PROWAD LINK

Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the North Sea Region: A guidebook of best case examples

23 March 2021 - Published by Annika Bostelmann
This new report aims to show how best to develop tourism in a sustainable and engaging way, throughout the North Sea Region. With examples from all five partner nations, the report highlights that these approaches can be utilised in different types of nature and heritage sites.

World Heritage and nature protection sites have an abundance of value in the form of natural and cultural resources. This guidebook explores the question of how sustainable tourism businesses can prosper by both drawing on and protecting these unique natural and cultural resources. To do this, the guidebook draws on the concepts of sustainable entrepreneurship, ecosystem services and sustainable business models to provide frameworks and examples of how sustainable businesses operating at World Heritage sites in the North Sea region can ‘protect and prosper’.

"With this report we aim to showcase sustainable entrepreneurship in the tourism industry in the North Sea region. The region has an abundance of nature and heritage sites. Yet this poses the question of how tourism businesses can draw on them, while also ensuring their continued protection. We hope the cases inspire and motivate entrepreneurs to explore what is possible through sustainable entrepreneurship and business models for a swift and sustainable post-Covid recovery." Thomas Long, Campus Fryslân, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, co-author and Prowad Link project partner.

An important outcome of the report has been the highlighting of the importance of strong engagement and investment in the local community, as well as collaborating with conservation organisations, when developing sustainable businesses.

You can download the report here