Sustainable tourism strategy

The INTERREG IV B project “PROWAD – Protect and Prosper: Sustainable Tourism in the Wadden Sea” (2011 – 2015) was the first initiative for the development of sustainable tourism aimed at the entire Wadden Sea area covering Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and. The project aimed to foster sustainable socio-economic development in the Wadden Sea region resulting from the designation of the Wadden Sea as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

The project developed a consistent sustainable tourism strategy in a participatory approach with relevant local and regional stakeholders, which was adopted trilaterally in 2014. The strategy aims to promote high-quality sustainable tourism products and activities and to contribute to the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Wadden Sea World Heritage site. A joint action plan based on the strategy is currently being implemented.

PROWAD further developed a transnational network of stakeholders which cooperate in awareness building, communication, marketing, education and qualification. A range of tools and products were created, enabling stakeholders to communicate and market the Outstanding Universal Value of the Wadden Sea. Ultimately, the project was successful as it resulted in an extension of target audiences and involvement of further stakeholders.

The PROWAD project was supported by the INTERREG IV B North Sea Region Programme.