38 A <strong>DAMELLO</strong> <strong>BRENT</strong>A GeoPark C ARGUMENTS FOR NOMINATING THE TERRITORY AS EUROPEAN AND GLOBAL UNESCO GEOPARK APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR THE NOMINATION AS EUROPEAN AND GLOBAL UNESCO GEOPARK
A <strong>DAMELLO</strong> <strong>BRENT</strong>A GeoPark C.1 Comprehensive analysis of the territory for the development of geo-tourism As remarked in the previous chapter, the area of the future “<strong>Adamello</strong> <strong>Brenta</strong> Geopark”, represents a territory of extraordinary geologic-environmental importance and value: in this area, many geological features are represented. The various sites of high geological value, under a scientifi c, educational, historical, and cultural point of view, represent the most signifi cant elements of a precious heritage that the Geopark wants to improve and preserve through suitable and sustainable forms of Geo-tourism. The area of the future Geopark includes different zones that have different economic functions, and in which tourism, even if basically diffused, is not homogeneously developed (Paragraph D.1). The tourism, both during winter and summer, is greatly developed in Upper Val Rendena, with its leading resort Madonna di Campiglio, and in the Andalo and Molveno area. The south-eastern sector is developed mainly thanks to the famous Comano Thermal Baths, that are known for their curative and therapeutic effects. This is an area dedicated to health and to psychophysical wellness. The above mentioned zones, where 2/3 of the municipalities included in the Geopark are located, are areas with a clear tourist appeal. In recent years, the trend has been to diversify the tourist offer, in order to guarantee high quality standards. With reference to the municipalities located in Val di Non, the main economic activity is agriculture, but in recent years a rural/farm tourism activity is developing. The present situation is that the well known tourist resorts are trying to diversify their offer towards sustainable tourism, giving clear importance to the environmental el- ement; on the other hand the areas whose tourism is not yet developed, are trying to improve the tourist sector, thanks to the rediscovery of their territories and to the improvement of their original characteristics; this trend represents an extraordinary opportunity for economic, cultural, and social development. The <strong>Adamello</strong> <strong>Brenta</strong> Natural Park represents, in this sense, a sort of guarantee; in fact for several years the Park policy has been oriented towards the development of sustainable tourism, intended in its wider meaning, where the attention given to the territory and its preservation are the driving elements for an economic and social improvement of these communities. Evidence of this is the Park’s adoption, in 2001, of the Environmental Certifi cation System ISO 14001, that is oriented towards quality and sustainability. There are other initiatives that should be mentioned, like the Life Tovel Project (a territorial plan created in order to develop the tourism of Tuenno, an area of high naturalistic and landscape value); the projects for sustainable mobility that aim to optimise the mobility in Val Genova, Val di Tovel, and Vallesinella; the “Park Quality” Project, a quality brand given to private companies that meet the requirements of environmental preservation and that have a direct connection with the territory, supporting in this way the Park policy; the European Chart for Sustainable Tourism and the EMAS registration, both obtained in 2006 (see paragraph D.1). Also worthy of mention is the candidature, dated 23 th of September 2005, of the <strong>Brenta</strong> Dolomites as a World Human Heritage of UNESCO, promoted by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento together with the Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano and the Provinces of Belluno, Pordenone, and Udine. This candidature represents fi rstly the recognition of the universal value of this heritage and, secondly, it imposes a sense of responsibility with reference to its preservation. If the Park is acknowl- APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR THE NOMINATION AS EUROPEAN AND GLOBAL UNESCO GEOPARK Geotourists in the future Geopark – Photo B. Tassoni 39 C
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