The usability of the environmental management system in the Rokua area

Abstract

Environmental awareness is increasingly looked upon as one of the most important factors in the appealing nature of a tourist destination, tourist businesses and even whole tourist regions are now required more than ever to demonstrate the economic, social and environmental sustainability of their operations. This article focuses on assessing how usable a regional environmental management system (EMS) is in a tourism region spreading across regional (municipal) administrative frontiers, and what should be specially considered in the execution of the EMS programme as regards local tourism business. Rokua tourism area is the first ever EMS in the world set up fur such a large geographical area. It is necessary to work out proposals that would enhance EMS’s and make them increasingly efficient in promoting actions and operations identified as more essential as regards environmental protection. This survey shows that the environmental management system succeeds in shaping the guidelines and recommendations of sustainable development, which all too often remain rather obscure and far too generalized.