Green Rural Development – Potential of Ecotourism in Lazdijai Research Paper Nord+ 2018 Intensive Field Course

Home , Alytus, Druskininkai, Lazdijai, Veisiejai

University of Latvia University of Vilnius University of Eastern Finland 23. April – 4. May 2018 Margarita Kairjaka, Paulė Tamašauskaitė Patrik Hämäläinen, Franziska Wolff

VILNIUS 2018

Table of contents

Abstract ...... 3

Introduction ...... 4

Theoretical framework ...... 5

Lazdijai district municipality ...... 5

Tourism and ecotourism in Lithuania ...... 5

The role of the European Union and Cross border cooperation ...... 7

Communities and connections ...... 8

Methodology ...... 9

Results and discussion ...... 11

Interviews with experts ...... 11

Interviews with citizens ...... 14

Observations ...... 16

Conclusion ...... 17

Suggestions ...... 18

References ...... 19

Appendix ...... 21

Abstract

Demographic changes taking place in Lithuanian peripheries are promoting research means to implement the sustainable development of rural areas. The study in Lazdijai district municipality is focused on the potential of ecotourism as an approach for a green development option in rural areas. Inductive method has been used to shape the final research approach. To value the potential of ecotourism in Lazdijai district municipality study was conducted by analyzing background, taking semi-structured interviews, making observations and analyzing results. Experts from tourism information centers, regional parks and local active group were interviewed as well as local citizens, tourists, owners of rural homesteads, owners of eco-farms and chairpersons of local communities. Results revealed that despite the fact that ecotourism is not a common term not only in the municipality, but also in Lithuania, the potential of ecotourism is high. Lazdijai district municipality is characterized by attractive nature, hospitable people, and interesting culture, yet there is a lack of tourism infrastructure and management system. Hence people, especially foreigners, do not see it as an ecotourism destination.

Keywords: ecotourism, green development, rural development, nature tourism

Introduction

The occasion of the following case study is the intensive field course Nord+ 2018 in Lithuania. During the 10 days in the southern-most Baltic state, theoretical frameworks and approaches concerning rural development were introduced and followed by a case study in rural areas for four days. In focus were different green concepts that enable rural areas to develop in a sustainable way and involve the local communities towards a stable and working society in peripheral areas. The study in Lazdijai is focused on the potential of ecotourism and local community activities as an approach for a green development option in rural areas. Due to the challenges of the Lazdijai area, it has been part of EU programmes and hence received funding for various projects. Each year, the population of the Lazdijai district municipality is shrinking, and the unemployment rate is 15% (Lithuanian Department of Statistics, 2018). The lands in Lazdijai district municipality are not suitable for a large-scale agriculture. Since there are Regional Parks, the 3rd largest lake in Lithuania, and natural swamps along the forests in Lazdijai, tourism, especially ecotourism, would be the most suitable business for the economic development of the region. While the most popular types of tourism in Lithuania are cultural and natural tourism, ecotourism is not a common term used. In Lithuania ecotourism is not identified as a specific type of tourism, nor is there a clear definition of this form of tourism. The insufficient use of natural and cultural resources for ecotourism is a challenge. Several ecotourism routes have been developed in Lithuania, but there is a lack of an integrated system for the development of ecological tourism services. It is important to research the potential of ecotourism in Lazdijai district municipality due to the opportunity it provides to develop the region in a green, sustainable way.

The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential of Lazdijai district municipality.

The tasks of the research are: 1. Review the background of the study area; 2. To interview experts; 3. To interview citizens; 4. Make observations regarding the tourism infrastructure, nature, and landscape in Lazdijai; 5. Analyse the results obtained and give suggestions.

Theoretical framework

Lazdijai district municipality

The area of the research is Lazdijai district municipality, which is located at the south- western part of Lithuania, where it shares border with Poland and Belarus. It has a population of roughly 20,000 and area of 1306 square kilometres (Lithuanian Department of Statistics, 2018). It is home to the ethnographic population of the “Dzukija”. The area is known for its picturesque landscape; the many forests, lakes and mounds are often used for promoting the area (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2018). Lazdijai is a rural area, facing structural change. The area faces problems like aging population and high unemployment rate. Lazdijai is also sparsely populated and has a low GDP per capita. In conclusion, by many standards, the conditions for development are challenging, as can be seen from a weak city and municipality competitiveness index and low amounts of foreign investment. (Lithuanian Department of Statistics, 2018). In 2017, flows of tourists and visitors were rather big, considering that protected areas in Lazdijai region occupy 18.5% of the area. Most popular destination was Metelių regional park in which territory and visitors center there were 71 588 and 6 226 tourists respectively. In visitors center only 1.6% of visitors were foreigners. More than 1.5 times less tourists visited Veisiejų regional park – there were 46 218 visitors in the park territory and 3 830 in visitors center. In Lazdijai tourism information center there were 27 882 visitors of whom 38,6 % were from Lithuania and 61,4 % from abroad. Museum of Lazdijai region, which is in the center of Lazdijai town), was visited by 9810 tourists (Lazdijų turizmo informacinis centras, 2018).

Tourism and ecotourism in Lithuania

Tourism in Lithuania is 1.7% of GDP, the sector employs 22.5 thousand of employees (1.7% of total workforce). Each year over 2 million tourists visit the country. Lithuania is valued for health and hygiene, and it takes 2nd place in Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017, but the country is poorly evaluated for natural resources - it occupies only 121th place out of 136. This indicator covers the natural capital, that is, the landscape, the parks, and the richness of the vegetation, as well as the development of outdoor tourism activities (The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017). EU structural assistance for 2007-2013 has had a very positive impact on tourism development and has created conditions for creating an attractive priority for infrastructure of active recreational, cultural, business (conferences) and health tourism types, increasing the variety of tourism services and improving their quality. During the financing period, more than 290 projects were financed by the EU Structural Funds, for which 251,12 million euro were allocated from the EU structural assistance and co-financing (from the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania). Reconstructed old objects have regained the attention of tourists, while creating new ones has opened up more tourism opportunities. In the period of 2007-2013, rural tourism was allocated 46.6 million euro from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural

Development and the national budget - more than 340 projects were implemented (Lietuvos Respublikos vyriausybė, 2016) The most popular types of tourism in Lithuania are cultural and natural tourism. There is a possibility to visit UNESCO or national heritage sites, travel around different ethno-cultural regions, perceive their dialects, lifestyle, taste authentic dishes. Also, there is a great variety of outdoor activities, e.g., biking and hiking paths, kayaking routes, skiing, visiting national and regional parks, bird watching, etc. Furthermore, one of the quite popular forms of tourism in Lithuania is rural tourism – it offers rest and activities in countryside. New and trending form of tourism not only in the world, but also in Lithuania is ecotourism. European environment agency (EEA) describes ecotourism as visiting places of semi- natural conditions to perceive the history of nature and culture of the visited places and to protect the ecosystem's integrity; it is an economic opportunity to preserve natural resources and help local populations (Reipas, 2010). In Lithuanian tourism development program for 2014-2020 ecotourism is described as a tourism which conserves environment and provides local people with opportunities for socio-economic activity. It includes cognitive, active (biking, water, pedestrian and other) tourism and rural tourism services. The Law on Protected Territories of the Republic of Lithuania and its implementing legal acts use the concept of cognitive tourism (Lietuvos Respublikos vyriausybė, 2016). General indicators of ecotourism are infrastructure, seasonality, eco products and community involvement. In Lithuania the term of “ecotourism” is rather new; people usually do not know what it is or do not know how to describe it. The image of Lithuania as an ecotourism country is hampered by the fact that in public space ecotourism is often identified with cognitive tourism, as mentioned above. Therefore, foreign tourists imagine ecological excursions as only educational. This shows that in Lithuania ecotourism is not identified as a specific type of tourism, nor is there a clear definition of this form of tourism. The insufficient use of natural and cultural resources for ecotourism is a challenge. Several ecotourism routes have been developed in Lithuania, but there is a lack of an integrated system for the development of ecological tourism services. In the public information space, there are only isolated information about nature-friendly forms of tourism, their benefits to the physical and mental health of the population and to education (Žičkutė, 2014). According to the definition of ecotourism it is a green development option for rural areas in Lithuania. The basis of ecotourism development in the Republic of Lithuania is the naturalness of the landscape and abundance of natural values, a special seaside region, and the development of the system of cognitive tourism infrastructure in national and regional parks. A key condition for the demand for ecotourism products is an attractive complex of public tourism infrastructure (tourism routes, trails, paths) and services. Protected areas are adapted for tourism in such a way that their visit does not affect the landscape and the natural environment, the infrastructure is planned and installed to direct the flow of tourists to places where it is possible to explore the nature without causing damage to it. To develop ecotourism products and increase their competitiveness, it is necessary to continue investing in public infrastructure and improve it, to encourage entrepreneurs to provide the necessary services (accommodation, catering, inventory leasing, service, etc.) and to ensure dissemination of information. The territories of the largest tourism potential, where priority is given to the development of ecotourism, are provided in 5 regions: the seaside, Dzukija, East Aukštaitija, Žemaitija highlands and the Nemunas downstream. The most important ecological cognitive tourism areas in these regions are national and regional parks and their close surroundings, resorts and resort areas, seaside and largest

lakes, the most important thing in these areas is the development of public tourism infrastructure. (Lietuvos Respublikos vyriausybė, 2016). The EU actively supports the development of ecotourism in Lithuania as one of the fastest growing types of tourism that promotes nature conservation. (For example, comprehensive program of public information and education on the importance of protected areas and environmentally friendly lifestyle “Keliaukime kitaip!” (en. “Let’s travel differently!”) was funded by EU Regional Development Fund. This program took place from March 2011 until February 2012. The goal of the project was to ensure effective public information and education about the state and importance of protected areas by promoting the choice of environmentally friendly lifestyle. From the website of the project people can download and print Ecopass in which 38 protected areas in Lithuania are listed. Also there is attached a memory card for tourist with rules for visiting protected areas (Keliauk kitaip, 2011). This was just first steps of promoting eco-friendly lifestyle and tourism in Lithuania. For period of 2014-2020, it is planned to allocate 14.5% of EU funds to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use; 12.5% for environmental protection, sustainable use of natural resources and adaptation to climate change; 7.9% to promote the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses (2014-2020 Europos Sąjungos fondų investicijos Lietuvoje, 2016). These investments in different fields related to promotion of sustainable development should positively impact growth of ecotourism sector in Lithuania. Now there is even a possibility to become an ecotourism specialist - Kolping University of Applied Sciences in Kaunas offers study program of ecotourism (Kolpingo kolegija, 2015).

The role of the European Union and Cross border cooperation Due to the challenges of the Lazdijai district municipality, it has been a part of EU programmes and hence received funding for various projects. Since the Lisbon Treaty of 2007, EU’s agenda has been that of improving territorial cohesion, which means providing support for areas that are lagging (European Commission, 2018). Territorial cohesion emphasises turning the diversity of regions into strengths; taking advantage of the potential of the existing conditions (European Commission, 2018). This statement fits to the concept of ecotourism, which promotes sustainable use of the natural environment. Furthermore, to achieve territorial cohesion, cooperation between actors at different levels, as well as cooperation between other regions and countries, is required (European Commission, 2018). Thus, analysing the networks, cooperation, and communication between the stakeholders at different scales can provide information about the potential for development in the region, as well as reveal obstacles that hinder it. Lithuania is part of EU’s neighbourhood and cross-border cooperation (CBC) programmes, so it cooperates with Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Latvia, and it is also a part of Interreg programmes (Joint Technical Secretariat, 2017). These programmes are used for implementing European Union goals and policies. Specific to the Lazdijai region, and the focus of our research, is the cross-border cooperation project PL/107 “Development of Ecotourism in Lithuania - Poland cross-border region”, which took place between the years 2007 – 2013 (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). One of the main objectives of the programme was to develop joint tourism, particularly ecotourism (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). Today, there is a continuation to the CBC, titled (Interreg V-A) Lithuania- Poland, which has similar focus on ecotourism, in the form of preserving and developing the areas natural and cultural heritage for tourism purposes (European Commission, 2014).

The CBC programmes highlight the beautiful nature in the area and the vast potential it creates for different forms of tourism. Especially the focus is on forms of tourism that are sustainable, using the areas natural and cultural heritage as an advantage; ecotourism (European Commission, 2014). There are many cultural and outdoor attractions, as well as houses for tourists to stay in the rural areas (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). However, several challenges are pointed out. The tourism situation is seen to be insufficient, since the income from tourism is not enough to guarantee income for the region (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). Obstacles like lack of tourist information centres, poor waste water treatment in the rural areas and lack of visibility of the tourism opportunities are entities that require improvements to fully realise the potential of the Lazdijai area. (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). In addition to sustainable nature tourism, another potential form of improving the Lazdijai region are activities related to the cultural heritage of the area. Cultural heritage can offer a green form of tourism, which can also involve locals, even the elderly. Developing attractions regarding the unique cultural heritage of the area, in cooperation with the Polish side as well, can help in creating new forms of sustainable economic growth (European Commission, 2014). The area should be further developed to take greater advantage of the potential for tourism, while aiming for longer periods of stay for the tourists. Establishment of cultural programmes and tourism routes that are based on the natural and cultural heritage are the starting point for developing tourism. Creating a better image of the tourism services is necessary to attract more tourists to the area (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). Also, cross- border cooperation is deemed important, since the Polish and Lithuanian sides are historically closely connected (European Commission, 2014). Communities and connections The role of communities in improving rural development can be crucial. Local communities are better in responding to the needs of local people. The territory of the rural areas is well suited for involving local communities. In general, the local communities tend to lead a more sustainable way of life. The linkages between people tend to be stronger in these areas as well. It is thus argued, that closer cooperation among locals can create more sustainable development (European Commission, 2014). The connections between locals and higher administrative levels can be more complicated. The lack of communication between citizens and the public sector can result in democratic deficiency. In the CBC 2007 – 2013 between Lithuania and Poland, the cooperation between local and regional authorities was an important theme. Reportedly, it was improved, and successful examples were found (European Commission, 2014). Furthermore, forming better connections between people and legal and administrative institutions will serve as the basis for more inclusive growth (European Commission, 2014). Hence, it is worthy to investigate the current state of cooperation and communication between the actors in the case study area.

Methodology

Following methods have been used during the research:

1. Analysis of the background; 2. Semi-structured interviews; 3. Observations; 4. Analysis of results.

The deductive approach was used to determine certain research questions beforehand with knowledge and information collected during group work. At the study site, the theories have been proven not to be as suitable as thought, thus the inductive method has been used to shape the final research approach. The study includes different methods to assess information about the potential of ecotourism and the opportunity to involve local communities into rural development processes. Qualitative methods are the key tools used in the field with the focus on interviews and observations. Several cross-border project aspects and sustainable tourism development indicators (published by WTO) have been used for formulating the interview questions and as a guideline for observations. A list of interview forms can be found in the appendix (Appendix #1). Analysis of the background was made by studying information and literature available on the internet. Various webpages and documents, such as Lithuanian tourism development program for 2014-2020, Lazdijai district rural development strategy for 2016-2023, etc., were studied. Gathered information was used for analysing current situation of tourism and ecotourism both in national and local levels. The interviews were carried out by guiding questions that were determined beforehand based on the analysis of the background. However, interviews were not strict and went naturally, i.e., not all questions were answered and some new ones arose during the interview. Half of the interviews were conducted in person and other were held by phone. The interviews have been conducted considering various authorities involved in tourism and regional development as well as the local community and citizens. The division of these two actor groups is crucial as the authorities at the expert level might be convinced about existing possibilities related to tourism, its potential and future perspectives while the local people represent the level on which tourism takes place and where implementations might succeed or fail. Consequently, the two actor groups have the potential to conflict each other resulting in the evaluation of the “real” potential of ecotourism in Lazdijai. General observations were made while traveling around municipality by car and detailed ones were made by exploring objects by foot. The main interest point of observations was important places and attractions, such as the tourism center and regional parks. The focus was set on infrastructure, guidelines, and the general impression of the places. The quality of the infrastructure, amount and approachability of tourism objects, the abundance of informational stands and indexes, amount of information in foreign language, picturesqueness of the landscape, cleanliness of the environment, quantity of catering facilities, etc., were assessed. All

observations were used as indicators to value the attractiveness of Lazdijai district municipality for both native and foreign tourists. Analysis of the results was conducted by organizing data. Interviews were divided by respondents of experts and locals as well as by topics discussed. Answers of different respondents were compared and conclusions, as well as suggestions were made of common trends both agreements and disagreements.

Results and discussion

Interviews with experts

As a part of research, five experts of Lazdijai district municipality were interviewed: two directors of Regional Parks, Ramūnas Krugelis – the director of Meteliai Regional Park and Lina Žukausniene, the director of Veisiejai Regional Park, two managers of Tourism Information Centers – Agne Vaitkevičiūte of TIC in Lazdijai and Simona Bagdanavičiūte of TIC in Janaslavas, and Edita Gudišauskiene – administration manager of Local Active Group of Dzūkija region (Dzūkijos VVG). The tourism in Lazdijai district municipality is going rather well, with 25000 visitors of TIC in 2017 and summer being the peak season. Lazdijai city is visited but is not the main destination – tourists prefer the countryside (Vaitkevičiūte, 2018). All the experts agree on the fact that the biggest strength of the Lazdijai district municipality is the beautiful nature it has to offer; the lakes, the forests, regional parks as well as trails. Nature, which is a clean environment, rather untouched by the human, is the main reason for visiting Lazdijai district municipality. For tourists, traveling by car and coming in from Poland, Lazdijai is the first stop in Lithuania, which must leave a good first impression about the whole country. The TIC in Lazdijai is mostly visited by Lithuanian tourists, yet the TIC in Janaslavas is visited mostly by foreigners, for whom it is the first stop, arriving in Lithuania. Foreigners visiting Janauskas are interested not only in Lazdijai district municipality, but also in Kaunas, Vilnius, Klaipeda, and other famous tourist destinations, so the TIC provides leaflets not only about Lazdijai, but other municipalities as well. The demand for information on activities is high, yet there is a lack of information in foreign languages, due to shortage of financial resources and cooperation with other municipalities (Bagdanavičiūte, 2018). The workers of visitor centers speak English, Polish, some of them can speak Russian as well. There is no demand for more accommodation in Lazdijai town since most visitors are just driving through it, yet the accommodation in rural Lazdijai is just enough (Vaitkevičiūte, 2018). The main challenges of the tourism sector, according to both managers of TICs, is the capacity of the activities offered. For example, if a group of sixty people is interested in a boat trip or bicycle trail, they would have to split the group in smaller parts. Asked about cooperation with the locals, S. Bagdanavičiūte emphasizes on offering locally hand-crafted goods local honey, candles, ceramics as souvenirs for visitors of the TIC in Janaslavas, mentioning the promotion of local events alongside elements of the cuisine, like traditional fish soup or traditional dish called “banda”. Edita Gudišauskiene, the administration manager of Local Active Group of Dzūkija, mentions that not only the nature is a strength of this region – the strength of local communities plays an important role as well. Nowadays these communities are involving local people, yet they wish to broaden their activities and include people from elsewhere (Gudišauskiene, 2018). She also emphasizes that Lazdijai does not have the necessary infrastructure for big enterprises and industries, as it has never been a place for big industries, however, small industries are developed in the area. Rural communities are implementing social services, such as daycare and elderly care, other specialties of the region are mainly agriculture, both large and small scale, as well as a new field, currently developing – cattle and livestock grazing. Edita mentions that the

main challenge of this region is emigration and aging population. The municipality is working on decreasing the decline of the population by trying to create attractive workplaces for residents. Asked about cooperation with other municipalities, she accents that the cooperation is well developed on both national and international levels, for example, a cooperation with Druskininkai municipality is taking place, where citizens of Lazdijai visit events in Druskininkai. Also, an international project, focused on improving cooking heritage, is mentioned, and, although Lazdijai district municipality is not a member of the project, they still participate in the events related to it (Gudišauskiene, 2018). The cooperation with nearby polish regions is well developed as well, since there are Lithuanians living there, which results in common events etc. Edita states that there are no negative aspects of this cooperation and the residents can only benefit from it, since the network is developing, citizens are able to get new contacts, exchange information and experience. According to the experiences exchanged, they can thus implement changes and develop new cooperation projects. The director of Meteliai Regional Park, Ramūnas Krugelis, states that the main challenges of tourism in Lazdijai are private territories and seasonality. 90-95% of the Dusia lake shore is private, which results in a limited accessibility. In peak season, there is not enough accommodation for tourists, however, building new accommodation possibilities would not be profitable, because they still will have to be maintained during the non-season time. He also mentions that there is a lack of cafes and restaurants. Tourists are mostly attracted to Meteliai Regional Park because of the lakes, an educational path around the Regional Park (3,5 km), bird watching during the migration season, activities in the visiting center and several rare and endangered key species that can be found in the territory of the Regional Park. He also mentions the problem of eutrophication of the Dusia lake, that grew because of local farmers, and overfishing that affects fish population in the lake. Even though the Regional Park restricted fishing for business purposes earlier, the Ministry of Environment did not see the need for it, which resulted in extinction of one fish species. Asked about challenges for tourism in Lazdijai, the director of Veisiejai Regional Park, Lina Žukauskiene, emphasizes on lack of infrastructure and accommodation for visitors in this region, yet she mentions, that the potential is very high. She mentions the lack of tourism infrastructure for foreigners, stating, that the current infrastructure is enough for Lithuanians, whereas foreigners usually demand more (Žukauskiene, 2018). Another disadvantage is the fact that tourism infrastructure objects, for example, towers, don’t have small ice cream shops or cafes nearby, same can be observed near the tourist trails. So, even if the tourism objects are there, they do not bring any income to the Regional Park. Every expert was also asked about ecotourism in Lazdijai district municipality and their opinion on ecotourism and meaning of it. Both managers of the Tourism Information Centers stated that ecotourism is a way of tourism that is connected to nature and it is already happening in Lazdijai, yet one of them mentioned, that the priority of the Lazdijai district municipality is to develop tourism in general and not only ecotourism (Vaitkevičiūte, 2018). Administration manager of Dzukija Local Active Group adds that ecotourism in general needs to be developed more in this region, because now it is not a common term. The director of Meteliai Regional Park emphasized on the lack of businesses in the ecotourism sector since no one is interested in investing in a business that would operate only couple of month a year. The director of Veisiejai Regional Park adds that Lithuanian legislation and the paperwork that needs to be done is an obstacle as well. Seasonality of tourism is a challenge mentioned by all experts interviewed.

Local citizens, who own rural homesteads, mostly earn all their yearly income during the peak season, and use the money earned for the rest of the year. Another part of the residents earn their income from berry and mushroom picking (Žukauskiene, 2018). While the experts agree on the fact that the beautiful nature of Lazdijai is a great image of the region, the seasonality aspect cannot be denied. In general, the experts imagine that ecotourism is tourism, that has something to do with nature, bikes, trails, and they state, that all this already exists in Lazdijai, just under a different name. Asked about the cooperation project with Poland, which took place 2007-2013, administration manager of Dzukija Local Active Group did not know much about it and referred to the Tourism Information Center. Building of the TIC in Janaslavas was financed by this project, also Meteliai Regional Park benefited from it, in general 70 objects in the park were either built or renovated, for example, the pier in the lake and several bicycle paths, yet some of the objects had a lack of maintenance due to no financial support after. The manager of the TIC in Lazdijai mentioned that there was a plan to build bicycle roads from Lithuania to Poland, to develop a stronger cooperation, yet the funding was not received. Continuing the topic of cooperation with other municipalities or countries, the director or Veisiejai Regional Park mentioned that they try to promote Druskinikai city for the visitors of the Regional Park, yet Druskinikai is not doing the same, due to them considering themselves more developed than the others (Žukauskiene, 2018). Yet, administration manager of Dzukijos Local Activist Group feels that the cooperation with Druskinikai is going well, thus we can conclude, that the cooperation depends on the field. The director of Meteliai Regional Park feels that the communication with the government in Vilnius could be improved, yet the director of the other Regional Park in Lazdijai district municipality feels that it is already going well. Lina Žukauskiene of Veisiejai adds that this Regional Park has a tight connection to other Regional Parks in Lithuania, which results in experience exchange events. She also mentions cooperation with other institutions in this municipality (for example, TIC or Meteliai Regional Park) while organizing events, so that the dates do not overlap. Even though Veisiejai Regional Park does not have a cooperation with local communities, the director thinks that it is a great idea to develop it. Not only the cooperation with local communities is important but using their traditions to promote the region as well: the director of Veisiejai Regional Park suggests that organizing events that are connected to local cuisine, for example, presenting regional recipes to foreigners and organizing degustation, would boost the tourism a lot and partly fight the seasonality problem. She also suggests organizing hot air balloon excursions, so that visitors can experience the beautiful landscape from above, since Veisiejai Regional Park has a lot of hidden lakes in forests, which cannot be seen otherwise. She mentions that the rural homesteads in this region usually offer different activities, for example, kayaking, boat rides and bicycle rides, yet they do not necessarily have time for offering local food, which, according to her, should be changed. Edita Gudišauskiene of Dzukijai LAG, however, feels that the image of this region should stay the beautiful nature, because rural development is becoming more popular. Asked about the promotion of their institutions, all the experts answered that the main promotion of tourism is done in the social media, especially facebook. Ramūnas Krugelis of Meteliai emphasizes that the promotion for the Regional Park is going on only in the non-season time, because it is already crowded in the peak season. The interviews with experts show that ecotourism has a great potential in Lazdijai district municipality and it already has been there before yet is does not have an official name of

ecotourism – people prefer to name it nature tourism. It is suggested to enhance the cooperation with local communities and neighboring municipalities. Offering visitors to try local food and visit events would allow them to experience the culture of this region even better. These actions would decrease the seasonality of tourism in Lazdijai – when the winter comes, and nature becomes less appealing, visitors still would be able to participate in events and try local cousine. The interviews reveal some contradictions as well, for example, in terms of accommodation, while one expert states that the accommodation is just enough, another one assures that there is a lack of it. While one expert emphasizes on the lack of tourism infrastructure in general, another one states that the infrastructure is enough, but just for Lithuanians, whereas a third expert is sure that everything is good, and it should stay that way.

Interviews with citizens

During the research not only experts were interviewed, but also tourists, a local citizen, owners of homesteads, two chairpersons of local communities and two eco-farmers. Both tourists and the local citizen were met at the top of towers: the local citizen in Meteliai Regional Park and the tourists in Veisiejai Regional Park. The tourists interviewed are originally from Alytus town in Lithuania. The owners of homesteads, two chairpersons of local communities and the eco-farmers were contacted by the phone. Asked about their view on tourism in Lazdijai district municipality, both the local citizen and tourists agreed on the fact that most visitors who come here on purpose are Lithuanians. The tourists emphasized on lack of signs, especially in English, adding that they had difficulties finding several objects in the Regional Park and if they were not Lithuanian, it would be almost impossible for them to find information about the activities and possibilities here. Yet the local citizen feels the tourism facilities in this region are generally good, even though he suggests changing them. For example, the tower in Meteliai regional park, according to him, should have been built on the top of a hill, to provide a better view of the area. Since most of the visitors are Lithuanians who own a private land on the shore of the Dusia lake, they already are familiar with the surroundings, thus he does not see a need for more signs. The local citizen, who is a nature lover in his fifties, adds that seasonality is a problem of this region and hinders the earning of income during the wintertime. He suggests promoting ice fishing as an activity for visitors in wintertime, adding that this activity would be successful and bring male visitors together. He adds that several people are already doing it, yet not always legally, due to the must of having a license. Both chairpersons of the local communities state that the activities provided (horse riding, service routes, hiking, volleyball competition etc.) are not suitable for foreign tourists. In the case of Gegutė village, the key factor is language – all the activities are in Lithuanian, older employees speak Russian as well, but there is a lack of English speaking residents who would be able to translate. In the case of “Tarp Dusios ir Metelio” community, they have never thought about offering their events for tourists (currently it is only for locals), explaining that, according to them, their community is too small and maybe not ready to organize something international. The chairperson added that right now she could not imagine what do they have that could be offered for tourists, yet she knows some local businesspeople who offer traditional fish soup for visitors. The main activities in this community relate to sports and nature, yet Gegutė community

offer some local food after enjoying nature as well and the chairperson states that everything they do is “eco”. Both chairpersons add that they have cooperation with other regions, “Tarp Dusios ir Metelio” is involved in a project with Poland, whereas the community of Gegutė cooperate with other municipalities. The chairperson of Gegutė adds that the Tourism Information Centers along with the municipality should promote these communities more. There are 16 rural tourism homesteads in Lazdijai District Municipality listed as eco (Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija, 2013). There were some difficulties experienced contacting owners of these homesteads. Owners who have been contacted were away since the season had not yet begun. Some of the owners were not open for cooperation, stating that they are too busy to talk. Owner of homestead „Akmenėlis“ in Akmenių village stated that 80% of the visitors of his homestead are Lithuanians, even though this village is near the border with Poland. Indicators that allow to list this homestead as eco, according to the owner, are solar panels used for electricity, recycling, and educational activities which are offered for tourists. Visitors can be involved in activities related to apiculture, and soon there will be offered activity of traditional bread baking in the furnace. There also are 35 ecofarms in Lazdijai District municipality (Lietuvos vartotojų institutas, 2018). Mainly those are mixed farms where not only different cultures of plants are grown, but cattle and sheep as well. Majority of these farms are not offering educational activities for tourists. One of the respondents assures that their farm is too small for tourists to come. They are too busy to get involved in tourism activities and, according to him, others (for example, TIC) should take care of tourists. Another farmer, owner of a lavender farm, feels that there is a possibility for tourists to visit. Also, she mentions that lavender festival will be taking place in July. Furthermore, there is a farm called “Vilkės ūkis” (en. Farm of female wolf) not certified as ecofarm but presenting itself as a natural farm. The owner is organizing online courses for beginners and advanced people who are interested in natural farming, and two-day seminar for people who either already live in the countryside or are just planning to move and expect to live on sustainable agriculture. Also, there is a possibility to volunteer in the farm (for at least 5 days) in exchange for accommodation and food (Vilkės ūkio mokymai, 2018). This activity, from which both – the owner and tourists would benefit, would be an outstanding experience for eco-tourists if only it would be promoted more on local, national, or international level. The interviews show that the opinions differ, depending on the level. For example, some expert states that the cooperation with local communities is going well, whereas a chairperson of the community feels the need for TIC and the municipality to promote them more. While a local citizen suggests promoting fishing to fight tourism seasonality, the experts did not mention this option, probably due to the overfishing problem in the Dusia lake, which was explained by the director of Meteliai Regional Park, Ramūnas Krugelis. The language problem is an observation as well; foreign languages are mostly spoken in the Tourism Information Centers, yet in the rural communities usually it is only Lithuanian. This phenomenon can be explained with the fact that most visitors are Lithuanian, yet it goes both ways – the lack of foreign languages can also hinder international tourism. All the interviews show that the lack of communication or awareness still exists, and that a simple absence of knowledge leads to opinions that are rather contradicting. An example of it would be the topic of promoting fishing, where the local citizen might not be aware of the overfishing problem.

Observations Observations have been made during the entire stay in Lazdijai municipality, mainly in rural areas and on the way to interview destinations. However, the first observation was made on the way to Lazdijai town during the road trip. The overall impression of the landscape in Lazdijai municipality was a hilly landscape with appealing houses and a diversity of different land uses, such as agriculture, natural (unused) meadows, forests, ponds and several wind power plants and solar panels on the fields. Besides, a high diversity of birds and plants was observed. The road and paths seemed to be in a good condition and not so frequently used as in many other regions. There was no orientation problem. In Lazdijai town, the centre gave an impression of cleanness; the square and the park appeared well-ordered. The park has been created recently with EU-support as the plate next to the entrance of the park has revealed. The park offered a lot of leisure possibilities, for example for various sport activities, and playgrounds. The accommodation was easy to find, as well as the building of the tourist information. Finding the tourist information inside the building was challenging, as the info plate inside was in Lithuanian. Street plates in Lithuanian language indicated a good orientation to the main objects in and around the town, for example to a horse race place as well. The landscape of Meteliai offers different land uses and a variety of nature impressions. Sometimes, information plate with maps and explanations (often only in Lithuanian) could be find along the route. The regional park is one of the main attractions for tourists. Further, Dusiai lake and its visitor center appears welcoming, providing parking possibilities, an exhibition about the history and present of the Regional Park. Furthermore, interactive games for kids and info plates on trees highlighted the importance of education. Binoculars, a long peer, a swing in the water, a fireplace, benches, and a beach, as well as a marked trail offers a lot of activities. The trail is divided into two walking paths, both clearly marked with different colours on the trees and plates next to the path. There are a lot of trash bins that confirmed the impression of cleanness around.

Conclusion

1. The potential of ecotourism in Lazdijai district is high, with nature, landscape, and lakes being the main strengths of the region. The ecotourism is not a common term, the term “nature tourism” is used instead. 2. Visitors, who come to Lazdijai district municipality on purpose, are mostly Lithuanian. The foreigners visiting this municipality are usually driving through it, when entering Lithuania from Poland. Thus, in this case Lazdijai plays a role of a “Gate to Lithuania”. 3. Different background, as well as the differences in knowledge lead to sometimes completely different views of experts on certain topics, yet in most cases, the experts had similar opinion. 4. Since the seasonality of tourism is one of the main challenges in Lazdijai district municipality, experts agree on the fact that tourism should be promoted more, especially in the non-season time. 5. All the respondents of the interviews agreed on the fact that nature is the most valuable resource of Lazdijai district municipality, that can be used for further development of the region. 6. All the interviews reveal that, firstly, a lack of communication or awareness still exists, even in cases when the respondents state otherwise, an absence of knowledge is observed as well, which leads to rather contradicting results of the interviews; 7. Language is an important factor. Most of the tourism infrastructure is provided in Lithuanian, with an exception of the signs of EU project. While this can be explained with the fact that most tourists are Lithuanian, lack of signs in English is hindering the development of the international tourism in Lazdijai.

Suggestions

1. Nature tourism should be promoted as ecotourism. Many activities taking place in Lazdijai district municipality can be recognized as ecotourism, yet the proper labeling would attract more foreigners and they would be interested in staying there, instead of just driving through. 2. To attract more international visitors, the availability of information in foreign languages or at least English should be improved. If the municipality does not have the funds to provide, this could be carried out as a high school project, or volunteer project, for example. 3. Since most of the ecotourism infrastructure of Lazdijai district municipality is free of charge, a network including small shops and cafes offering local specialty cuisine should be organized. Thereby an opportunity to increase the income of local businesspeople and region in general is provided. 4. To improve the seasonality issue, more wintertime activities, that can happen, disregarding the weather, should be offered, for example, local cuisine degustation, winter hikes or distance skiing. 5. The accommodation facilities in rural homesteads should be provided in wintertime as well, otherwise the development of ecotourism in winter would not be possible. Yet this must cooperate with wintertime activities, because both ideas complement each other.

References

European Commission. 2014. Interreg V-A Lithuania-Poland. Accessed 01.05.2018. Link: https://www.ewt.gov.pl/media/826/lt_pl_eng_26_09_2014.pdf

European Commission. 2018. Territorial Cohesion. Accessed 01.05.2018. Link: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/what/glossary/t/territorial-cohesion

Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS). 2017. Information in English. Accessed 01.05.2018. Link: http://www.vilniusjts.eu/information-in-english

Lazdijų rajono savivaldybės administracija. 2013. About project. Accessed 01.05.2018. Link: http://www.lazdijai-plaska.eu/en/articles/about-project

Lazdiju rajono savivaldybės administracija. 2013. Žemėlapiai. Accessed 03.05.2018. Link: http://www.lazdijai-plaska.eu/lt/maps/ekoturizmo-sodybos

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Appendix Appendix #1 The interview questions Questions for Edita Gudišauskiene: 1. What’s your view on overall socio-economic development of Lazdijai, especially rural regions; 2. What are the specialties (events, things etc) / strengths of this region; 3. What are the challenges for development of Lazdijai region; 4. What do you think is the image of Lazdijai and what would you like it to be; 5. How is the cooperation between local actors /enterprises and other municipalities; 6. How is the cooperation with nearby polish and belarussian regions; 7. What are the positive/negative sides of this cooperation; 8. What forms of tourism are available here; 9. Do you think the tourism has helped to develop services/infrastructure; 10. What do you think is ecotourism (and how much is there); 11. What’s your view on ecotourism in Lazdijai in general so far; 12. Do you see potential of ecotourism in Lazdijai? 13. Who are the other people we could talk to ?

Questions for rural homesteads: 1. who is their target audience; 2. who is usually visiting/ drive thru or ? 3. what languages do you speak? 4. how do they imagine eco tourism concept in their place? (Nature/local food)? 5. would local activity & food be appealing to visitors? 6. what could be the interesting local thing here?

Questions for the ecofarm: 1. how is the demand? 2. when was the ecofarm established and has it more tourists due to the ecotourism project? 3. which nationalities and age group are the tourists? 4. is it profitable? 5. indicators**: why is it an ecofarm? 6. how difficult was it to implement? 7. (future) challenges and perspectives?

Questions for the local citizens: 1. What is ecotourism for you, are you involved in it? 2. how is the image of Lazdijai to foreigners and its image concerning the CBC?

Questions for tourists: 1. how long do they stay? 2. what do they like? 3. are they disappointed about something? 4. would they recommend it? 5. where are they staying (hotel, ecofarm)? 6. can they see ecotourism aspect?

Questions for TIC: 1. Is tourism going well in Lazdijai and what are the main challenges? 2. Why do people come do Lazdijai and what is there to see? 3. How many people are visiting the tourism center per year/peak month? 4. What do the people ask mostly and where are they from? 5. Is the municipality/Lazdijai focusing on ecotourism? - Has there been and are there (EU-) projects to promote ecotourism? - Which routes and places would you recommend for ecotourism? Are there joint ecotourism routes, e.g. with Poland (EU-programme expectations)? 6. Which channels are used to promote (eco-)tourism? 7. How many accommodations, restaurants, cafés and shops are there in Lazdijai town and is there demand for more?