Zuid-Limburg 1st Local Stakeholder Group meeting
The first regional brainstorming sessions took place in August and September 2024 as part of the Interreg Europe project Tourism4SDG. These meetings were held in cooperation with Stadsregio Parkstad and six municipalities in the region: Beekdaelen, Kerkrade, Heerlen, Brunssum, Landgraaf and Simpelveld. The aim of these sessions was to brainstorm and exchange ideas about sustainable tourism development in the region, with a strong focus on the link between tourism and the integrated area-based approach.
In the coming period, the parties will continue working together to formulate an integrated area-based approach, aimed at raising the profile of Parkstad Limburg as a top European location for sustainable tourism. This approach will not only boost the tourism economy but also contribute to the quality of life for residents through improved recreational options and fostering ambassadorship from local residents.
The meetings in August and September laid an initial foundation for the continuation of the project, which focuses on sustainable tourism and recreation. Key questions on focus areas, tourism-recreation ambitions and other tasks were addressed to achieve stronger regional cooperation and policy-making. The next phase of the project will focus on monitoring and promoting sustainable tourism in the region, with the goal of putting Parkstad Limburg even further on the map.
On 11 September 2024, the plans were presented at a stakeholder meeting in Nuth, South Limburg, which also hosted the stakeholder meeting of the Interreg Europe project TaaS. With both European projects, we are working on the five pillars of the Vision Leisure Economy 2030, including data collection and sustainable innovation, among others. Besides the Tourism4SDG and TaaS projects, Visit Zuid-Limburg is also a partner in other European initiatives such as OpenRegioCulture and Interreg Netherlands-Flanders project Wijnstraat. The projects contribute to the sustainable renewal and strengthening of the region's tourism offer. The Interreg Europe community offers regions the opportunity to learn from other regions and make sustainable improvements through the exchange of good practices.
For more information on Visit Zuid-Limburg, please visit partners.visitzuidlimburg.nl/tourism4sdg