BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA On behalf of Aevis n.o., Rybnická 3951, 06901 Snina, Slovakia LT&C is a Non-Profit Organisation registered in Norway Kystveien 2 N-4841 Arendal (Reg.No 813 329 972) 0 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA Contents BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THIS HANDBOOK 3 CURRENT TOURISM TRENDS OF RELEVANCE FOR PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT 4 METHODOLOGY 9 ECOTOURISM BEST PRACTICES SUPPORTING NATIONAL PARKS 10 CHAPTER 1: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT FOR PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT 11 CHAPTER 2: FINANCIAL MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 18 CHAPTER 3: TOOLS FOR ECOTOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 24 CHAPTER 4: CERTIFICATION IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDISATION ON REGIONAL AND DESTINATION LEVEL 30 CHAPTER 5: VISITOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY NATIONAL PARK AND NGOS AND COOPERATION SCHEMES WITH TOURIST GUIDES 36 BIBLIOGRAPHY 43 ANNEX 48 Stakeholder Map 48 Interview Participants 49 This Handbook is realized within the project Fewer barriers for more benefits in utilising nature and is supported by a program ACF – Slovakia, which is financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. An administrator of the program is Ekopolis Foundation in partnership with Open Society Foundation Bratislava and Carpathian Foundation. 1 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA Executive Summary This practical handbook was put together target area in a national park. It was by Linking Tourism & Conservation (LT&C) highlighted that a people centered outlook, on behalf of Aevis n.o. as part of the project where ecotourism is seen as an integral “fewer barriers for more benefits in utilizing part of rural development is crucial. nature” funded by EEA Norway grants Inventories, baseline assessments and under the Active Citizens Fund – Slovakia market segmentation form the basis of grant programme, to support the project product development, together with component on “data & research”. The careful planning, consideration of handbook aims to provide stakeholders sustainability, health and safety standards from Slovakia, specifically from the and constant monitoring. It was found that Poloniny national park, with arguments tourism and conservation can work hand in from different international LT&C examples hand, but often it requires thinking outside and the wider LT&C network on how of the box and finding ways that provide ecotourism can directly benefit benefits for all parties. conservation in protected areas. Interviews The handbook aimed at collecting relevant were conducted with key conservation and practices, policies and guidelines in the tourism professionals in the areas of: available scope, to set the base for further ● Stakeholder engagement for cooperation between LT&C, Aevis n.o. and protected area management, its partners. ● Financial mechanisms to support environmental protection, ● Tools for ecotourism product development and ● Visitor services and cooperation schemes. Main findings include the need to create a joint participatory approach to sustainable ecotourism development within the protected area and the wider destination. Tourism being a possible tool for protected area financing, management and income generation for local communities, supporting already existing local economies and environments through a diversified ecotourism offer. A staged approach to ecotourism development, as part of a multi-land use approach, was described, which is based on a selected 2 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Example” in detail, with the aim to share knowledge that makes replication at OF THIS HANDBOOK (an)other protected area(s) possible. As part of the project “fewer barriers for Thereby the importance lies on showcasing more benefits in utilizing nature” funded by examples that provide either financial or EEA Norway grants under the Active political support to a protected area or Citizens Fund – Slovakia grant programme, facilitate educational activities. Linking Tourism and Conservation (LT&C) has been commissioned by the Aevis n.o. to As part of the cooperation and in order to support the project component on “data & provide an understanding of the research” by developing a practical destination and the challenges faced by the handbook which provides stakeholders Aevis n.o. and their partners, a 5-day study from Slovakia with arguments and tour to Slovakia was organised for LT&C in international best practice examples from September 2019, visiting the Poloniny the LT&C network on how tourism can National Park, Slovak Paradise National directly benefit conservation in protected Park, Tatra National Park and Poľana areas. protected landscape area and respective stakeholders from public and private Aim of handbook: sector. Based on the guided visits, interviews, discussions and participation in ● Present best practice examples of the inception workshop in Zvolen, jointly ecotourism and conservation in key with the local stakeholders, LT&C members areas of concern that are relevant to were able to identify the main key areas of Slovakia concern for ecotourism development in the ● Provide practical testimonies and protected areas, which needed to be experience addressed in this handbook. ● Highlight approaches, tools and recommendations for Slovakia. The best practices of this handbook were selected based on the experience of LT&C LT&C is a global network of members from in Slovakia. Relevant LT&C members, the fields of both tourism and conservation, partners and other contacts were working towards a global complete subsequently contacted, to present network of protected areas, for which the examples that are of relevance for Slovak organisation profiles so called “LT&C- partners. Each of the following chapters Examples”, where tourism is leading and the highlighted case studies aim to be conservation. For this, LT&C searches and as relevant as possible for Slovak partners. promotes initiatives, projects or businesses However, the feasibility can only be judged globally, that represent an outstanding by Slovak partners themselves, as LT&C has example of tourism supporting the only a limited understanding of all the establishment, management or the further problems and opportunities in the Slovak development of (a) protected area(s). The areas of concern. members or partners of LT&C are encouraged to describe such an “LT&C- 3 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA CURRENT TOURISM TRENDS the atmosphere since three million years, with increasingly severe impacts of climate OF RELEVANCE FOR change, including rising temperatures, PROTECTED AREA more extreme weather, water stress, sea MANAGEMENT level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems. Nature-based travel International tourist arrivals have reached 1,4 billion in 2019, the number of The tourism industry has been estimated to international air passengers is 130% higher account for about 10% of the gross than in 2004 (WTM, 2019). Transport domestic product (GDP) worldwide (WTTC, accounting for 75% of emissions related to 2019). And within the sector nature-based tourism. With its close connection to the tourism, including wildlife watching and environment and climate itself, tourism is a outdoor recreation, often in protected highly climate-sensitive sector (Cabrini, areas, has been gaining the most popularity 2019). In the climate change debate, amongst travellers all over the world since tourism is victim and offender at the same the 1990s (Balmford, Beresford, Green, et time. Destinations around the world are al. 2009). Whereas in more recent years it gathering data on the implications of has picked up momentum due to climate change for their business (New increasing rediscovered public awareness Zealand recognizing the threat of of our natural surroundings and our role environmental impact of travel on its within global ecosystems. industry (1 News, 2019)), experiencing first- These statistics underline widespread hand the increasing negative effects that recognition that nature-based tourism is natural disasters can have on destinations indeed capable of generating substantial (flooding in Venice, bush fires in Western resources for both conservation and local Australia). economic development (Chen & Prebensen, 2017; Gössling, 1999; Boo, With the science and noticeable growing 1990). It is predicted that nature-based impacts of climate change comes an tourism is going to continue growing in its increasing global awareness of climate many forms (Balmford, Beresford, Green, et change and through activists such as Greta al. 2009). Some of these are thought of Thunberg, the perception and needs of being especially relevant not just in the travellers has shifted towards climate coming years, but for this handbook friendly holidays. Ecotourism is naturally a (UNWTO, 2019). part of tourism that is in line with this mindset. Especially remote natural areas Climate aware travel and wildlife experiences are attracting travellers that have become aware of the According to the World Meteorological fragile ecosystems affected by climate Organisation (2019), 2019 recorded the change, or those who would like to escape highest concentration of carbon dioxide in modern routines to reconnect with nature 4 BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ECOTOURISM IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL PARKS IN SLOVAKIA (Joyner, Lackey, & Bricker, 2018; Weaver, 2008).