and alignment, strategic destination branding and operational marketing based in the market intelligence and the trend research. Specialization in: builiding locala incoming structures, effective trade fair participation, connection of small rural and ecotourism businesses with the market.

Klaus Ehrlich

Short CV:

Klaus Ehrlich studied Economics – Business Administration at the University of Siegen (DE) from 1976-1983, with one year at the University of Sevilla (81/82). Co-founder and manager of several entrepreneur associations related with rural tourism (RAAR, AHRA) since 1991. From 2002 until 2010, he was President of EuroGites – European Federation of Rural Tourism, since then Secretary General. Involved in several working groups and consultative bodies at the European Commission related with tourism and rural development.

Pal Hajas

Short CV:

Born in farmer family in South Hungary in 1943. Graduated as agricultural engineer at Godollo Agricultural University, Hungary in 1968, and obtained university doctors degree in 1975, followed by candidate of science (PhD) degree in 1984. Worked always in agricultural and rural development fields, including 17 year in Hungary and 20 years professional service in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN in four continents. Since 2000 he had established a family farm in Kozard, and later he joined his wife’s team who is Mayor of Kozard village since 2002 to renew the rural village, choosing rural tourism development as a vitality challenge. He devoted two decades to demonstrate that sustainable rural development and slow tourism are major contributors to the renewal of small villages and create jobs for local people. Kozard receives 15,000 slow tourist annually including hundreds of professionals from Hungary and abroad to study their secrets. He was involved in designing and implementing of some 50 rural abd tourism development projects, including B&B facilities, award winning restaurant, setting up eco-centre, promoting local products, protecting biodiversity and landscape, combined with regional and transnational tourism development. He is family farmer, President of a LEADER LAG, member of the Hungarian Agricultural Council, founder of civil associations, and head of an outposted tourism and innovation department of the Debrecen University in Kozard.

Core experience

Rural space is an integrated part of our life, offering access to enjoyable food, clean air, a great silence, relaxing environment and connect people. Seeing pleasant landscape, wildflowers, wild animals, streams and forests with people we better understand their culture and tradition and make us smile and happy.
Rural tourism create strong cohesion among local and remote people where we can respect their efforts for peaceful life. Using modern age technologies e.g. digitalization in tourism marketing will be a harmonious value added tool to reach more friendly visitors.

Rémi Thoret

Cartography project manager For Fédération Internationale de Tourisme Equestre (FITE)

Short CV:

After an experience at the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre as Mapmaker, during which I contributed to the updating of the GIS tool for pedestrian routes, and to the implementation of a collaborative updating tool of the database, I worked at Regional council of Centre. I created the GIS system for regional cycle touring and produced thematic maps for cycle touring datas.
Now Cartography project manager at the Fédération Française d’Equitation, I created the GIS tool for equestrian routes, experimented it at a regional level before spreading it at a national one. I managed procedures, work methodology to hand over equestrian routes to digitize. I’m setting up a webmap tool to promote the equestrian tourism routes.

Summery of the intervention

A time where soft hikings are acclaimed by the general public and incorporated into local authorities’ policies, this GIS tool developed by the Fédération Française d’Equitation, member of the Fédération Internationale de Tourisme Equestre, promotes the equestrian routes via an interactive map accessible to all.
The aim is to promote the equestrian tourism routes to the 2 million practitioners, and beyond to the 53% of French wishing equestrian holiday and to the 6 millions of horse-riders in Europe.

Tim Fairhurst

Short CV:

Tim spent 18 years in the group travel industry in Europe, North America and India, in various roles from tour guiding to operations management and product development prior to joining ETOA in 2009. In-house, he currently manages the sales and market development team. External work includes EU regulatory review, industry partnerships, lobbying and campaigns.
ETOA – the European tourism association – http://www.etoa.org – is a travel trade body working at EU, national and regional levels. Its 870+ members include all types of business in the European supply chain, rural and urban, European destination management organisations and buyers worldwide. It runs workshops, masterclasses, destination promotion events and seminars. Its policy activity at an EU level focuses on taxation, cross-border service provision, visa policy. More widely, it works to maintain Europe’s appeal as a destination for key long-haul markets through product innovation and development and intelligent adaptation to origin market. As well as intra-European trade, ETOA has strong representation in Europe’s key long-haul markets such as China, India, North America and Japan.

ŽELJKO MARIĆ

CEO at Ampelos Ltd

Short CV:

• Project manager – software implementation in local government units in Croatia
• Project manager and lecturer – Seminar for the Association of Small and Family Hotels
• Education program – small and medium size companies and craftsmen in colaboration with the Ministry of Economy
• Project manager and lecturer in collaboration with DAI (Development alternatives Inc.) on the project “Improving business operations and competitiveness for small and medium sized businesses in Croatia”
• Project manager responsible for the development and implementation of the computer software ProgressLAG (monitoring and evaluation of local strategies) for the needs of Local Action Groups (LAG)
• Team leader – Local development strategy for LAG Zagora, LAG Škoji, LAG Strossmayer, Prefeasibility study with cost benefit analysis for “Adrenalinski centar Vrata”, Development strategy for the Municipality Fužine

Summary of the intervention:

For a development, progress or growth to happen on a specific area a vital role in all of that includes strategic planning. From my past experience working with strategic planing I came to the realization that most strategies fall short because the don’t have the necessary tools to implement that strategy. Strategic goals can’t be implemented without quality projects, projects can’t me managed if there’s no project control and that’s why adeqate tools should be used.

Clare Cooper

Short CV:

• Clare works across the fields of arts, tourism and public health. Based in Eastern Perthshire, Scotland, she is co-producer of Cateran’s Common Wealth https://www.commonculture.org.uk, co-founder of Alyth Craft Tourism: https://www.facebook.com/AlythCraftTourism/, co-proprietor of Vanora’s Cottages: https://www.vanorasscottages.co.uk. In addition to her work in arts and tourism, she is co-founder and co-director of Scotland’s first social enterprise offering moving, downsizing and ageing in place solutions for older people – The Home Straight: http://thehomestraight.org.uk and ELLi (Assisted Living Technology) Ltd a new company designing and manufacturing beautiful items of adaptive equipment for older people. She has served as a Trustee on the Boards of a number of arts and cultural organisations and higher education institutions over the last twenty years and is currently a Director of Alyth Development Trust and a member of the Local Action Group for the Perth & Kinross rural LEADER programme. She was born in Tanzania and lived there and in Kenya until her early 20’s.

Summary of the intervention:

• How an ambitious group of individuals in Eastern Perthshire are taking an asset based approach to their arts, culture, heritage and toursim assets and leveraging new collaborations with voluntary, community, public and private organisations to find new ways to sustain their rural communities culturally, economically and environmentally
  

Domenico Mastrogiovanni

Short CV:

• Mountain Policy analyst in the field of rural development with experience on networking at Regional, National and European level. Works on the preparation and dissemination of opportunity in the implementation of Rural Development Programmes, engaged in LEADER initiative in the Abruzzo Region.

Summary of the intervention:

• Tourism is an opportunity for rural areas. It requires technological innovation (BB, broadband, availability of services of general interest etc…).
  In Europe we not only need Smart Cities, but also Smart Villages. Attractiveness and accessibility are critical for developing rural areas.
  Natural resources as such don’t create development, they need investment and qualified human resources.
  The value chain must result in earning more money from your own business.
  Integrated territorial development? Yes but – who and how in areas where in the next years there may be a lack of resources and young human capital
  

François BEAUCHARD

Short CV:

• François BEAUCHARD has been an outdoor sports enthusiast since he was 13 years old. Wild water kayaking was is great interest ; first as a competitor and later as Head Coach of the French National Team for 10 years. After leaving the French and the International Canoe Federations, he was Project Manager in Brittany, responsible for developing nautical sports and hiking itineraries. He then was Deputy Director of the National Sailing Academy in Quiberon France, where he was involved in the development of outdoor training courses in nautical sports. Today, he is Director of the CREPS Rhône Alpes, based in Vallon Pont d’Arc in Ardeche France, an institute specialized in outdoor sports and the outdoor recreational sector in rural areas, working for the French Ministry of Sports. He is also currently Chairman of ENOS (European Network of Outdoor Sports), with the objective of working towards the visibility of outdoor sports in Europe and supporting the development of outdoor sports in rural áreas.

Summary of the intervention:

• The network ENOS has the objective of connecting the actors at European level in order to promote and generate visibility of all sport activites in the nature, active tourism, and adventure tourism. Based on a list of 10 commitments ( http://www.nature-sports.eu/page.cfm?docid=enos-charter ), ENOS members support a local rural development that respects the environment. The members of the network are involved in a project to measure the social benefits of outdoor sports in terms of social inclusion and health. Our network shares best practices, one of them in France deals with the development of Ourdoor Resorts (sports stations in nature) in rural areas to stop their decline. This way, active tourism becomes a key element for the local economy, and a link between urban and rural population.

Arūnas Svitojus

Short CV:

• Since 2012 President Lithuanian castles and manors association. Vice president of Lithuanian chamber of tourism. Born in farmer family in mid of Lithuania in 1962. Obtained university doctor degree in 1984, followed by candidate of science (PhD) degree in 1989.
  Worked in agricultural and rural development fields, including 10 years in Lithuanian science institutions, 8 years in Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture up to State Secretary position, working towards the sustainable development of agriculture and knowledge. The last period activities are focused on rural development and tourism. Since 2000 he had established a family farm in Saldutiskis manor with developing farm economy, rural tourism, nature and genetic resources preservation, promotion of heritage, local community development with the strategy planning, training, project management, LEADER, EU structural funds and other programs involvement.

Core experience:

• Sustainable rural life consists from different parts of chain surrounding us. Rural tourism use the values we have as integrated parts of our biodiversity, landscape, friendly families, neighbour’s, heritage traditions, food, family houses, manors, offering access to enjoyable stay in pleasant conditions.
  Friendly families and visitors together lead spiritual development and understanding their culture and tradition for better live people and nature.

Sarah Prot

Short CV:

• Sarah Prot works at Airbnb in France. As a Public Policy Associate, she works closely with public instituions (tourism bureau, regions, cities) in France to promote sustainable tourism, in urban and rural areas, through home-sharing. She led the Maisons de France project. Prior to Airbnb, she was a consultant at Bain & Company and studied at Sciences Po Paris and King’s College London.

Summary of the intervention

• – Maisons de France : description of the objectives and the outcomes of the project
  – Other Airbnb projects in Europe
  – Airbnb’s vision on rural tourism : the Airbnb community helps grow and diversify tourism and generates new economic activity for rural areas. Airbnb helps guests discover communities they might have missed and spreads benefits to more families and local businesses.
  

Miralda Cortinovis

Short CV:

• Grew up in Franciacorta, the land of Champenoise Italian wine in northern Italy. She currently lives in Monte Isola, the winning destination of EDEN 2010 which she represents within the EDEN Network and its BOA. Former languages teacher, she has often worked as a freelance consultant for several educational projects.

Summary of the intervention

• Eden Network embraces the concept of “ sustainable tourism” as a constant improvement of the balance between running financial viable business, satisfying guests, protecting natural ,cultural environment and supporting local communities.

Sabina Ramovic

Short CV:

• I was born in Bijelo Polje 1971, as second children of us six. All the time I was living in my town excluding period when I was studied.
  My mission is to leave the mark during my life with orientation of social responsibility.
  When I finished high school and entered the University for Mechanical Engineering I never even thought I would deal with business in tourist industry, but somehow the tourists find their way to us. We were running a small travel agency for our citizens offering them the outgoing arrangements until one day we got an offer from city municipality considering the organization of a three day tour around our city for a group of tourists from France. We accepted it , I must say we were frightened – it wasn’t an easy task at all, but we pluck up all our help with thesis statement courage and knowledge and did our best to satisfy our guests. They were so pleased that they picked us as a partner for next year and even asked to organize them a tour not only for Bijelo Polje but in all Montenegro also when they come next year! Now, we are a all good friends and a steady partners.
  From that period till today we are done many different projects to develop and promote our region. I will mention some of them: Wilderness Hiking and Biking Montenegro- Winning the international sustainable tourism Award of the German Travel Association (DRV) – Eco Trophea 2011- was a part of the project; Peaks of the Balkans
  Cross border hiking trail project – winning the WTTC “Tourism for Tomorrow” Award in the category “Destination Stewardship” in 2013- was a part of the project; The best travel agency in Montenegro 2011 Award from National tourism organization in category ,, Valorization rural area in Montenegro’’
  Initiated training for local guides on the North opf Montenegro for 40 persons, found the donors and was connection between donors, school, candidates and tourist organizations.
  I am really lucky to work in tourism, enjoy every moment and think just this job can make it up for all stress which we get through the work.
  I am married and have a 2 sons.