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Activities:
Tirwedd Dyfi
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Contact details
Y Plas, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8ER, UK. phone: 01654 703965 e-mail: info@ecodyfi.org.uk

Become a member of ecodyfi We want everybody in the Valley to join, so it only costs £1. Drop into Ty Bro Dyfi or send some stamps.

The information centre is open Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 3.00. You might even like to get involved in staffing it or in helping to run a project. Please come and see us!

Find us

What is Ecodyfi?

We are a locally controlled Company Limited by Guarantee, which is largely publicly funded. Our mission is to foster sustainable development in the Dyfi valley, primarily through strengthening the "green economy".

Since 1997 we have been working to create a sustainable local energy economy - benefiting the local community, economy and environment - and we now seek to take other sustainable initiatives in Tourism, Waste Management, Woodlands and Transport.

What is 'Sustainable Development'?

Important contributors to sustainable development include the maintenance of biodiversity and natural capital; the primacy of local needs and of meeting them from local resources; recognition of and respect for an area's cultural assets; keeping money and other assets within local communities; community ownership; reuse and waste reduction; and social inclusion, equity and justice.

Discussions about sustainable development began in earnest at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, which set out a course of action - 'Agenda 21' - to achieve sustainable development in the twenty-first century.

How does 'Sustainable Tourism' fit in?

Sustainable tourism can be defined as tourism that does not diminish theassets that support it. It meets the needs of both visitors and residents through high quality experiences that maximise local economic benefits, while appreciating and enhancing the area's cultural, social and environmental resources - and being mindful of the global context.

The basis of sustainable tourism, like sustainable development, can be compared to a three-legged stool that can only function if all three legs are stable. In this case, the three legs are:

• Economic viability

• Social and Cultural acceptability

• Environmentally and ecologically sound actions

What is Ecodyfi's Sustainable Tourism Project?

Ecodyfi seeks to develop leisure and tourism that provide integrated economic, social and environmental benefits. These resources include the cultural, historical and social aspects of the Dyfi Valley as well as the strengths of its physical appeal and its record for innovation in sustainable living. While the area has an abundance of both natural and constructed attractions, the partnership sees local people as holding the key to success in sustainability. The project officer's first task is therefore the formation of a sustainable tourism association for local tourism providers.

How is the Project funded?

The partnership gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Powys Council, Mid Wales Tourism, the Wales Tourist Board, Mid Wales TEC and Gwynedd County Council, as well as the time commitment given by local tourism professionals and specialists from the partnership's Board.