This research addresses the question on how Delfzijl can take advantage of the dykes referred to recreational activities within the next five years. In order to investigate this problem statement, the elaboration was started with the definition of research questions and secondary research. Here, brochures, websites, books and other researches were used to gather significant information about Delfzijl. Next, quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in order to collect data and information about the different stakeholders, the current situation of the municipality and the expectations of the people concerning the future. Thus, a fieldtrip was done to interview stakeholders and to distribute questionnaires to the sample. Additionally, a benchmarking was done with the German city `Nessmersiel` in order to compare and discover development possibilities. The research outcome is that Delfzijl suffers from a decreasing population number, a low level of recreational attractiveness and lack of money. Many people claim that the dyke is a significant resource that should be used for recreational developments. Hereby, developments can be done on a small budget.
What would Dutch society lose if the Tourism and Recreation sector does not survive and what is needed to preserve its societal value and, preferably even, enhance this value? In this report a combination of methods is used to answer the research question: a literature study, case studies, and a survey among entrepreneurs. A substantial number of scientific articles, advisory reports and conference contributions were analysed in various contexts and for different forms of T&R. In the literature study societal contributions were brought together in a structured manner. The cases reflect the breadth of the sector and serve as good examples of how the sector achieves its societal value, but they also illustrate the challenges. The survey produced several insights. Respondents were asked, for instance, to indicate for each societal value whether they saw a positive, negative or no contribution of the sector. By means of a points system a top 25 was composed and put into a table., this table was used to structure the findings from the study.
The objective of Waterrecreatie Nederland is to improve water recreation in the Netherlands. One of the focus points that the foundation focuses on is strengthening sustainable water recreation. With this study, Waterrecreatie Nederland wants to map the current CO2 emissions of recreational shipping (here: sailing and motor boats), in order to be able to report and communicate about this, and also as a baseline measurement for future monitoring in this area.Societal IssueShipping has a substantial impact on several environmental systems, amongst others through air and water pollution, and its contribution to climate change. The role of recreational shipping in these issues is not well known, as measurements are scarce and often partly based on assumptions. Benifit to societyThis project tries to strengthen the knowledge base on the carbon (CO2) emissions of recreational shipping in the Netherlands, and to provide detail on fuel use, fuel types, distances, etc. That knowledge can help in making more informed choices on the future development of recreational shipping, with a lower impact on climate change.
