1. EDEN EVENTS 2013
CONCLUSIONS
Bruxelles, Tuesday 12th November 2013
A postcard from the future: a to do list of a successful and self-sustainable
EDEN Network
Dear all,
When the EDEN project started (2007), Nokia 2100 was the most sold cell
phone, Twitter was just born, Facebook was a tool forbidden at the working
desk, Tripadvisor was in fashion but rating system were still considered better,
the Euro was strong, DMOs could rely on generous money. Today, 12
November 2013, the world, at least in our sector, is completely different. The
word cell-phone is out-dated. Apple Iphone 5 is basically more than a
computer in a hand, Twitter is going IPO (at the $25 share price, Twitter's
market value would be around $15.6 billion), Facebook is a powerful tool to
work with, nobody chooses an hotelusing as main factor the rating system,
Priceline and Trip-advisor value together more tan 50 billions of dollars, while
Governments in the age of austerity are questioning whether makes sense
spending taxpayer money in marketing tourism destinations. Simply said,six
years look like an age.
Against this background, a lot of people continue asking me: what is the value
of the EDEN Award? What are the benefits of the EDEN Network?
A good point to start with, is to make clear what is not.
1. The EDEN Award does not translate automatically in more tourists to
your destinations. The Award is not a certification, is not a label. Put
differently, the Award is not a stand-alone market maker. Being awarded is not
enough. First make sure your enterprises are able to offer lovely, enjoyable,
authentic and unique experiences, while your public authorities preserve the
wonderful places where you are coming from. Then, be good and responsible.
Think about organic food. The promise of being healthier comes first. The
promise of being sounder environmentally comes as a bonus.The same applies
to the World Heritage List. Being on the list is big news and a big achievement.
Attracting more visitors is another matter. There is no clear evidence of
correlation between the two things. I can continue quoting other famous labels
and certificates supposed to be able to generate more tourism flows, but none
of them is able to provide clear evidence. As one of our most inspiring
speakers (ENM Malta 2011), Justin Francis from responsabiletravel.com, once
said: experiences, not eco-labels sell holidays.
2. The EDEN network is neither a shortcut to get more European Funds, nor a
marketing agency able to market EDEN destinations. Networking is not less
work, is more work.

2. So what is the value of the EDEN Award? Why is important to network?
I would like to borrow the words of Ms Frances Taylor, tourism manager
ofCarlingford (Ireland), one of the first winner destination: The Award
contributed to raise our profile as much as possible and access opportunities
that were not previously made available to us. The Prize, the ceremony, the
videos, the articles on your local papers will give you more energy to go on, to
make further investments, to make new projects. The Network provides an
arena where you can Learn,Lobby and Link to get your projects done.
Let me be more practical:
1. In 2007 networking was quite difficult and sometime expensive. You now
can use social media to network around the world sitting at your desk for free.
Think about google translator, Gdrive, googlegroup, Facebook, Twitter, etc. So
everybody can network. However, only EDEN destinations can meet almost for
free once a year face to face to talk about new projects, to share good
practices, to make new friends…in a nutshell to unveil new opportunities. It’s
up to the lobby power of the Network to keep this going and to improve it year
by year.
2. The European Structural Funds and the European Programs will continue to
offer assistance and finance to make your projects true. Link to your regional
authorities and Local Development Agencies. Use the network as ID to get
more influence and as a tool to get new international partners.
3. The European Commission grants almost 700,000 Eur to NTOs and National
Administrations for marketing EDEN destinations in a two years plan. It’s up to
you, to your lobby power and to your capacity to link with your local tourism
authorities to make sure the money is spent as effectively it can. It’s up to you
to make your NTOs and Tourism Administration working to raise the credibility
of the EDEN Award by setting more transparent and uniform criteria.
4. As the Network keeps on growing the potential for cross promotion
increases. Think about the efficiency of exchanging journalists and
photographs. And what about cross-promoting? When you go to a Hilton Hotel
you find a nice brochure of all Hilton properties in the world. It would be nice
to have a brochure of the best food of EDEN destinations around Europe, the
best walks, the best wild experiences, and so forth in EDEN destination.
5. Finally, the marketing communication, the Holy Grail of tourism
destinations. You continue to ask for more adverts, more websites, more
brochures, and more videos. I’ve some news. All of these things are provided
basically for free by better-placed companies, such as Trip-advisor, but are
useless, unless you have a powerful story to share. Assuming the per-capita
consumption of advertising in Europa is 500 Eur a year. If you spend 1 million
Eur a year on advertising, you are bombarding the average traveller with less

3. than a half cent of advertising, spread over 365 days to a traveller already
exposed 499,9 ½ worth of other advertising? To grab the attention of
travellers, you need three things. First, send the message to multiplier, like
travel enablers. Second, make them experience your destinations.Third, help
them to write powerful stories about your destination. A powerful story is a
backstory, a story reconnecting travellers with people make the things they
experience. The Vistas project aims at this. Other project in this direction will
help in the future.
Since it is my last EDEN network meeting as facilitator, let me thank you once
again for the opportunity you have given me to learn, lobby and link. I would
like to borrow the words of Thomas Meeha, a famous musical writer, to say
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so
hard.