The Tourism Cluster of Samana is helping Samana Bay in its bid to be named one of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. The designation is awarded by the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club, formed in 1997, which seeks to encourage sustainable exploitation of pristine natural resources. The application will be considered during the organization’s Executive Meeting, scheduled for their May 2009 Congress in Portugal. Galip Gur of Turkey and Herve Laigo of France recently visited the DR to study Samana’s application.
They explained that Club members meet to exchange ideas and concrete achievements aimed at achieving optimum sustainable exploitation of the attractions. The organization uses UNESCO cultural and natural criteria when selecting new members.
Selection criteria define that it has to be a bay, not simply a city on a bay, and the nomination must be presented by a wide representation of the society. It has to be a protected area with interesting flora and fauna and notable natural attractions. It needs to be recognized and appreciated nationally and internationally. It should be emblematic for the local population, and should include a variety of economic activities of interest to the local population.
The proposal for Samana is being prepared by consultant Luc Litzler and is a joint initiative by the Center for Conservation and Eco-Development of Samana and its Environs (CEBSE), the Tourism Cluster of Samana (CTS) and the Foundation for the Development of Samana (FDS), with the support of Paraiso Cano Hondo hotel, the Centro Cuesta Nacional, Bahia Principe Hotels, Victoria Marine, Motomarina and the Santo Domingo Hotels Association.
“We meet to solve problems and share experiences,” says Galip Gur of Turkey’s Bodrum Bay. Herve Laigo of France’s Golfe du Morbihan/Baie de Quiberon says their meetings have been useful in educating the authorities in realizing how actions taken now will affect the future. They have a long-term development focus and their team includes many members who have good persuasion skills and interpersonal relations. What stands out is that the bays continue to be international references for intelligent management of coastal areas.
“This is about changing the way politicians think around the world,” they say. He says they can share numerous examples of beautiful places where control was lost and the authorities no longer could stop construction, resulting in the loss of the destination’s attraction.
The most beautiful bays club consists of 30 bays in 24 countries – Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, France, Guadeloupe, India, Ireland, Madagascar, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, the Turkey, the United States and Vietnam.
According to the organization, the goal is to reconcile the attraction and the value of these fragile sites when knowing that too much traffic or badly managed tourist development can ultimately lead to destruction of the site and consequently less interest from the public.
See www.world-bays.com