Tourism as an alternative of economic development in the sites of Natura 2000

On October 12 and October 13 in “Vonadziņi” of Gulbene District and in “Imulas” of Talsi District were arranged educational seminars about how to organize tourism planning and promotion in the especially protected nature areas.

Seminar in Eastern Latvia

Tourism as an alternative of economic development in the sites of Natura 2000

On October 12 and October 13 in “Vonadziņi” of Gulbene District and in “Imulas” of Talsi District were arranged educational seminars about how to organize tourism planning and promotion in the especially protected nature areas. The chosen topic for the discussion was “Economic Development Alternatives in the sites of Natura 2000 – Tourism”. These seminars were organized under the LIFE-Nature project of “Restoration of Floodplains” and they took place both in Western and Eastern Latvia by the regional concept. The land owners of the project territories who are planning or already being engaged in tourism activities in respective Natura 2000 sites, as well as municipal authorities, regional planners and officials from Tourism Information Centres were invited as participants in the both seminars. Each seminar had about 40 participants, which verifies that this topic is very urgent and many people are willing to relate their strategies with tourism industry.

The aim of encouraging this discussion and improving one’s knowledge of directly this topic are connected with the practice of possibility to preserve numerous natural values and maintain their sustainability by involving related local parties. It is very important to let the local parties realize the natural values beside them and to show that it is one of possibilities how to gain economic benefit from their possession being a part of Natura 2000 sites. Well considered ecotourism is one of the solutions in the context of sustainability of natural values and economic interests. Simultaneously, it is very essential to have control over those organizers of tourism services, which  already offering different products of tourism in a territory of Natura 2000, in order to ensure that their conduct is harmonized with the aims for nature protection. Educational seminar arrangement should be treated as a positive effect for the interests of long term conservation of natural values.

In both seminars, the following topics were discussed:

• justification of organizing ecotourism in specially protected nature areas;
• environmental aspects in tourism, nature as a tourism resource;
• national policy of ecotourism organizing matters – tendencies and examples;
• nature tourism marketing in specially protected nature areas and tourism products

  How tourism can be sustainable?

  promotion;
• tourism infrastructure – the unified approach developed by North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve and the Nature Protection Board;
• principles of conduct of environmental guides;
• rural benefits from the view of the Rural Tourism Organization (“Lauku Ceļotājs”) – organizing specific products of tourism;
• tourism development plan for Lake Engure Nature Park: pilot project in Latvia – the experience;
• organizing birdwatching – the market and ethical considerations.

Among the lecturers participating in these seminars, Mr. Daniel Green should be marked especially. He participated in both seminars and provided very well considered presentations about nature tourism organization in the Black River Valley (Svartadalen) in Sweden, as well as offered very valuable ideas for organizing the marketing of nature tourism, mutual cooperation between different service providers and development of so-called chain reaction. The audience in both seminars was very responsive and showing interest in the discussed matters; consequently many questions were asked and with the help of interpreter all the issues interested were clarified gradually. Among other lecturers Ms. Aiga Petkēvica from the NK Consultation Bureau, Mr. Andris Junkurs – the leader of Ecotourism union, Mr. Andris Soms from North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Mr. Rolands Auziņš from the Nature Protection Board, Ms. Antra Damberga from the Rural Tourism Organization, Ms. Aivita Orupa from Ogre Tourism Information Centre, Ms. Agnese Ramata and Ms. Kristīne Tjarve from the Latvian Tourism Development Agency, and Mr. Andris Klepers from the Latvian Fund for Nature.

Some of the most essential cognitions from the seminar:

• Natural resources are one of the two strategic resources in Latvia (alongside with cultural resources) and development of qualitative product of tourism on the basis of nature resources are on the list of priorities of tourism industry in the country. However the coordination among creators of tourism industries and the institutions of the Ministry of Environment is ineffective.
• Tourism is not the aim for all the territories of Natura 2000 – there are many sites where it is considered that it would be better not to permit human assistance knowingly, though in many territories tourism is one of the real economic activities having economical basis.
• The developed products of tourism in Natura 2000 sites must definitely follow the priority of nature conservation, and that should be created as the product of ecotourism.
• From the priorities of protected nature is important that a product of tourism is a high level of value added and is not a mass product. That gives the opportunity to have a better control over the flow of tourists and leaves less impact on environment, as well as develops a personal interest of product providers to ensure a better quality.
• Many tourism activities can be planned directly near the site of Natura 2000, but not in the territory of the sites itself. Administrative boarders have not limited the planning of different broader activities.
• The local inhabitants should be involved as much as possible, in that way encouraging local production of souvenirs as well as education of local guides etc. Then the local inhabitants themselves will take care of protection of natural values, because these values would ensure definite revenues for them.
• At the same time, tourism has also an educational function, because people visiting sites of nature improve their knowledge and understanding about the processes in nature, biological diversity and the necessity to preserve it.
• There is a unified approach implemented in the development of tourism infrastructure (information boards, places of recreation, nature trails, etc.) that will promote economizing of finances as well as identification. People participating in the seminar had an opportunity to receive created drawings and descriptions of producing.
• Many landowners acknowledged that tourism is not the key industry where they are occupied or willing to be in, but it is as one of possibilities to gain income along with agriculture or other industries.

Kristīne Tjarve from Latvian Tourism Development Agency

More pictures about both seminars are here

Few presentations from seminar are available on Latvian here

The procedure of the seminar under the project of “Restoration of Floodplains” is supported by the LIFE-Nature Program of the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Latvia and 22 local authorities involved.