Belgium, Flanders: Development and implementation of a mobility policy for 17 tourist destinations Dutch

Type of environment: nature and recreation areas, beach tourism Partners involved: Traject Supported by Toerisme Vlaanderen and the Province of East-Flanders   A recent study from the Flemish Ministry of Tourism pointed out that only 5% of the visitors of tourist and recreational destinations come by green modes, although most of the destinations can be reached easily without a car. A quick overview of information brochures and websites shows that for most of the destinations only car accessibility is explained. This demonstration was about the introduction of (the) sustainable mobility (reflex) in the management of recreational destinations both on the Belgian seaside and in the rest of Flanders. One recreation park, the Puyenbroeck park in East-Flanders (near Ghent), which already had a mobility plan, served as pilot project.   Attracting managers of tourist destinations   In a first phase, managers of tourist destinations have been contacted in order to present the possibility of co-operating in the STREAM-project. This marketing effort was done in close co-operation with the Flemish Tourist Board “Toerisme Vlaanderen” and the non-profit organization “Toeristische Attracties” (organization of tourist attractions). After this mobilization effort, and apart from the pilot site of Puyenbroeck (“0” on the map), 16 destinations, among which 3 coastal destinations, have agreed to co-operate in STREAM : Sports and recreation park Raversijde (coast) “Het Zwin” (nature park at the coast) “Plopsaland” De Panne (attraction park at the coast) Recreation park “De Lilse Bergen”, Lille (Province of Antwerp) Sports- and recreation park “De Ster”, Sint-Niklaas Planckendael, a zoo and recreation park (Mechelen) Human Rights Memorial Monument “Fort van Breendonk” “De Schorre” (provincial recreation park, Province of Antwerp) Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren) Sports- and recreation park “Kluisbos” (East-Flanders) “Boudewijn Seapark” (recreation and attraction park in Brugge) “Arboretum” Kalmthout (Garden Park) “Europlanetarium” (Planetarium in a nature park) “Bobbejaanland” (attraction park, Province of Antwerp) Sports- and recreation park “Halve Maan” (Province of Vlaams-Brabant) Sports- and recreation park “De Nekker” (Mechelen)   Developing a mobility policy for 16 attractions In a second phase, the 16 newly attracted recreation sites were consulted to develop a mobility policy. More precisely, the following services were delivered:

tailor made multimodal accessibility information for website, brochures and other carriers promoting the recreational site. This information highlights possibilities for soft mobility (bicycle, bicycle &train, bicycle & tram, park& bike) analysis of the mobility and accessibility situation of the site, in view of a tailor made set of recommendations, including cost-benefit calculation, on how to increase the part of green modes in modal shift by implementing soft and cheap actions Where necessary, on site surveys were conducted in summer 2007 in order to define the existing mobility patterns.     Assistance in the implementation of pilot actions For some more advanced sites, like the pilot site Puyenbroeck, specific assistance was given for the implementation of actions: development of a sustainable mobility package for event organizers at Puyenbroeck and De Schorre: sustainable parking plan, including bicycle parking facilities, dedicated bus services, carpool matching, information service. identification of cycle routes for tailor made information and signposting; transport information centre in the high season; testing a sustainable tourist package: bicycle + electric boat + tourist train at Puyenbroeck recreation park; Awareness campaign “the nicest way”   All 17 destinations have participated in a general awareness campaign to the Flemish public in summer 2008. The campaign was about the results of the STREAM-approach in Flanders and sustainable mobility for recreation in general. Every week during July-August 2008, 2 attractions were highlighted, events were organized at the sites and a lottery was organized among visitors coming to the site by sustainable transport means. Several mass media channels were used to attract attention to the event: national media. During 8 weeks in July-August 2008, the tourist show of the national network “één” gave special attention to the 2 attractions of the week and the campaign; the campaign website www.deleuksteweg.be with also a specific lottery linked to it and all the access information of the 17 sites; the promotional channels of the attractions and the project partners (Provinces and Tourism Board of Flanders). Links to the campaign were put on the websites of the partners; the promotional channels of the National Railway; flyers and postcards distributed by promo teams at the entrance of the sites. 42.451 people visited the attractions and met the promoteams. 1.903 visitors came to the attractions by a sustainable means of transport during 1 of the campaign weekends and participated in the lottery contest.     Belgium, West-Flanders: a corporate identity and a tourist map for a cycling corridor using old railway tracks Type of environment: green corridors Partners involved: Westtoer Supported by the Province of West-Flanders Cycling is one of the most important leisure activities in the province of West-Flanders. Together with the provincial government, Westtoer developed a supply of recreational cycle possibilities in West-Flanders. Beneath the creation of new cycle products, Westtoer wants to invest in the development of the recreational network. Old railways tracks (green corridors) and cycle paths along rivers and canals (blue corridors) can be seen as the backbone of the recreational network.   5 important criteria to meet in the development of the recreational greenway project Accessibility : The old railway tracks have always been the connection between towns and villages and towards the countryside. Although this function has been lost, as cycle paths, these old railway tracks can be seen as a new safe connection from the village to the country side Durability : The cyclists need a level of comfort provided by the quality of the tracks and cycle paths. Identifiable : The green axes are spread all over the province and create a network of more than 100 km of cycle paths. It’s a challenge to create an identity for these green axes so that they will be easier to recognize. Discovery : The green axes are an opportunity for the cyclist to discover different types of landscapes, forgotten cultural heritage, villages … The discovery element can be upgraded by adding certain elements to the cycle tracks. Communication : The old railway tracks are not very well known by the cyclists. Therefore communication  and signposting are very important.   Creating a corporate identity   Within the stream STREAM-project Westtoer and the Province of West-Flanders wanted to create a corporate identity for the old railway tracks in West-Flanders. The pilot project was situated on the old railway track between Ostend and Ypres. This track was chosen because it contains the landscape types of the province. The corporate identity was the result of a long and interesting process. In January 2007 a tender was written out to find a landscaping office which could design the corporate identity for the old railway track. Four bureaus were chosen out of seven. They were invited for a briefing and following this briefing one office was selected. The selected design was based on the look and feel of an old railway track, using concrete in combination with industrial paint. On the basis of this design, the landscape architects designed different elements which could be used along the railway track, like: a resting place, cycle parking, milestones, crossings, information panels … The Stream Project : Communication   The green and blue cycle axes, along rivers and canals and on the old railway tracks, can be seen as the backbone for the recreational network in the province. This backbone is not only a recreational but also a natural network. In the communication about it, the attention will not only be drawn on its functional aspects, but also on its importance for recreation and nature in general, as a slow mobility network between the different local cities in the province. The possibility of combining public transport and cycling or walking is one of the most important elements.   The Stream project : Results   Westtoer created the idea of a green-blue network a few years ago. The Stream project was the key to start up the realization of this network. By convincing the province to get in this project and by creating and discussing the corporate identity of these railway tracks, Westtoer took the opportunity to develop a plan for this network. The plan was discussed with the province and resulted in a financial commitment for the application of the corporate identity on all the railway tracks in the province.   Home Updated 06.02.09