Parks & Benefits

Up to now the economic potential is widely underestimated. Common problems are:
> Lack of integrative & harmonized spatial planning strategies on linking the protected areas to the regions and getting regional stakeholders & SMEs better involved by forming public-private partnerships
> Lack of joint actions to implement a management of natural environment on a sustainable basis and with socio-economic effects on the region
> Compared to other European regions the BSR is lacking behind in establishing a well-functioning destination marketing on its natural assets

Parks&Benefits is a network of protected areas, regional authorities, stakeholders in tourism & environment, and academic institutions in the BSR backed by EUROPARC Federation as European umbrella organization with 500 member parks in 38 countries, aiming to:
> implement the “European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas” (devel. by EUROPARC Federation) as practical instrument to jointly develop, test & transfer solutions of generating socio-economic effects within protected areas of BSR benefiting regional development
> develop integrative & harmonized spatial planning: linking protected areas to their regions
> establish PPP between protected areas, SMEs & regional authorities
> increase the quality of eco-tourism offers by a BSR quality standard
> promote BSR Charter Parks via European-wide EUROPARC brand & increase the identity/recognition of BSR across Europe
> to provide verified arguments in policy making & secure political commitment to nature protection

Activities
Main working fields to implement the European Charter as joint tool to guide socio-economic transformation of rural areas within BSR are:
WP 1: Management & administration / WP 2: Communication & information / WP 3: Sustainable management of natural resources & BSR network of regions and protected areas / WP 4: Sustainable mobility concepts and transport alternatives within and to protected areas / WP 5: Implementation of European visitor management standards in protected areas balancing nature protection and economic utilisation

Results:
Strengthened cooperation of regions with protected areas on generating socio-economic benefits by a sustainable management / Increased interest in BSR natural heritage & its tourist products / Lessened problem of social exclusion in project areas implementing accessibility for all / Closing a gap by implementing the European Charter as European-wide policy at BSR level & establishing a BSR network of protected areas

Norsk prosjekteier

Dovrefjell nasjonalparkstyre

Prosjektperiode

25.10.2008 - 24.01.2012

Budsjett

Norsk bidrag: 1 199 628 Kjell

Total: 2 686 660 €

Andre partnere

Müritz National Park Authority
Administration of Biosphere Reserve South East Rügen
Tourist Board Mecklenburg Lake District
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald / Institute for Geography
EUROPARC Federation
Association for sustainable mobility Germany
Roskilde University, Dept. of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change
Region Zealand, Nature & Environment
Municipality of Guldborgsund, Department for Nature and Environment
Lolland Municipality, Department for business development
Environmental Board
Latvian Country Tourism Association “Lauku ceļotājs”
Ķemeri National Park administration
The Directorate of Kurtuvėnai Regional Park
Ditrectorate of Žemaitija National Park
The Association of Lithuanian State Parks & Reserves