KNOT – Culture, Nature and Tourism network

The operation therefore comprises projects dealing with access to cultural and natural heritage, both physically and mentally. Some partners focus on the linked access through walking or cycling paths, others on the more concrete access on spot and the presentation of cultural and natural heritage through interpretative panels, brochures etc., whereas other partners have adopted more holistic approaches already, especially on local/regional levels linking attraction assets, tourism industry and the local communities. The aim of the operation is to strengthen the exchange of competence and experience between these differing projects, to assist each other through best practice examples and to further sustainable community development through tourism based on local/regional heritage resources. One element of the operation is to establish a network between the partners and their sub-partners (respective Interreg projects). The network will operate through regular partner meetings, frequent contacts through e-mail, telephone and through the intranet to be established as part of the joint KNOT web site. The network partner meetings will be a combination of steering committee functions to decide on operational matters relating to the running of the project, of seminars with themes to fit into the overall objectives of the operation; and study visits to best practice examples.The network partner meetings will be supplemented by a conference towards the end of the operation, where political representatives of the participating regions will discuss the political implications of the results of the operation and the implementation of political actions to ensure lasting impacts of the operation. As each of the participating partners have established web-sites offering tourism information on routes, attractions, amenities etc., the project will also ensure better linkage between the in part huge data bases established by each partner. We intend to do this by adding co-ordinate information to all web-pages and to link this to inter-active maps on each partners’ web-site. When users enter one of these web-sites and make use of the inter-active maps, information provided by any participating partner (and sub-partners) will automatically pop up as click-able information symbols on these maps. The last important element is the use of mobile information technology to provide similar information on spot. By phoning specific numbers, visitors will be able to access information on attractions, routes etc. provided by any of the participating projects in a similar way as was described for the web-sites.