Dear friends and supporters of the Parks & Benefits project,

The project “Parks & Benefits” which has ended officially on 24 January 2012 introduced and strengthened sustainable nature tourism approaches in the Baltic Sea Region and communicates the mutual benefits to protected areas and to their surrounding regions for regional development and sustained natural development. In close and trustful cooperation the partnership has achieved the following results:

In close and trustful cooperation the partnership has achieved the following results:

• Joint implementation of the European Charter for sustainable tourism being a practical instrument to generate socio-economic effects within protected areas benefiting also the regional development
• Providing a number of opportunities and advantages in dealing with local processes, visitor impact monitoring and marketing
• Development and introduction of the Charter Part II to the Baltic Sea Region
  
• Elaboration of an action plan “Generating socio-economic benefits by a sustainable management of protected areas” providing input on values and benefits of protected areas and introducing the management tool Benefit Monitor
• Development of an action programme on a “low impact” transport system network
• Investment in the fields of visitor monitoring, accessibility for all and ICT solutions GPS systems
• Development of a quality and eco label guide for protected areas and SME’s as practical help for implementing eco label schemes at local level

The described results have a significant influence on the future cooperation of protected area managements and their local tourism stakeholders as this is acknowledged to be a key factor for a positive regional development combing nature conservation and tourism in the greatest possible sustainable way.

The Parks & Benefits project has influenced the various processes in protected area management by introducing and implementing the European Charter at park level in the BSR. The involved parks have developed long-term tourism strategies that will be implemented on the basis of 5 years action plans. The parks also have built up strong communication to their tourism stakeholders establishing regular tourism forums and involving them into the future development of the protected area. Furthermore, a basis for regular monitoring of social, economic and ecological benefits has been set to be implemented by all partner parks as well as parks across Europe. Strong dissemination activities have raised awareness for sustainable tourism issues and the European Charter itself among European practitioners in nature conservation and tourism.