AJARA PROTECTED AREAS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM STRATEGY Draft
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AJARA PROTECTED AREAS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM STRATEGY Draft PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR ELABORATION OF ADJARA PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND PLAN OF ACTION Program: Expansion and Improved Management Effectiveness of the Adjara Region´s Protected Areas CONTRACT: #064/09/2015 December 2015 PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR ELABORATION OF ADJARA PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND PLAN OF ACTION The strategy was elaborated by HIDRIA Ciencia, ambiente y desarrollo S.L. with support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia, and the Agency of the Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Georgia. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author/s and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations or UNDP. 2 Contract: #064/09/2015 – Provision of Services for Elaboration of Adjara Protected Areas System Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Plan of Action TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 6 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 8 1.1. Background ....................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2. Purpose and Objectives of the Plan ................................................................................................. 9 1.3. General Approach ............................................................................................................................ 9 1.4. Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 11 2. FRAMEWORK FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN AJARA PROTECTED AREAS ....................... 12 2.1. Description and Key Features of the Area ..................................................................................... 12 2.2. Assessment of the Area ................................................................................................................. 14 2.3. Analysis of the main Constraints and Opportunities .................................................................... 16 2.3.1. Constraints for tourism development in Ajara Protected Area ............................................... 16 2.3.2. Main opportunities for tourism development in Ajara Protected Areas ................................. 18 2.4. Analysis of Tourism Demand ......................................................................................................... 19 2.4.1. Current market demand ............................................................................................................ 19 2.4.2. Market potential for Ajara Protected Areas ............................................................................. 19 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 24 4. SWOT AND TOWS ANALYSIS ............................................................................................ 30 4.1. SWOT and TOWS Analysis.............................................................................................................. 30 5. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 40 6. POTENTIAL TOURISM SERVICES AND FACILITIES – BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES .................... 49 6.1. Financial Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 49 6.2. Investment Requirements and Income Opportunities ................................................................. 51 7. STRATEGIC PLAN .............................................................................................................. 61 7.1. Vision, Mission and Goals .............................................................................................................. 61 7.2. Strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 62 8. ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................................... 63 9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 102 10. ANNEXES ....................................................................................................................... 104 10.1. Annex 1. List of existing Guest Houses in Ajara PA´s .................................................................. 104 10.2. Annex 2. List of TTOO offering nature-based products .............................................................. 106 10.3. Annex 3. List of Restaurant Facilities in Ajara PA´s ..................................................................... 109 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................... 110 3 Contract: #064/09/2015 – Provision of Services for Elaboration of Adjara Protected Areas System Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Plan of Action LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APA Agency of Protected Areas APP Application CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CNF Caucasus Nature Fund DMO Destination Management Organization DTR Department of Tourism and Resorts A.R EU European Union FIT Free, Independent Travellers GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environmental Facility GNTA Georgian National Tourism Administration GoG Government of Georgia IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau KPA Kintrishi Protected Areas LOHAS Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability MNP Machakhela National Park MTNP Mtirala National Park MoENRP Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NP National Park PAs Protected Areas SPPA Support Programme of Protected Areas TIC Tourism Information Centre TJS Transboundary Joint Secretariat TTOO Tour Operators UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization VC Value Chain WWF World Wildlife Fund 4 Contract: #064/09/2015 – Provision of Services for Elaboration of Adjara Protected Areas System Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Plan of Action LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Main markets for Ajara PA´s. Source: Own elaboration from adaptation of Cochrane Segmentation (2003) and other authors. ................................................................................................................................ 24 Table 2: Demand situation in the three project PA´s ....................................................................................... 41 Table 3: Evaluation of Tourism features in PA´s by Georgian Incoming TTOO (Status Mid 2014) ................... 42 Table 4: Schedule for regular minibuses to Ajara PA. Source: ......................................................................... 43 Table 5: Number of accommodating facilities in Ajara PA´s ............................................................................ 45 Table 6: Expenditure per ha. in Ajara PA in 2014. Source: APA ....................................................................... 49 Table 7: Services offered by Ajara Pas and revenues received in Gel in 2014. Source: APA ............................ 50 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Guiding principles of Ajara PA´s Sustainable Tourism Strategy......................................................... 11 Figure 2: Methodology for the Ajara Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Action Plan ...................................... 11 Figure 3: Vegetation in Ajara PA´s. Source: APA .............................................................................................. 12 Figure 4: Honey Buzzard and Crested Honey Buzzard recorded in Batumi. Source: Batumi Raptor Count..... 13 Figure 5: Traditional constructions, ethnographic museum and gastronomy in Ajara PA´s ............................ 13 Figure 6: Tourism Value Chain. ......................................................................................................................... 40 Figure 7: Financial analysis of Ajara PA´s. Source: APA and PA´s administration ............................................ 49 Figure 8: Example of a view point that would fit in Machakhela area. ............................................................ 53 Figure 9: Typology of protected areas funding mechanisms. Source: Emerson (2006) ................................... 55 Figure 10: Components of a concession system. Source: UNDP ...................................................................... 58 5 Contract: #064/09/2015 – Provision of Services for Elaboration of Adjara Protected Areas System Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Plan of Action EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ajara Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Action Plan aims at providing guidelines for the development of sustainable tourism in Mtirala National Park, Kintrishi PA and Machakhela NP; tourism that takes into account the need of conservation of the areas as well the need of economic opportunities for the financial sustainability of the parks and the local communities. The Strategy has a regional focus, considering the