Conference "Parks as places of experimentation, combining environmental protection and regional development "

With the support of Federparchi – EUROPARC Italy, the Puglia Region in Italy has decided to promote the application of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) in seven protected areas in the province. The process was made public with the conference "The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in protected areas: parks as places of experimentation to combine environmental protection and regional development", which took place in Portoselvaggio e Palude del Capitano Regional Park in the town of Nardo on 3^rd February.

The initiative has facilitated an exchange of experience between managers of protected areas in Puglia and in other national and international protected areas. This was illustrated at the conference by Antonello Zulberti, Vice-President Federparchi EUROPARC Italy; Paulo Castro, EUROPARC Federation Councilor; Ilaria Rigatti, ECST officer at Adamello Brenta Regional Park; Marco Katzemberger, President of the "Quality park" association of Adamello Brenta; and Massimo Truzzi, Oltrepò Mantovano System of Protected Areas. In the afternoon a technical meeting with the protected areas involved in the process of the Charter in Puglia took place. It was coordinated by the Director of Federparchi, Francesco Carlucci, and by the Puglia Councilor of Quality of territory, Angela Barbanente.

For more information please contact Stefania Petrosillo, ECST coordinator for Federparchi