Project newsletter, 4 edition, January 25, 2011 PARKS & BENEFITS: perspectives for e future Dear partners and friends of e PARKS & BENEFITS project, In e latest meeting of our project s steering committee - held in Haapsalu (Estonia) October 11, 2010 - we dealt wi e midterm evaluation of PARKS & BENEFITS. This means, at we are now in e second half of e project s lifetime. Meanwhile all ree investment plans are in place. The project targets are clearly set and e steps and pas to get ere are marked, but still not paved. There is still a heavy workload in front of us! But we do have a number of results already, at we can present and ere are more to come, e.g. e nature tourism products from our Park Partners. Therefore, in is newsletter I would like to highlight e upcoming Nature Tourism Conference in Riga, March 21 24, 2011, which will be organised by e Latvian Country Tourism Association "Lauku Celotajs", one of our Partners. This conference will be an excellent platform for joint activities in e fields of nature conservation and sustainable tourism at European, Baltic Sea Region as well as local level. Naturally a number of results of PARKS & BENEFITS will be presented, discussed wi a professional audience and hopefully linked into a network at reaches far beyond our project s partnership. Have a nice winter and I hope to see you in Latvia! Olaf Ostermann 1
1. PROJECT INTERNAL 1.1 Review of e 5 project meeting in Haapsalu, Estonia From October 11 15, 2010 e PARKS & BENEFITS partnership met in Haapsalu (Estonia) in e course of e 5 project meeting. The meeting took place in e Matsalu National Park area - an area wi a very low density of population and high dedication to nature conservation. Kaja Lotman, director of e Hiiu-Lääne-Saare region, ensured at e connection between local entrepreneurship & protected area, administration and inhabitants in e Matsalu National Park area plays a significant role to develop and maintain a liveable region which is in line wi e principles of nature conservation. The 5 PARKS & BENEFITS project meeting included a one-day open workshop for staff of protected areas dealing wi sustainable tourism development & marketing questions as well as tourism entrepreneurs. It provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about e planned implementation of e European Charter of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas Part II in e Baltic Sea Region and especially e demands on e Charter businesses emselves. Furermore e focus was put on spreading knowledge and giving inspiration on how to develop eco tourism products in protected areas & how to market em target group-oriented. Sustainable tourism has been selected as a key topic for is meeting as many project partner parks are only starting to develop tourism activities in eir areas and defined a lack of know-how in eir previous work. External expertise from e local company Estonian Nature Tours, new target group information as well as an exchange of ideas and best practices gave all involved partner parks a clear idea of what needs to be done in furer steps. As one of e main tools a common product manual was being developed to be used by e protected areas to market eir own tourism activities and products towards tour operators in Europe. Beside e development of sustainable tourism in protected areas all partners have made clear at e carrying capacity of hot spots is a central topic at needs to be tackled constantly. Six out of eight parks e.g. have conflict areas on eir territories which require special management. All partner parks work closely togeer wi e University of Roskilde preparing a comparative analysis of protected area conditions and strategies in e Baltic Sea Region. First results are expected in March 2011. 2
For more information on e outcomes of e 5 PARKS & BENEFITS project meeting please visit: www.parksandbenefits.net. The 6 project meeting will take place from March 21 26, 2011 in Riga & Kemeri National Park, Latvia connected to e Nature Tourism Conference in Riga. Please read page 7 for furer information. 1.2 Charter part II to be developed for e Baltic Sea Region Wiin e framework of PARKS & BENEFITS e project partners have intensively discussed common standards for eco-labels in e Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Participants felt at e establishment of a new eco-label for e Baltic Sea Region was neier desirable nor possible, particularly given e profusion of initiatives at already exists. Wi is background in mind it was proposed at e project partners seek to develop a meodology for e second part of e European Charter for sustainable tourism in Protected Areas working wi tourism businesses and integrating em furer into e Charter park s management of tourism. For is reason a working group - PARKS&BENEFITS BSR-Charter core group - was established to develop a meodical framework for e implementation of e Charter part II in e Baltic Sea Region considering already existing best practice examples from Spain, France and e UK. A draft which meets e specifications of e Baltic Sea Region has been developed and is now being reviewed by e relevant Europarc sections. 1.3 Midterm evaluation shows achievement & deficits In summer and fall 2010 e midterm evaluation of e PARKS & BENEFITS project has been carried out providing valuable information on e projects progress, achievements so far & areas of improvement. All project partners were involved in e process ensuring to get e best possible picture of e current project status quo. A look at e results of e midterm evaluation reflects a good project s progress & project organisation. The majority of e partners believe at e project is useful in order to implement e Charter at local level. However room for improvements has been identified as well, among em e achievement of a better understanding of e Charter itself, an extended marketing at all levels and an even stronger focus on e sustainability of actions. The results will be used to improve e quality of e project outcomes by optimizing e implementation of activities wiin e projects lifetime. 3
1.4. Mobile exhibition under progress The PARKS & BENEFITS project & EUROPARC Federation have agreed to commonly enlarge e existing exhibition Living Parks: 100 years of National Parks in Europe by integrating e 8 partner parks of e project. From February 2011 on it is scheduled to travel in e Baltic Sea Region presenting e diversity, beauty and complexity of ese green gems. A time schedule showing e exhibition dates & places will be available soon at e project website: www.parksandbenefits.net. 2. PARTNER NEWS 2.1 Tourism agencies waded rough forest swamps of Kurtuv nai Regional Park, (LT) On September, 29 2010 (Day of Tourism) e Directorate of Kurtuvenai Regional Park invited tourism agencies of e Šiauliai region to e workshop on "Sustainable Tourism and Biodiversity. This workshop was organised to present e main idea of e European Charter for sustainable tourism and e implementation of e principles in e protected area. During e meeting of tourism and conservation managers e main focus was put on a better understanding of e need to develop a sustainable tourism as well as e needs and demands of tourists groups. Lively discussion wi travel agencies, tourism information centres and local entrepreneurs gave valuable insights into e.g. how to host and organise activities for large groups of tourists and/or what can be offered for all day trips. The participation in e workshop gave local tourism stakeholders a good opportunity/ motivation to get involved into sustainable tourism development of e park more actively. Every year tourism agencies bring more an 50 tourist groups from e Šiauliai region to Kurtuv nai Regional Park for excursions. The participants emselves now took e chance to see which new tourism services started up in Kurtuv nai Regional Park in recent years, among em education programs in Jautmalke Nature Centre, bird watching in dams guided by an ecologist, lynxes watching and trips to e forest wi local hunters. 4
2.2 Cooperation key word for development (LV) Benefits from e PARKS & BENEFITS project can already be felt in Ėemeri National Park (KNP). There is one ing or raer a concept ey all have in common togeer : coming togeer for tourism forum meetings or sometimes smaller groups, discussing ideas togeer, learning new topics togeer. Wi a range of meetings in spring e tourism forum continued likewise also in fall wi e network of tourism routes in focus. After long hours of sitting around e map of Ėemeri National Park wi marker in hand and sometimes heated discussions, it was agreed to develop e tourism route network of KNP by making simple improvements and changes of e existing infrastructure and trails, e.g. improve marking of trails by applying color on trees and oer nature objects, adding variation possibilities to existing routes, etc. Wi support of local tourism businesses some routes will also have nature interpretation elements added at will provide visitors wi more information about e nature and oer values around. Thus, e tourism offer of KNP will see some improvements already for e next season wiout any big investments but wi lots of enusiasm and common effort. Moreover, Ėemeri National Park will see opening and testing of first cross-country skiing routes is winter which will be made according to e principles of European Charter friendly to nature values, exciting and easy to reach for visitors and bringing some benefits to local economy. Attention is being paid also to distribution of information about ese developments. The main tool for at will be e tourism section of e web-page of Nature Conservation Agency, also worked out wiin e PARKS & BENEFITS project. http://www.daba.gov.lv/public/lat/turistiem/zemgale1/kemeru_nacionalais_parks1/ An interactive map at can be find here provides visitors wi all necessary information on where to go, what to do and what to see as well as where to eat and sleep in KNP. Descriptions are also included. At e moment of writing ese lines all e above mentioned information is only available in Latvian, but in e end of January 2011 it will be much friendlier to ose who read in English and Russian. 5
2.3 PARKS & BENEFITS - a joint project of e Biosphere Reserve Region Soueast Rügen (GER) Being a partner in e PARKS & BENEFITS project, e Biosphere Reserve Sou East Rügen is applying for e European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. In order to receive e award e biosphere reserve administration cooperates wi various local partners among em e spa resort Göhren. The analysis of strengs & weaknesses, opportunities & reats carried out in 2010 as a main requirement of e application process revealed at especially e seaside resort offers e best conditions in e region to bring e concept of sustainable tourism to life. The tourism mission statement has been elaborated by different working groups & presented to e public in October 2010. The spa resort Göhren believes at is project is a great opportunity to jointly maintain e existing cultural and natural heritage and develop e region. Interested persons are warmly welcome to support e concept, spa resort director Jörn Fenske said. 2.4 Experiences of a Danish study tour to e Biosphere Reserve Soueast Rügen, Germany Wi e purpose of getting inspiration for development of regional nature parks in Region Zealand (DK) seventeen people from e region took on a study tour to e project partner Biosphere Reserve Soueast Rügen. The participants were professionals from e municipalities Guldborgsund, Lolland, Kalundborg, Stevns and Vordingborg as well as e Danish Outdoor Council (cooperating partner), Roskilde University, consultants working for e municipalities and e region (wiin e project) and e administration of Region Zealand. The tour was kindly supported by e administration of e Biosphere Reserve Soueast Rügen which arranged inspiring meetings wi protected area staff dealing wi different aspects of nature conservation & visitor management as well as representatives from e Federal Agency of Nature Conservation at e island of Vilm and e Jasmund National Park located in e nor-eastern part of e island. The focus of is study tour was set on cooperation wi businesses, planning issues and visitor management - topics which also were deepened during small excursions & in small talks wi local people presenting eir stories & work. 6
The main outcome of e study tour was to inspire e future work in Region Zealand, e.g. concerning questions on how to develop nature parks, how to guide visitors in protected areas and how to cooperate wi local business. Furermore e presentation of e zoning system in e Biosphere Reserve & e connection of public transport wi local cycling & hiking routes were highly interesting for all participants. 3. PROJECT RELATED NEWS 3.1 Nature Tourism Conference: Policies Products - Practices conference in Riga (LV) From March 21 24, 2011 e conference will provide a forum bringing togeer nature conservation & tourism development sectors. It is a great concern to unite different initiatives from e European to e local level in one event which allows exchanging know-how, to mutually benefit from e practical results and possibly to extent your networks for future joint activities. The relation between nature conservation and tourism is addressed from a variety of angles like policies, products, and visitors. Keynote speeches, case presentations and discussions will range from tourism product development and branding to stakeholder involvement, cooperation and partnership between tourism and nature conservation sectors to legislation and its implementation. Nature tourism product providers, managers of protected nature sites, environmental experts, rural developers, nature tour operators, municipalities, ministries, rural tourism associations and European partnership initiatives are invited to discuss new approaches and ideas wi experts from all over Europe. The diversity of e audience will create an excellent opportunity for e dynamic exchange of opinions and best practices among e professionals. For more information & registration please visit: http://www.celotajs.lv/cont/conf/conference/110322-cnf/program_en.html PARKS & BENEFITS project management Sandra Lorr c/o animare projektmanagement tourismus Rosa- Luxemburg- Straße 14 D 18055 Rostock Tel: 0381/440 49 50 Fax: 0381/440 49 49 Email: sandra.lorr@animare.net Rostock: 2011/01/25 7