Description
Description (LT): Šiomis dienomis V-Latvija ir Š-Lietuva kaip pasienio regionai susiduria su žmonių senėjimo, populiacijos mažėjimo problemomis ir “Rusijos krizės” pasekmėmis. Šie veiksniai neigiamai veikia verslą ir gyvenamają aplinką. Tuo pačiu metu šie regionai turi didelį turizmo (T.) plėtros potencialą, nes yra apdovanoti natūralia gamta, vaizdingais kraštovaizdžiais, švaria ir saugia aplinka. T. plėtra kelia ir tam tikrą riziką aplinkai. Tačiau neigiamas poveikis gali būti nedidelis, jei bus skiriama pakankamai dėmesio tinkamai infrastruktūrai įrengti. Dėl šių priežasčių T. yra viena iš prioritetinių darnaus vystymosi sričių šiuose pasienio regionuose.
UniGREEN projekto tikslas yra vystyti darnų T. LV ir LT pasienio regionuose, stabilizuoti ir padidinti turistų ir jų nakvynių skaičių šiuose regionuose. Rezultatų bus siekiama: 1) kuriant naujus ir gerinant jau esančius gamtinio T. produktus bei didinant jų žinomumą ir prieinamumą visoms keliautojų grupėms; 2) atitinkamomis rinkodarinėmis priemonėmis reklamuojant projekto teritoriją, kaip vieną vietą įvairiapusiam gamtos pajautimui (vadovai, žemėlapiai, tinklalapiai),3) panaudojant investicijas gamtos objektų valdymui. Lėšos skiriamos infrastruktūrai įrengti (3 apžvalgos bokštams (platformoms), 7 pontoniniams tiltams, 19 informacinių stendų, 1 automobilių stovėjimo aikštelei ir 3 poilsio vietoms, 6 pėsčiųjų takams su rekreaciniais ir edukaciniais elementais). Ši infrastruktūra bus įrengta 10 gamtinių teritorijų. 5 iš jų – priskiriamos NATURA 2000 teritorijoms, 2 – šalia jų. 4) kuriant produktus (unikalus metodas: informacija Brailio raštu, įgarsinimo sprendimai, infrastruktūros pagerinimas), pritaikytus žmonėms su negalia. 5) remiant vietos verslą ir vystant kokybišką gyvenamają ir darbo aplinką skirtingoms socialinėms grupėms, įskaitant neįgaliuosius.
Projekte dalyvauja 11 partnerių iš: 2 nacionalinių ir 1 regioninio parkų, 7 savivaldybių (skiriančios dėmesį į infrastruktūros prieinamumą), planavimo regiono (daugiausia apimanti kompetencijos didinimo ir rinkodaros veiklas) .
Read more Description (LV): ūsdienās R-Latvija un Z-Lietuva kā pierobežas reģioni saskaras ar tādiem izaicinājumiem kā depopulāciju un novecošanu kā arī “Krievijas krīzes” sekām, negatīvi ietekmējot uzņēmējdarbības un dzīves vidi. Tomēr reģioni saglabā labu tūrisma (T.) attīstības potenciālu, pateicoties dabas daudzveidībai, ainavām, tīrai videi, drošībai. T. attīstība rada riskus videi, tomēr tie uzskatāmi par nebūtiskiem, pievēršot atbilstošu uzmanību ilgtspējīgas infrastruktūras attīstībai. Šie ir iemesli, kāpēc T. tiek uzskatīts par prioritāru ilgtspējīgas pierobežas reģionu attīstības kontekstā.
UniGREEN mērķis ir veicināt ilgtspējīgu T. attīstību LV & LT pierobežas reģionos, stabilizējot un palielinot apmeklētāju un nakšņošanas skaitu reģionā ar jauniem T. produktiem un esošo produktu uzlabojumiem, padarot tos zināmākus un pieejamākus dažādām ceļotāju grupām, piemērotiem mārketinga pasākumiem, popularizējot projekta teritoriju kā vienotu T. galamērķi daudzveidīgai pieredzei dabā (ceļveži, kartes, web risinājumi), dabas objektu apsaimniekošanu (investīcijas (3 skatu torņi, 7 pontonu piestātnes, 19 infostendi, 1 stāvlaukums, 3 atpūtas vietas, 6 pastaigu takas aprīkotas ar dažādiem izglītojoši izklaidējošiem elementiem) 10 dabas teritorijās, t.sk., 5 NATURA 2000 & - tuvu tām), pievēršot īpašu uzmanību produktiem personām ar īpašām vajadzībām (unikālā pieeja - pilotaktivitātes: info Braila rakstā & audiorisinājumi, infrastruktūras pielāgojumi), atbalstot vietējo uzņēmējdarbību un kvalitatīvas dzīves un darba vides attīstību dažādām sociālajām grupām, t.sk., ar īpašām vajadzībām. Projektā iesaistījušies 11 partneri – 2 nacionālie un 1 reģionālais dabas parks, plānošanas reģions (galvenokārt nodrošinot kompetences uzlabošanas un mārketinga pasākumu īstenošanu), 7 pašvaldības (fokusējoties uz vides pieejamības risinājumiem).
Read more Description (EN): Nowadays W-Latvia as well as N-Lithuania as border regions are facing challenges like aging & depopulation as well as consequences of “Russian crisis” negatively influencing business and living environment. At the same regions have a good tourism (T.) development potential because of the richness of the nature, landscapes, clean environment, safety. Development of T. raises some risks for environment, however, they are little if the appropriate attention is payed to the development of suitable infrastructure. That’s the reason why (T.) is one of the priorities in context of sustainable development of border regions.
The objective of the UniGREEN is to facilitate sustainable T. in border regions of LV and LT to stabilize & increase number of visitors & overnight stays in the region by new T. products and improving of existing ones making them more known & accessible for all kind of travellers, appropriate marketing activities promoting project territory as single destination for diverse nature experience (guides, maps, web),management of the nature objects (investments (3 watching towers, 7 pontoon piers, 19 info stands, 1 parking lot and 3 resting areas, 6 walking trails equipped with different edutainment elements) in 10 nature territories incl. 5 within NATURA 2000 & 2 - near them), paying attention to the products for the people with disabilities (unique approach - pilot actions: info in Braille & audio solutions, infrastructure improvements), supporting local business and development of qualitative environment for living and work of different social groups incl. with disabilities. 11 partners involved – 2 national, 1 regional parks planning region (mostly covering competence and marketing activities), 7 municipalities (focusing attention to infrastructure accessibility).
Read more Achievements (EN): The overall objective of the UniGreen project was to facilitate sustainable tourism development in border regions of Latvia and Lithuania by stabilizing and increasing of the number of visitors and number of overnight stays.
In order to achieve the goal – to facilitate the growth of the tourism flow for up to 10% and number of overnight stays for up to 7% during 5 years, the following activities were implemented:
(1) development of tourism products and services more accessible for all kinds of travelers, including appropriate promotion activities;
(2) facilitation of nature object management by increasing awareness about nature values like wetlands having European level significance as important bio tops for local and migrating birds including endangered species (7 lakes, 2 rivers as well as system of ponds covered by project);
(3) supporting local business and development of qualitative living and working environment for different social groups, including persons with disabilities on an equal level.
The key focus of UniGreen was on development of new tourism products and their promotion in order to identify the project territory as joint destination for incoming tourism and network of nature-based one-day destinations for the local market.
Over the 2,5 years’ project implementation period (05.2017-10.2019) in Kurzeme and the border regions of Lithuania a number of walking trails equipped with various edutainment elements, resting areas and playgrounds were constructed, 2 watching towers built, a viewing platform reconstructed, 4 pontoon piers installed, the Trail Guidebook in LV, LT and ENG languages with more than 80 trails in Kurzeme and North Lithuania published, QR codes with audio material prepared for more than 20 nature objects , training of nature guides in Latvia and Lithuania carried out, a comprehensive hiking campaign “Tako Kurzemē” and “Takais per Lietuva” organised, as well as many other activities done for the development of nature tourism and facilitation of the accessibility of nature objects. The overall financing of the project was 1 176 867,14 EUR, i.a. ERAF financing 1 000 337,07 EUR.
The uniqueness of the project was in pursuing the accessibility to nature objects for travelers with disabilities.
The Guidebook in LV, LT and ENG of nature trails can be downloaded here: https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/sagatavots-dabas-taku-celvedis/
Online info on trails in LV and ENG and trails’ GPX files are available here: https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/en/projects/tourism/unigreen/nature-trails/
Guidelines in LV and LT on how to adapt the trails and the tourism infrastructure, products & services to people with disabilities are availabe here: https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/pieejamas-vadlinijas-turisma-infrastrukturas-produktu-un-pakalpojumu-pielagosanai-cilvekiem-ar-ipasam-vajadzibam/
10 nature tourism objects developed in:
Lithuania – the new city leisure park in Kretinga – Jaurykla park, the wooden boardwalk in Kirkilai nature reserve in Biržai Regional Park, 4 pontoon piers with paths and resting areas in Aukštaitija National Park and a reconstructed viewing platform on the coast of Lake Plateliai in Žemaitija National Park
Kurzeme – the new Usma Elkrags nature trail, walking paths along the River Venta in Skrunda and Kuldīga, wooden boardwalk in Roja beach and two new watching towers – on the coast of Lake Durbe and Sātiņi ponds in Saldus.
In adddition, the Nature Trails Guidebook, which features more than 80 routes for nature trails in Kurzeme and North Lithuania, has been compiled and is available printed at all Tourism information centres in Kurzeme and North Lithuania and electronically at https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/sagatavots-dabas-taku-celvedis/.
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Website: https://2014-2020.latlit.eu/
Expected Results (EN): Overnight stays of visitors in the programme area
Expected Outputs (EN): Due UniGREEN focus on development of the new tourism products and their promotion, expected result of the project is identification of the project territory as joint destination for incoming tourism and network of nature -based one-day destinations for the local market. Partners expect the growth of the tourism flow for up to 10% and number of overnight stays for up to 7% during 5 years so that ca 40 000 visitors are visiting project territory. Some of the objects will be equipped with visitors' counters. Mentioned tools will be used fixing the data before promotion activities and also in the end of the project comparing results for the comparable period and interpreting them in the context of project regions.
Uniqueness of the project is offerings developed for the travelers with disabilities because usually attention is payed to the accessibility of the service objects and partly to the culture objects, but very rare – to the nature objects. There are no particular tools how to correctly measure number of visitors with disabilities at nature objects; still, as much as possible it will be monitored using services of nature parks and information centers expecting that number of visitors with disabilities will grow for 10-15% comparing with data available in the beginning of the project implementation.
Successful promotion activities have their sustainability only if there are offers with acceptable quality, therefore infrastructure improvements are very important in context of project results. Infrastructure (3 watching towers, 7 pontoon piers, 19 info stands, 1 parking lot and 3 resting areas, 6 walking trails equipped with different edutainment elements) and promotion activities (printed info materials, web resources etc.) both together acts as an accelerator of the local business, maintaining and / or increasing number of employed people in local businesses as well as their incomes which is one of the most important reasons motivating people move away or stay for living in rural areas.
Developed and maintained infrastructure increases level of identification, making territory more attractive for tourists. Increasing of visitors' flow usually effects positively on activity of the local business ensuring work places and incomes of local residents. Therefore Partners expect that one of the project results will be decreasing of depopulation of the border regions because of the economical purposes. Since this process has been effected by very many independent processes, there are no particular indicators identified.
User-friendly environment including infrastructure for living and recreation as well as tolerance of society motivates people with disabilities to be more active, to be more mobile and also interested for the activities outside of their homes, for instance to realize themselves doing hobbies or working. This is one more of the expected project results which will be hard to be measured; it will have more social effect as economical. On the other hand, it’s about tolerance of society, increasing of awareness and integration of people with disabilities in socio-economical actions, in long terms decreasing pressure on social budgets.
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Thematic information
Specific Objective:
Increased number of visitors in the Programme area through improving and developing cultural and natural heritage objects, services and products
Thematic Objective:
(06) preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency by:
Investment Priority:
(06c) Conserving, protecting, promoting and developing natural and cultural heritage
