Invented Sustainable Tourism Event Project created as Destination and Events Planning case study Master in International Tourism and Hospitality Management

1. Sustainable event project by Fiorenza Ninin
It’s time to improve
a new sustainable surfing experience

2. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
The World Surf League Championship Tour (CT)
is a professional, competitive surfing league run
by the World Surf League (WSL)
Men and women compete in separate tours, with
events taking place from early April to mid-
December at various surfing locations around the
world.
Surfers receive points based on performance at
each event. The surfer with the most points at the
end of the tour is declared the World Surf League
Champion.

3. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
The 2020 CT will return once again to world-class
venues from Australia to Indonesia, Brazil, South
Africa, North America, French Polynesia, Europe,
Hawaii and with a new completely sustainable
event in Costarica.
Matapalo will host the First Sustainable Open
Challenge organised by the WSL with the support of
Deep Blue Event, The Rob Machado Foundation
and promoted by Volkswagen and Škoda

4. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable Open
Matapalo Sustainable Open 2020 will be organised by
the world’s first sustainability designation for ocean-focused, surfing
and surf-culture events.
A Deep Blue event is a more “Ocean Friendly” event, that sets a
clear path for reducing environmental impacts, while also providing
social benefits for the local community.
The program focuses on five key sustainability impacts: Waste,
Energy, Community Support, Climate Change and Transportation

5. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
Deep Blue Events address impacts directly related to the local contest area, including
waste reduction, protection of natural resources, and the building of stronger
communities. They also reduce direct threats to the global sport of surfing itself, such
as: sea level rise, ocean acidification, and the loss of the world’s living coral reefs
Waste: Implement a comprehensive waste diversion strategy to reduce, reuse,
recycle, or compost event waste and building materials, and a commitment to make
the event “plastic straw free”
Energy: Source a portion of event power from clean, renewable (non-fossil fuel)
sources such as biodiesel, solar or other alternative energy sources.
Community Support: Showcase the efforts of local environmental and social
organizations, and include them as stakeholders for possible legacy efforts post-
event. Provide financial and/or outreach support for at least three NGOs and charities
working on local issues relevant to the event.
Climate Change: Calculate the total CO2 footprint of event, and mitigate this impact
by purchasing certified/verified carbon offset credits through a reputable provider.
Transportation: Provide and promote alternative transportation options for staff,
athletes, and for spectators where applicable.

6. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
Rob Machado is one of the world's most recognizable surfers
as well as a committed environmentalist. The Rob Machado
Foundation's primary mission is to educate and support
environmental programs for youth implementing environmental
programms.
Water filling station program across a growing network of
schools and public places helps deliver clean, filtered water
while encouraging reusables over single-use plastic water
bottles.
Provide Trash and recycling solutions made from 95% recycled
materials, at beaches, schools, surf events and promote local
beach clean ups is the core focus of the foundation to
supplement our efforts to keep plastic and other trash out of
our waterways
The RMF will provide at the Matapalo Sustainable Open the
Matapalo Bay with recyling bins and covered trash cans and
install in the near Brunca Region elementary schools 50 water
filling stations.

7. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
The main sponsors will relevantly contribute to the
sustainability of the event.
Athlets and materials will be collected at the main
airports of Costarica and transported to the
location of the event and to their accomodation
only by electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles. At the
end of the event 50 Kodiac Plug-in Hybrid SUV’s
and 20 MOIA Concept Shuttles will be donated by
Škoda and Volskwagen to host communities.

8. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable Open
PURPOSES OF THE EVENT
● Thanks to the international Broadcasting of the event and Social Media
Event Promotion raise the pubblic opinion attention on sustainability
pratices
●Involve participants, spectators, host community in tangible
sustainability practices (recycling, waste disposal, watersanitation,
ocean pollution prevention)
● Support sustainable and etno Tourism in the Brunca Region and
stimulate local Tourist Operators to obtain the Certificate for Sustainable
Tourism

9. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
The 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable Open will
take place at Matapalo, a small, laid-back
beach town located at the tip of the Osa
Peninsula in the southern portion of
Puntarenas Province in the Brunca Region,
the poorest region in Costa Rica, near the
primary rainforest Cordovado National Park.
Matapalo has earned the Blue Ecological Flag
for its dedication to conservation and
preserving the surrounding environment.
This community is dedicated to eco-friendly
habits, and the majority of accomodation are
lodges depending on solarenergy.
Local and Indigenous communities are already
involved in the exploitation of etnic tourism
and sustainable Tourism practices programms.

10. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
PARTICIPANTS
All partecipants will have to follow the sustainability
rules established specifically for the event:
● Use exclusively ecoboards
● Choose sustainable accomodation
● Use carbon free vehicles to reach the competition
area
● Promote sustainable behaviours and practices
among fans and spectators and promote fairness
● Devolve a percentage of the Prize to sustainability
projects

11. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
At Matapalo Sustainable Open both men and women
will compete in a complete new challenge using
exclusively ECOBOARDS.
An ECOBOARD is a high-performance sustainable
board. ECOBOARDS have the same technical
performance attributes as any modern water-sport
board, while having reduced environmental and toxic
impacts – through the use of more sustainable
materials.
The ECOBOARD Project is focused on reducing
carbon footprints, increasing the use (and reuse) of
renewable, recycled and up-cycled inputs, and
reducing toxicity within the surfboard manufacturing
process. It educates and engages individuals about
the environmental impacts of their board-riding
lifestyle through the lens of their surfboard

12. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
TICKETING
Tickets for the events will be sold on the internet web site
created for the event linked to the web platform of the
WSL. The Matapalo Web Site will offer:
● Admission tickets to the event. A percentage of 10% of
proceeds will be devolved to sustainability projects
● Sustainable tourismpackages operated only by local
CST tour operators, providing sustainable
accomodation and sustainble visit to Natural Parks
● Etnic Tourpackages, organised by indigenous
communities in the Boruca area providing
accomodation in indigenous families and visit to
traditional craft workshops

13. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
HOSPITALITY
Hospitality of the event will be operated by Brunca
Region Tourism Board, local comunities and Deep Blue
Event
● Brunca Region Tourism Board will put in contact
organisers only with local CST certified tourist
operators and sustainable accomodation facilities
that will host participants, staff and press.
● The location of the event will be provided with local
Food and Beverage Facilities and local Arts and Craft
booths
● Deep Blue Event will grant that all the sustainable
issues are fulfilled in area of the event (zero waste
event) and in the transfer of visitors and participants to
their accomodations (use of carbon free vehicles
offered by sponsors)

14. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
COMMUNICATION
Communication of the event will be jointly operated by
WFL, Brunca Region Tourism Board and Deep Blue
Event.
● WFL will take care of Press releases, TV and Radio
Broadcasting of the event and Internet and social
media coverage of the event
● Brunca Region TourismBoard will organise the Press
Room and Broadcasting facilities for foreign TVs
● Deep Blue Event will grant that all the sustainable
issues are fulfilled. (Use of recycled paper for press
releases, maximum use of renewable energy sources
for event broadcasting)
●

15. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
SECURITY ANDVOLUNTEERS
Usually WSL events are attended by thousands
spectators. For this reason Security for the event will be
provided by Coast Guard, National and local Police but
also by Volunteers, recruited among young Costa ricans
aged 18-25, who as counterpart will receive a free
entrance ticket to the event.
Some months before the event joint meetings will take
place among Police Forces, Volunteers, WSL and Deep
Blue Event to discuss the security issues and present the
sustainability purposes of the Event.

16. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
BUDGETING
WSL events can count on relevant sponsorship by world known brands of
different sectors. Many of them sponsor all events, while others only events that
take place only in specific places.
The Matapalo Sustainable Open will be sponsored only by brands that are
involved in sustainable practices promotion. Main sponsors will be Volkswagen
and Škoda. Red Bull, Hydro Flask, Outerknown, TropicSport that are already
sponsoring WSL will be contributing to the event.
The reduction in organisation costs (i.e. reduced merchandising, reduced
electricity and transport costs, reduced paper use) will increase the proceeds,
that will be destinated to the promotion of sustainability projects.

17. 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable
Open
CONCLUSIONS
Thanks to the 2020 WSL Matapalo Sustainable Open organisers hope
to:
● Raise the public opinion attention on the importance of
sustainability pratices to develop a more conscious lifestyle
●Promote Sustainable Tourismas the only possibile formof
Tourismable to preserve Nature and develop an harmonic social
and economic development
● Demonstrate that thanks to the sinergy of organisers, participants,
spectators and host community every event can become sustainable