Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Finland - Estonia - Latvia - Sweden (Central Baltic)

Description

Description (EN):

The goal of Baltic Wings is to make the Baltic region attractive for nature tourism with bird watching in focus. The area has great natural resources with – in the European context – relatively untouched wildlife areas, but is still rather unknown to nature tourists.The project aims to increase visits to already known sites for birdwatching and other nature activites as well as develop new sites in order to extend the now short tourism season in order to increase the economic oppourtunities of the coastal area. In order to achieve our common goals, co-operation across national borders with focus on developing high-standard attractions and services is needed. Facilities need to be upgraded and accessibility for all visitors, including those physically disadvantaged, must be improved. Birding infrastructure, such as birding platforms, trails, hides and nature information centres/info points suitable for national as well as international tourism is needed and will be built within the project. By working together we can offer nature lovers from all over the world a wide variety of natural landscapes, biotopes and special and rare species. Joint migratory routes for birds connects the countries in the region and will be a special theme in the project. Together it is possible to make targeted international marketing activities. By involving local partners that can develop tourism services, new job opportunities in rural areas will be created. Local guides are important for the fulfilment of the project aims.Guide education is an important part of the project. The connection between small-scale farming and high nature values such as rich biodiversity and beautiful open landscapes will be emphasised to create awareness of the value of nature protection. The development of first class wildlife and bird sites will also be beneficial to the local public with free access to installations. This will also be of great educational value to schools for nature studies.

Expected Results (EN): R2.1. More sustainable joint natural and cultural heritage based tourist attractions

Expected Outputs (EN):

The results will be several high quality bird watching and other wildlife tourism attractions around the Baltic and increased joint capacity to offer new and exciting tourist experiences. Through marketing the central Baltic area will be established as a leading and exciting birding and wildlife tourism destination. Our project will have several physical results such as information centers/info points with exhibitions open to the public, joint exhibition parts, hides for close-up nature studies and photography, nature information trails and platforms (disabled/wheelchair adopted). These can also be used for educational purposes locally to raise awareness and will lay a foundation for future tourism activities. Testing will develop best practice/constructions. When possible we will collect statistics on visitor and customer numbers. Local lodging, stores and local food products will be favoured, making the local economies stronger. Joint birding and wildlife tourism products will be developed, tested and evaluated. The products will then be marketed in ecotourism fairs yearly, advertisement in international best-selling bird and wildlife magazines, promotional tours for journalists and tour operators, printed publications and one joint website. Marketing materials such as maps and a joint film will be produced as well as a report on bird migration in an identified, but poorly known, birding hot-spot (Kolka, Lv). Joint education of guides, guidelines, checklists and code of conduct will ensure tourism products/packages of equal and high standard as well as low environmental impact . Our aim is to develop sustainable products, but also change attitudes and increase engagement for nature. Local guides will be working in longer seasons than before, since we intend to start in March/April and stop in October/November. We expect an increasing number of visitors and as a consequence, a rising number of entrepreneurs welcoming tourists also at low-seasons.

Themes

Cultural heritage and arts Tourism

Specific Objective: Natural and cultural resources developed into sustainable tourist attractions

Thematic Objective: (06) preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency by:

Investment Priority: (06c) Conserving, protecting, promoting and developing natural and cultural heritage

Partners

Lead Partner (EN): Stockholm Bird Association

Lead Partner: Stockholms Ornitologiska Förening

Department: xx

Address: Box 1081 2, 101 39 Stockholm, Sweden

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.stof.nu

Total budget: EUR 641 891.45

ERDF budget: EUR 481 418.59

Nature Conservation Agency

Name: Dabas aizsardzības pārvalde

Department: Kurzeme Regional Administration

Address: Baznīcas 7, LV 2150 Sigulda, Latvia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.daba.gov.lv

Total budget: EUR 71 100.00

ERDF budget: EUR 60 435.00

Nature Tours

Name: Dabas Tures

Department: --

Address: Melnsila 13, LV-1046 Riga, Latvia

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.dabastures.lv

Total budget: EUR 3 237.58

ERDF budget: EUR 2 751.94

Kökar Municipality

Name: Kökar Kommun

Address: Karlby x 2, 22730 Kökar, Finland

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.kokar.ax

Total budget: EUR 170 000.00

ERDF budget: EUR 127 500.00

Närsholmen Society

Name: Föreningen Närsholmen

Address: Etelhem Västringe 832, 62374 Stånga, Sweden

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 344 008.57

ERDF budget: EUR 258 006.43

Summary

Project name (EN): Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Project acronym: Baltic Wings

Period: 2014-2020

Date of latest update: 2020-12-14

Website: http://centralbaltic.eu/

Project start date: 2018-01-01

Project end date: 2020-12-31

Project status: ongoing

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 230 237.60

European Union funding: EUR 930 111.96

Co-financing sources: ERDF

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Dabas aizsardzības pārvalde

Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Partners and Projects info

Nature Tours

Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Partners and Projects info

Kökar Municipality

Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Partners and Projects info

Närsholmen Society

Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Partners and Projects info

Stockholm Bird Association

Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Lead partner

Project partner

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Finland - Estonia - Latvia - Sweden (Central Baltic)

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-11-16

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

137 / 137 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

663 / 663 (100%)

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Nature tourism for sustainable rural economic development

Description

Themes

Partners

Summary

Partners map

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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