The RSG of the Po Delta Park composed of local stakeholders met in Comacchio on 26 November, 2018. The focus of the first meeting was on tourism. About fifteen operators came to the salt pan of Comacchio to learn about the project and the concept of ecosystem services. The presentations of ERVET and the Po Delta Park Director followed the discussion on two main topics: the future perspectives/expectations of the tourism sector, and barriers to their achievements. Operators believe that there is a potential of increasing the number of tourists in the area, but a balance between nature preservation and economic activities must be pursued. Operators identified some elements that can improve the tourist experiences (i.e. bird watching towers); also some critical issues were identified such as lack of synergies between tour operators and hotel owners. The possibility of collecting funds by taxing the tourists and investing this money in the preservation of ecosystems will be further explored and discussed. Starting from this common work with the local stakeholder of the RSG, the project will try to act on the existing barriers for enhancing and promoting the ecosystem services of the Po Delta Park.
