BSPC

Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference

  • About BSPC
    • The Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference
    • Presidency
    • Archive
  • Annual Conference
    • The 32nd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Berlin – 27-29 August 2023
    • The 31st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Stockholm – 12-14 June 2022
    • The 30th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Digital – 30 August 2021
    • The 29th Baltic Sea Parliamentary
      Digital – 24 August 2020
    • The 28th Baltic Sea Parliamentary
      Conference Oslo
      25-27 August 2019
    • The 27th Baltic Sea Parliamentary
      Conference Mariehamn
      26-28 August 2018
    • The 26th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Hamburg
      3-5 September 2017
    • The 25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Riga 28-30 August 2016
    • The 24th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Rostock
      30 August – 1 September 2015
    • The 23rd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Olsztyn
      24-26 August 2014
    • The 22nd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference Pärnu
      25-27 August 2013
    • The 21st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference St Petersburg
      26-28 August 2012
  • Standing Committee
  • Working Groups
    • BSPC Working Group on Energy Security, Self-sustainability, Resilience and Connectivity 2023-2025
    • BSPC Working Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity 2020-2023
    • BSPC Working Group on Migration & Integration 2017-2019
    • BSPC Working Group on Sustainable Tourism 2015-2017
    • BSPC Working Group on Innovation in Social and Health Care 2013-2015
    • BSPC Working Group on Green Growth and Energy Efficiency 2011-2013
    • BSPC Working Group on Integrated Maritime Policy 2009-2011
    • BSPC Working Group on Trafficking in Human Beings 2009-2011
  • Rapporteurs
    • BSPC Observer in HELCOM
    • BSPC Rapporteur on Sustainable Tourism
    • BSPC Rapporteurs on Integrated Maritime Policy
    • BSPC Rapporteur on Sea-Dumped Munitions
    • BSPC Rapporteurs on Migration and Integration
    • BSPC Rapporteur on Labour Market and Social Welfare
    • BSPC Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings
    • BSPC Rapporteur on Cultural Affairs

March 21, 2016

2nd Meeting of BSPC WG on Sustainable Tourism

The Working Group on Sustainable Tourism agrees on the first part of political recommendations and discusses more focused priorities at its 2nd meeting in Helsinki.

On 20th and 21st March the Working Group on Sustainable Tourism gathered for the second time. After the inaugural meeting in Rostock, 11 members of Parliaments from all around the Baltic Sea region met under this meeting’s thematic focus on best practices on Sustainable Tourism.

Beginning on Sunday evening Petteri Takkula (Development Manager, the Governing Body of Suomenlinna) gave an expert presentation about “UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Baltic Sea Region, Case Study: Sustainable Tourism Strategy for Suomenlinna”. According to Petteri Takkula the highest challenge is to preserve the cultural heritage on the one hand and to present and market it on the other hand. The only way to meet both requirements is a respectful use of the resources to achieve a successful asset management. His core conclusion is that the protection, preservation and presentation of the intrinsic value produces sustainable extrinsic value for the destination.

On Monday morning the meeting continued at the Port of Helsinki with an expert presentation of Kari Noroviita (Director, Passenger Harbours, Port of Helsinki) and Antti Pulkkinen (Harbour Master) about the “Cruise Ship Waste Water treatment in the Baltic Sea Regions – Best Practices of the Port of Helsinki”. The representatives from the Port of Helsinki explained the expansion of the port, especially the waste water facilities. The background of the necessity to renew the port reception facilities in the entire Baltic Sea region is an international agreement between all Baltic Sea rim states with the aim to achieve the status as a so-called “special area” via the International Maritime Organization. The Baltic Sea states committed themselves to implement the requirements of the international agreement (IMO MARPOL Resolution und Annex IV, MEPC.200 (62)) within the next years.

Afterwards, the meeting was provided two presentations about the “Finnish Strategies and Experiences on Sustainable Tourism” by Nina Vesterinen (Senior Specialist, Ministry of Employment and Economy) and the second about “Cycling Tourism in Europe, case Iron Curtain Trail” by Raija Ruusunen (Project Manager, Karelia University of Applied Sciences) in the Finnish Parliament.

Both presentations offered good and very practical examples and approaches that can be transferred to other regions.

Following the presentations, the members of the meeting discussed under the chair of Sylvia Bretschneider the issues of the Working Group Mandate, including a strategic prioritization, and the Working Programm as well as a first draft of the Mid-way Report as outcome of the Working Group. The meeting also agreed on the first part of political recommendations which will be forwarded to the annual Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Riga, 28 – 30 August 2016.

The next Working Group meeting will be held in Petrosawodsk in June. Until this upcoming meeting, the members of the Working Group decided on comprehensive “homeworks” for themselves and Baltic Sea member’s governments.

The following parliamentarians participated at the 2nd Working Group meeting: Sylvia Bretschneider (Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Sara Kemetter (Parliament of Åland), Andre Sepp (Parliament of Estonia), Riitta Myller (Parliament of Finland), Dorothee Martin (Parliament of Hamburg), Veiko Spol?tis (Parliament of Latvia), Linas Balsys (Parliament of Lithuania), Jacek Protas (Parliament Poland), Valentina Pivnenko (Parliament of Russia), Pyry Niemi (Parliament Sweden) und Bernd Voß (Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein).

Photos

  • Helsinki 21 March 2016
  • Helsinki 21 March 2016
  • Helsinki 21 March 2016

Keep in touch

BSPC Secretary General Bodo Bahr | Schlossgartenallee 15 | 19061 Schwerin | Germany | +49 171 5512557 | bodo.bahr@bspcmail.net

  • Email
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · BSPC · Log in