UNMANAGED tourism has the potential to become the greatest single threat to the character of Ireland's scenic landscapes, according to an EU funded report published jointly by Bord Failte and An Taisce.
With tourism now the fastest growing sector of the economy the report says some form of management strategy is required to ensure the essential characteristics of the landscape are conserved. But it comes out strongly against designating scenic areas as national parks.
"It would be neither feasible not desirable for the State to acquire all of the areas requiring protection," it says. Instead, a new approach is proposed, involving the recognition" of important scenic landscapes in full partnership with local communities.
The principal objectives behind such a partnership were the need to find a mechanism to avoid planning conflicts (such as the recent visitor centre controversies in the Burren and Wicklow) and the need to develop an integrated strategy for The development of scenic areas.
The report is the outcome of a two year study by Mr Conor Skehan, a landscape architect, and Ms Jeanne Meldon, a planning consultant. It says extensive consultation with community groups in three pilot areas revealed "considerable antipathy" to designation, because it was seen as a "top down" approach.
It suggests that sustainable tourism in scenic landscape areas depends, firstly, on ensuring the economic stability of the local community and, secondly, on preventing tourism, "or related landscape protection" (such as national parks), from excluding other forms of development.
Though national parks and nature reserves were "particularly appropriate" to protect fragile habitats and wilderness areas, "it is increasingly recognised that top down strategies are an inadequate response to the needs of local communities and that imposed strategies will not be effective".
In scenic rural areas, subject to such pressures as declining agriculture, increasing afforestation and tourism itself, the report says the priority should be to develop "sustainable communities" in which the landscape would be protected as a local resource.
The view of communities consulted in the three pilot areas - west Cork and Kerry, Sligo Leitrim and the river valleys of the south east - was that tourism would not be a panacea and that scenic landscapes "should not be perceived as protected reserves for visitors alone to enjoy".
To resolve conflicts, the report proposes that each area should have a "scenic landscapes forum".
