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The Interreg 2 Seas FACET project wants to encourage entrepreneurs in the tourism sector to apply circular solutions within their company, thereby creating new sustainable revenue models. With a strong consortium of project partners from Flanders, the Netherlands and England, experiments are being conducted with circular applications in the fields of accommodation, waste reduction and circular operation management.
===== Common challenge =====
Tourism plays a strong role in the regional economies of the 2 seas area and according to the UN World Tourism Organisation tourism will increase from 5 to 8% yearly in the 2seas countries. Besides income, tourism also brings mass consumption of resources (estimated global increased consumption is 92% water, 189% land (Tourism Watch)) which could strain the already limited resources of the region where tourism and other sectors compete. Tourists also tend to produce more waste than locals (European Environment Agency in Tourism and the Environment 2018), further increasing the challenge (in particular due to the seasonality) of waste and waste processing. Although demand for sustainable tourism increases, and some entrepreneurs are starting to look for circular solutions, the general approach in tourism remains linear, in part because entrepreneurs lack knowhow on how to switch to the circular approach needed to ensure that tourism continues to be economically beneficial.


A coastal region, the 2 Seas region (covering the coastal areas of England, Flanders, France and the Netherlands and connected by the Channel and the North Sea) has traditionally been a tourist destination with a strong impact on the regional economy. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, tourism in this region will increase by 5-8%. However, tourism also entails mass consumption of raw materials. This can grow worldwide by 92% (water) and 189% (land use) in the period 2010-2050 (Tourism Watch) and puts pressure on the already limited raw materials in the region, where industry, agriculture and tourism are already competing.
===== Overall objective =====
FACET aims at increasing adoption of circular solutions in the tourism sector by supporting entrepreneurs in shifting from linear to circular. This will be done by demonstrating low-threshold solutions and extracting best practices, so that entrepreneurs receive hands-on knowledge and support in changing their business models. By facilitating the formation of a cooperation system for local entrepreneurs, increasing incentives, making recommendations for the removal of regulatory barriers and developing practical tools, FACET will demonstrate that quality and economic sustainability can be reinforced by circular solutions, so that circularity streamlines the entire sector and does not focus on a niche market. FACET will result in an increase of adoption of existing circular solutions among entrepreneurs in the tourism sector and will contribute to understanding among government and business support associations of the incentives and barriers to shifting from linear to circular models.


It is clear that here we need to find a circular solution to ensure that tourism remains economically beneficial. The corona crisis is currently forcing many to stand still. Now is the time to look at how we have organised our society and economy and how we want to build our systems post crisis.
===== Main outputs =====
* Cooperative models for a Circular Economy (CE) value chain, a CE joint purchasing and quadruple helix CE support groups
* Circular Economy Toolkit to increase adoption of CE solutions
* White papers to foster new regulations and a new and improved financial mechanism
* Pilots and demonstrators of Circular Economy solutions in the tourism and hospitality sector
The main target groups are entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Other important target groups are (local) governments, business support offices, sector organisations, knowledge institutions, as well as sustainable trademarks in tourism. While not including tourists as target groups, the quality of their experience is maintained or improved, with circularity as an added benefit.


===== Several small pilots =====
===== Cross-border approach =====
Throughout the 2 Seas area, FACET locally develops various practical, accessible and small-scale pilot and demonstration projects to help entrepreneurs gain practical knowledge and experience to make circular business models. FACET provides expertise and support in setting up these pilots.
The challenges of tourism in the 2 Seas area are shared by all project regions, therefore the only possible way to tackle them efficiently is through a cross-border approach. There is complementarity between the different countries in terms of knowledge and experience that will benefit the project, and FACET will put it to good use through cross-border action development teams that work together in developing and monitoring demonstrations. Sustainable tourism and leisure within the 2Seas area requires the informed participation of all relevant cross-border stakeholders to avoid any competition effect, especially considering that a large part of clientele originates from the member countries themselves, crisscrossing the area. Currently there are lots of locally or nationally driven initiatives, working in silos. FACET will collate best practices and pitfalls into a joint model that can be applied on a much larger cross-border scale.
 
===== Cooperation groups =====
At the same time, local and regional cooperation groups are set up between companies within and outside the tourism sector, suppliers and chain parties. These communities of collaborating parties are strengthened through the involvement of local governments, financiers and end users (i.e. tourists and residents). By involving governments, we look for ways to jointly tackle challenges within existing regulations. Appropriate financing constructions are also being sought for the realisation of circular concepts. This collaboration is a sure way to increase the introduction of circularity.
 
Although the end users of the tourism product, i.e. tourists,  are not included in the pilot projects, the demonstrations will give them the most benefit and guarantee the quality of their experience and perception of the area.
 
===== Sharing knowledge =====
Awareness of companies in the tourism sector about the circular economy, new business models and other forms of cooperation is an important issue within the project. Consequently, best practices gained are shared and exchanged both regionally and internationally. This will build up practical knowledge and support entrepreneurs in changing to a circular business operation / circular revenue model. The FACET project contributes towards stimulating tourist SMEs to develop and utilize circular applications.
 
===== Partners =====
The Netherlands: NV Economische Impuls Zeeland, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Camping en Villapark De Paardekreek, Stichting Strandexploitatie Veere, Vastgoedbeheer Zeeland
 
Belgium: Westtoer, De Blauwe Cluster
 
United Kingdom: Greenwich University, Norfolk County Council
 
The project started in January 2020 and will run until September 2022. The total size of the project is € 3,891,756. About € 2.4 million of this will be spent in Zeeland. The Province of Zeeland is contributing via a co-financing of € 185,423.
 
===== Interreg 2 Seas =====
Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020 is a European Territorial Cooperation Programme for England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). The Programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and has a total budget of EUR 241 million to support projects for the period from 2014 to 2020. The objective is to develop an innovative, knowledge and research-based, sustainable and inclusive 2 Seas area, where natural resources are protected and the green economy is promoted.


{{Project homepage config|Project code=FACET}}
{{Project homepage config|Project code=FACET}}

Versie van 24 jun 2020 09:09

Common challenge

Tourism plays a strong role in the regional economies of the 2 seas area and according to the UN World Tourism Organisation tourism will increase from 5 to 8% yearly in the 2seas countries. Besides income, tourism also brings mass consumption of resources (estimated global increased consumption is 92% water, 189% land (Tourism Watch)) which could strain the already limited resources of the region where tourism and other sectors compete. Tourists also tend to produce more waste than locals (European Environment Agency in Tourism and the Environment 2018), further increasing the challenge (in particular due to the seasonality) of waste and waste processing. Although demand for sustainable tourism increases, and some entrepreneurs are starting to look for circular solutions, the general approach in tourism remains linear, in part because entrepreneurs lack knowhow on how to switch to the circular approach needed to ensure that tourism continues to be economically beneficial.

Overall objective

FACET aims at increasing adoption of circular solutions in the tourism sector by supporting entrepreneurs in shifting from linear to circular. This will be done by demonstrating low-threshold solutions and extracting best practices, so that entrepreneurs receive hands-on knowledge and support in changing their business models. By facilitating the formation of a cooperation system for local entrepreneurs, increasing incentives, making recommendations for the removal of regulatory barriers and developing practical tools, FACET will demonstrate that quality and economic sustainability can be reinforced by circular solutions, so that circularity streamlines the entire sector and does not focus on a niche market. FACET will result in an increase of adoption of existing circular solutions among entrepreneurs in the tourism sector and will contribute to understanding among government and business support associations of the incentives and barriers to shifting from linear to circular models.

Main outputs
  • Cooperative models for a Circular Economy (CE) value chain, a CE joint purchasing and quadruple helix CE support groups
  • Circular Economy Toolkit to increase adoption of CE solutions
  • White papers to foster new regulations and a new and improved financial mechanism
  • Pilots and demonstrators of Circular Economy solutions in the tourism and hospitality sector

The main target groups are entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Other important target groups are (local) governments, business support offices, sector organisations, knowledge institutions, as well as sustainable trademarks in tourism. While not including tourists as target groups, the quality of their experience is maintained or improved, with circularity as an added benefit.

Cross-border approach

The challenges of tourism in the 2 Seas area are shared by all project regions, therefore the only possible way to tackle them efficiently is through a cross-border approach. There is complementarity between the different countries in terms of knowledge and experience that will benefit the project, and FACET will put it to good use through cross-border action development teams that work together in developing and monitoring demonstrations. Sustainable tourism and leisure within the 2Seas area requires the informed participation of all relevant cross-border stakeholders to avoid any competition effect, especially considering that a large part of clientele originates from the member countries themselves, crisscrossing the area. Currently there are lots of locally or nationally driven initiatives, working in silos. FACET will collate best practices and pitfalls into a joint model that can be applied on a much larger cross-border scale.

Onderwerpen

Deelnemers

DeelnemerRol
Ageeth van MaldegemProject member
Alanna BakerProject member
Eline SomersProject member
Marije NoordhoekProject member
Marijke BrinkmanProject member
Mariska PoldermanProject leader
Rink WeijsProject member
Simon WittProject member