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Eligibility Criteria
The project objective is to select a
Destination of Excellence in Cyprus that will be in line with
the Commission’s theme of excellence for 2019, which is “Health
and well-being tourism”. Specifically, the EDEN competition aims
to award those destinations that have developed a specific
tourism offer based on their natural or cultural / historical /
spiritual resources .
According to the EU Guidelines, the eligible
destinations, for the present EDEN competition, will need to
comply with the general aim of the EDEN European Programme and
with the general award criteria.
The overall aim of the initiative is to
“draw attention to the value, diversity and shared
characteristics of European tourist destinations and to promote
destinations where the economic growth objective is pursued in
such a way as a way to ensure the social, cultural and
environmental sustainability of tourism”.
Therefore, the eligible destinations will
need to consult the general award criteria as well as the basic
requirements in order to comply with the purpose and the concept
of the EDEN European Programme.
In the absence of a recognized definition of
“Health and well-being tourism”, for the purpose of this present
invitation to submit a proposal, it has to be clarified that the
eligible destinations are those that have as a primary
motivation the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual
health through wellness based activities which increase the
capacity of individuals to satisfy their own needs and function
better as an individual and in their environment and society. It
includes body and facial treatments, massage, reflexology, yoga
and meditation, relaxation techniques, exercise and fitness
(e.g. pilates, thai chi), beauty treatments (e.g. aromatherapy,
use of natural cosmetics), hydrotherapy (e.g. thalassotherapy,
sauna), spiritual activities, nutritional and detox programmes,
expressive therapies and creative arts, energy therapies (e.g.
reiki, crystals, astrology), education activities (counselling,
workshops, seminars in stress management) etc. which are
provided by different types of facilities (i.e. thermal baths,
spas, hotels and resorts, festivals, cruises, wellness retreats,
etc.).
Facilities offering medical treatments, including
surgical, clinical and therapeutic services, are not considered
as eligible destinations.
Specific Requirements for Applicants’
Participation:
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The eligible destination must be an
emerging, non-traditional tourism destination. The European
Commission describes this as a destination where the visitor
density ranges from “low” to “very low” in comparison to the
national average .
-
The eligible destination must have a
developed tourism offer, providing wellness tourism services
and activities based on the destination’s natural or
cultural/historical/spiritual resources for at least 2
years, i.e. from 2017.
General Award Criteria:
The destinations should be or have the
potential to become attractive to visitors / tourists and
consist of a well-defined and geographically identified area. To
evaluate this, the candidates should meet at least 4 of the 5
General Award Criteria and receive at least 50% of the total
score in the evaluation process. Specifically, the tourism
destination:
-
Should be an emerging and
non-traditional destination.
-
Should offer authentic tourism
experiences (e.g. an area which offers many activities).
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Should have local authorities with a
capacity in managing the tourist offer in a way to ensure
its social, cultural and environmental sustainability.
-
Should have administrative efficiency
and cooperation between public and private entities (e.g.
provision of tourism services, local communities,
stakeholders, etc.).
-
Should have agencies, NGOs and/or local
authorities with a capacity in adopting
sustainable tourism
practices.
Specific Award Criteria
The Specific Award Criteria which have been
finalized by the Management Committee of the project have been
determined according to the theme of the present EDEN call –
“Health and well-being tourism”. Specifically, a tourism offer
can be evaluated as eligible under the framework of the EDEN
Programme “Health and well-being tourism” if it receives at
least 50% of the total score of the Specific Award Criteria
evaluation.
The Specific Award Criteria include the
following:
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The quality and
richness/uniqueness/originality of tourism offer to enhance
health and well-being based on the destination's natural or
cultural/historical/spiritual resources.
-
The local or regional tourism strategy
of the destination and the way that the Health and
well-being tourism is included.
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Effective promotional activities and
marketing initiatives that enhance the “Health and
well-being tourism” in the eligible destination.
Participation
Applications can be accepted only by
entities that can represent the eligible destinations and are
set as follows:
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Local authorities,
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Groups of local authorities (e.g. Union
of Communities),
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Other entities in which the local
authorities participate or are represented (e.g. District
Development Agencies and Tourism Development and Promotion
District Agencies)
1 Natural resources (e.g.
geothermal and mineral waters, natural assets like muds, clays
and plants, therapeutic climate, geographical features and
landscapes contributing to mental well-being or physical
activities), cultural, historical and spiritual resources (e.g.
place-specific well-being architecture/heritage like hammam,
sauna, rituals or traditional spiritual practices such as yoga).
2 An eligible destination
includes:
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A geographic area that is currently or
potentially attractive to visitors/tourists,
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The geographic area shall cover at least
one municipality/community or more contiguous
municipalities/communities,
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A place or area which is recognized and
can easily be defined as a visitor destination and has a
range of facilities and products in place for tourism
purposes,
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A place or area which is promoted as a
destination,
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A place or area where it is possible to
measure the supply of and demand for tourism services (i.e.
the visitor economy).
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