The role of policy and tourism in wilderness protection

Soomaa NP © Arne Ader

Paanajärvi NP © Viktor

Gritsuk

THE ECONOMICS OF WILDERNESSThe role of policy and tourism for enhancing the protection of wildernessZoltán Kun, Executive DirectorPAN Parks Foundation

Oulanka NP © Kimmo Salminen

Presentation outline

• introduction to PAN Parks Foundation + personal intro• developing wilderness policy in Europe• the economics of wilderness• experiences of PAN Parks Tourism Model• conclusionsALL IMAGES from EUROPE

Peneda-Geres NP © Marcos Veiga

Europe’s perceptive wilderness

Soomaa NP © Mati Kose

What is PAN Parks?

Paanajärvi NP © Viktor Gritsuk

What is PAN Parks?

PAN Parks works to protect Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature

What is PAN Parks?

The only European-wide organisation focusing on the protection of wilderness areas

Central Balkan NP ©CBNPAppenine Chamois © Bruno D’Amicis

PAN Parks links wilderness protected areas in Europe:European Wilderness Preservation System

The size of Spain0,5 mio ha by now

What is PAN Parks?

What is PAN Parks?Integrated approach to mobilise sustainable tourism development for strengthening wilderness conservationwww.panparks.org

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Kote Gabrichidze

Developing wilderness policyRetezat NP © Andreas Beckmann

©iStock/Graeme Purdy

Lobbying in Europe and developing a wilderness momentum

• 2008 Wilderness resolution

• 2009 European Parliament’s special report on wilderness & European Commission- ‘Agenda for Wilderness’

• 2011 Wilderness in Biodiversity Strategy

Developing wilderness policy

Fulufjallet NP © Vitantonio Dell’Orto

Developing wilderness policy

Defining wilderness through the Wilderness Working Group NO extractive use such as•hunting•fishing•mining•logging•grazing•grass cutting•road and building constructionis allowed in wilderness

Wilderness guidance for Natura 2000 areas

• Alterra, Eurosite, PAN Parks

• guidance for manager

• best practice examples (also for restoration)

Developing wilderness policy

Wilderness register (by Oct 2013)

• Alterra, University of Leeds, PAN Parks

• public and government consultation based on preliminary list

BUT there is no overall Wilderness Research

Agenda

Retezat NP ©Falk Kienas

The Economics of Wilderness

Conflict between indirect (ecocentric) and direct (anthropocentric) interpretation of Ecosystem Services

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Kote Gabrichidze

The Economics of Wilderness

Why dealing with the economics of wilderness?

• the EP report on wilderness Calls on the Commission and Member States to co-operate with local non-governmental organisations to promote the value of wilderness (point 6);

Wilderness is not a priceless heritage for future generations!• Europeans are not valuing wilderness as much as they should!

Oulanka NP ©Michael Hennemann

The Economics of Wilderness

The Economics of Wilderness

Two examples• Oulanka National Park creating jobs• Majella National Park regarding restoration

Oulanka NP ©Hannu Hautala

Rila NP © Nicolas Cegalerba

The Economics of Wilderness

Making wilderness areas financially viable means seizing opportunities of emerging markets for ecosystem services• Payments for Ecosystem Services

Archipelago NP © Heidi Arponen

To protect wilderness we need to difersify incomes• payments for carbon offset• payments for water-related and nature disaster mitigation• payments for recreational services

The Economics of Wilderness

The Economics of Wilderness

Majella NP © Bruno D’Amicis

Several steps are suggested for PA managers• define the wilderness attributes and their services• define stakeholders benefitting from ES• quantifying revenue and externalities including cost of inaction

Soomaa NP © Mati Kose

PAN Parks Tourism Model

• active promotion of local and sustainable tourism and• raising awareness and creating positive perception of wilderness

Oulanka NP © Michael Hennemann

PAN Parks Tourism Model

Sustainable Tourism Development

• stimulates local cooperation

• involves local stakeholders

• aims for synergy between conservation and tourism

• improves the quality of tourism products

• improves the visitors experience

• includes local standard for businesses

PAN Parks Tourism Model

Partnership with Local

Businesses

• ensures the strategy is implemented

• partners are committed to the park

and PAN Parks

• different tourism service providers

• over 80 partners (typically SMEs)

Oulanka NP © Paavo Hamunen

PAN Parks Tourism Model

PAN Parks Tourism Model

All about educationManaging expectationUnderstanding the motives

Fulufjället NP © Orsolya Haaberg

Managing expectation

Fulufjället NP © Orsolya Haaberg

Something happening

Fulufjället NP © Orsolya Haaberg

Understanding the motiveProve yourselfCompetition New products: Father & Son weekend

Expected outcome was 300,000 EUR

annually

We needed a more realistic plan in

2011

With investing in marketing and manpower

it can generate 150,000 EUR / year

Individual tourists

Groups

Corporate adventures

Specialised tours

PAN Parks Tourism Model

Most important lessons learned

•marketing through social media (mouth

marketing)

•engaging clients

•offer a special trip

•sustainability across the product cycle

•pricing

PAN Parks Tourism Model

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Kote Gabrichidze

„...about 1% of Europe’s territory ...can be called wilderness area”Ladislav Miko,EC DG Environment

Wilderness is a scarce resource in Europe!

Wilderness in Europe

Archipelago NP © Seppo Keränen

The Million Project

To ensure guaranteed protection of 1 million hectares of wilderness in Europe by 2015

Archipelago NP © Janne Gröning

European tendencies

Threats and Opportunities exist parallel

• wilderness comes up on the agenda (catch phrase?)• land abandonment provides opportunity to restore• wilderness disappears• restoration is more attractive than protection of existing areas!

Central Balkan NP © Evgeni Diniev

Research database

Setting up a searchable, public Wilderness Resource Bank (analogy to Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute website)

• top 3: PA management, ecosystems, species conservation

• down 3: climate change, ecosystem services, financing wilderness protection

Archipelago NP © Heidi Arponen

Challenge 1

How the definition of wilderness applies to the case of indigenous / local needs (is it an excuse in Europe?)• Example 1: Nordic countries• Example 2: Peneda-Geres, Portugal• Example 3: Retezat, Romania

Paanajärvi NP © PNP Archives

Challenge 2

We are still in a stage in Europe when we need to explain the biodiversity benefits of wilderness

Hunter/Gatherers

Pre-1900

UtilitarianNatural Regulation

Ecological Integrity

1900s-1950s 1950s-1990s Post 1990s

PROTECTED AREA ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

How people interact with nature? Wilderness helps to re-establish the lost relation

Show (and not tell) a story!

PAN Parks works to protect

Europe’s wilderness, the

continent’s most undisturbed areas

of nature

http://panparks.orghttp://facebook.com/panparks

http://panparks.org/user/registerhttp://linkedin.com/panparksgrouphttp://youtube.com/user/PANParks

http://storiesofwilderness.panparks.orghttp://mymillionproject.ning.com

[email protected]