Description (LT): Projektas paskatins ekologinio turizmo plėtrą Žagarėje (Lietuva) ir Tervetėje (Latvija), kurios drauge sudaro bendrą pasienio turizmo regioną. Šios vietovės pasirinktos plėtoti paslaugų sektoriaus įvairovę ir skatinamos išnaudoti turizmui savo gamtinį ir kultūrinį potencialą. Projekto partneriai – Žagarės regioninio parko direkcija, Tervetės savivaldybė, NVO “Tervetės miško mokymo centras”, VšĮ Gamtos paveldo fondas - parengs abi šalis jungiantį turizmo maršrutą ir leis partneriams pasiremti vieni kitų pajėgumais ir patirtimi. Projekto metu bus parengtas Tervetės-Žagarės dviračių maršruto aprašymas, įrengtas Mūšos Tyrelio gamtos tako Žagarės regioniniame parke tęsinys, įrengta dviračių nuotykių trasa Tervetės gamtos parke, sudarytos sąlygos turistams gauti pažangias eko-paslaugas, bus organizuoti švietimo ir viešinimo renginiai, skatinantys lankytojus kuo ilgiau užsibūti šiame regione. Tikimės, kad pasiūlytos naujos veiklos ir sprendimai padės Žiemgalai tapti patraukliu, tvariu ir žinomu turizmo regionu.
Read more Description (LV): Projekts veicinās zaļās tūrisma potenciālu Žagarē (Lietuva) un Tērvetē (Latvija), kas kopā veido pārrobežu tūrisma galamērķi. Šīs teritorijas ir izvēlētas, lai dažādotu tās saimniecisko darbību, un tās jau ir veikušas pasākumus, lai attīstītu tūrisma potenciālu, izmantojot savus kultūras un dabas resursus. Projekta partneri - Žagares reģionālais parks, Tērvetes novada pašvaldība, Biedrība "Tērvetes meža izglītības centrs" un Dabas mantojuma fonds veidos kopīgus tūrisma maršrutus, kas savienos divas pārrobežu teritorijas, un ļaus partneriem balstīties uz cita partnera pieredzi, prasmēm un priekšrocībām. Projekta ietvaros tiks izveidots pārrobežu Tērvete-Žagare velosipēdu maršruts, Mūšos Tyreļa dabas taka Žagares reģionālajā parkā un velosipēdu piedzīvojumu taka Tērvetes dabas parkā, piedāvās novatoriskus ekoloģiskos pakalpojumus tūristiem, organizēs izglītojošus un reklāmas pasākumus, lai veicinātu ilgāku apmeklētāju uzturēšanos reģionā. Paredzams, ka piedāvātās aktivitātes un inovatīvie risinājumi padarīs Zemgali par pievilcīgu, ilgtspējīgu un pazīstamu tūrisma galamērķi.
Read more Description (EN): The project will boost green tourism potential in Žagarė (Lithuania) and Tērvete (Latvia) that together form a common cross-border tourism destination. These areas have been selected to diversify their economic activities and have taken actions to develop tourism potential using their cultural and natural resources. Project partners – Žagarė Regional Park, Tervete municipality, NGOs “Tervete Forest Educational Center”, Nature Heritage Fund will establish joint tourist routes that shall connect two sides of the border and enable partners to build on each other’s strengths and advantages. Project shall create a cross-border Tērvete-Žagarė bicycle route itinerary, construct Mūšos Tyrelis nature trail in Žagarė Regional Park and bicycle adventure trail in Tērvete Nature Park, provide innovative eco-services for tourists, organize educational and promotional events, all contributing to longer visitors stay in the region. It is anticipated that proposed attractions and innovative solutions shall make Zemgale an attractive, sustainable and known tourism destination.
Read more Achievements (EN): In order to boost green tourism in Zemgale transboundary region, different kinds of activities and diverse opportunities were implemented.
With an aim to diversify access to tourism objects and for promotion of nature friendly method of travel, a bicycle travel route connecting various interesting points of Žagarė and Tervete environs was created. Its attractiveness is presented in a booklet “Explore Zemgale by Bicycle” printed in 10000 copies in Lithuanian, Latvian and English languages. Booklets are available in Visitor’s Center of Žagarė Regional Park and LVM Nature Park in Tērvete as well as on website http://zagaresrp.am.lt/VI/index.php#r/719 . Travel itinerary digital version – a webmap with description of objects in three languages has been made available for downloading on computers, tablets and smart phones and can be directly accessed at: Latvian language – https://arcg.is/0GSfya , Lithuanian language – http://arcg.is/vzKCu , and English language – https://arcg.is/1aGzX1 . Information and links are posted on partners’ websites.
To test the route, two promotional bicycle trips were organized in 2018 and 2019 with participation of more than 80 riding lovers who had an opportunity to explore the natural and cultural heritage of Žagarė and Tervete cross-border region, learn its history, experience traditions, enjoy the crafts, taste delicacies of local culinary heritage.
Funded by the project, Mūšos Tyrelis nature trail was completed, allowing visitors to get an opportunity to discover the treasures of the wetland, to enjoy learning in nature, to feel the benefits of active recreation. Currently Mūšos Tyrelis has the longest wooden path in Lithuania (about 5 km length), while the whole length of nature trail is nearly 7 km. A special event to celebrate the opening of nature trail was organized on April 26, 2019 with participation of 100 participants. Opening celebration was organized in parallel to periodic Latvia-Lithuania inter-parliamentary relations group meeting and was attended by ambassadors, members of parliaments of both countries, mayors of municipalities, thus giving a high profile to the event and the project.
Mūšos Tyrelis is the only raised bog in whole cross-border Zemgale region of such a big scale and is in the near distance from Tērvete, therefore, the increase of visitors from Latvian side has been also observed (until the quarantine restrictions were announced). As per register of Directorate of Žagarė Regional Park, visitor increase after completion of infrastructure in Mūšos Tyrelis demonstrated a steady growth.
Likewise, the Bicycle adventure trail constructed in the LVM Nature Park in Tērvete, has become a significant tourism point of attraction right after its construction. It was also included into touristic Tervete-Žagarė cycling route as a part of common tourism destination for cross-border area.
As a result, both infrastructure objects – Mūšos Tyrelis nature path and Tervete bicycle adventure trail had been made as attractive cognitive and recreational places offering environment for active travellers and encouraging them to stay longer in cross-border Zemgale land. Surrounded by a great number of interesting objects, they keep visitors occupied for several days and offer diverse opportunities to all age and interest groups.
In addition to Tervete-Žagare cross-border bicycle route booklet and web map application, a leaflet presenting Mūšos Tyrelis bog was prepared in pdf format available for easy printing http://zagaresrp.am.lt/VI/files/0.082087001597152911.pdf .
Multi service eco-station equipment, providing immediate services for cyclists, was located in places of highest tourist concentration – by Mūšos Tyrelis nature path entrance and by the Žagarė Manor hosting Žagarė Regional Park visitor center. Eco-stations are open for the public use at no cost. Such multiservice stations are operated by using solar energy, have video surveillance camera, sound equipment with possibility to connect external audio sources and microphones, provide wi-fi access, low voltage energy power (12V) supply, have 112 button for emergency call, USB connection to charge mobiles, tablets, GPS location, possibility to charge equipment such as scooters, electric bikes, segways, possibility to inflate tires of bicycles, wheelchairs, balls
Capacities of local communities and service providers were raised through organization of local businesses advancement seminar held on April 25, 2019. Titled “Tourism services in Zemgale and promotion of local entrepreneurship” seminar was dedicated to inform Lithuanian and Latvian neighbours about the opportunities the project offers for attracting visitors.
For attracting diverse groups of tourists to cross-border Zemgale region, various kinds of activities and diverse opportunities were offered – educational materials, informational stands, youth camps, promotional bicycle tours, creation of promotional video clip, inventory for guiding. In particular: 10 new informational stands were placed by Bicycle adventure trail in Tervete nature park informing about the nature values and providing additional recreational and cognitive elements for tourists. Educational materials (worksheets) about Tervete forest were prepared for visitors (school kids, families, in Latvian and Lithuanian languages). At the same time, 46 informational stands got renewed in Žagarė Regional Park. Placed in various places within the territory of Žagarė RP, stands do provide information about nature, culture objects, history of local partisans, Jewish heritage, history of Semigallia, history and evolution of Žagarė town. To raise the interest among kids and youth, 2 summer camps were organized for school children of cross-border Žagarė and Tervete region in the years 2018 and 2019. Promotional video was created to serve as a tool to increase visibility for the Tērvete-Žagarė region and reach the target groups – active and nature tourism lovers, families with children and young people https://www.facebook.com/ZagaresRegioninisParkas http://www.tervetesnovads.lv/informativie-materiali/ . Žagarė Regional Park Directorate procured high quality audio guiding equipment for conducting excursions to large groups of people. Promotional souvenirs, such as t-shirts, thermos-cups, water bottles, lunch boxes, textile bags were produced and distributed to visitors and target groups for raising awareness, stimulating interest to explore the region, and spreading information.
As a result of project activities, the total visitors’ increase was making 32972. To illustrate, in Žagarė, 106332 visitors were counted in 2017, while in 2019 the number of visitors reached 126804. In Tervete, there were 146500 visitors counted in 2017 and 159000 visitors were counted in 2019.
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