SOOMAA NATIONAL PARKa member of PAN Parks network

IMPACT ON TOURISM

Rait PartsIn the name of Murel Merivee

Photos: Soomaa NP archive, LBP of Soomaa

PAN ParksPAN PARKS WORKS TO PROTECT EUROPE’S LAST AREAS OF WILDERNESS

Fulufjället NP ©Gabor Salamon

Oulanka NP ©Kimmo Salminen

Paanajärvi NP ©Viktor Gritsuk

Archipelago NP ©ANP Archive

Peneda-Gerês NP ©PGNP Archive

Borjomi-Kharagauli NP © Vlado Vancura

Retezat NP ©Falk Kienas

Majella NP ©MNP Archive

Central Balkan NP ©Edit BorzaSoomaa NP ©Arne Ader

Rila NP ©iStock/Ljupco Smokovski

Central Balkan NP ©Edit Borza

Land of miresThe name “Soomaa” is translated land of mires. The name is very accurate, because large part of NP are freshwater wetlands. Only the bogs cover more than half from the NP, but in addition to bogs also the forests and grasslands and sometimes even gardens are turned into swamps because of the regular floods.

Soomaa NP is one of the biggest national parks in Estonia, its total area is 39 640 ha.The protection aim of the NP is to preserve mires, floodplains, forests in the Transitional forest-rich zone of Estonia.19571981199320052011

PAN PARKS IN SOOMAA2007 – IDEA!?!2008 – verification contract2009 – certification of the park and 7 business partners

Wildness of Soomaa• Soomaa NP is large and unfragmented;• Soomaa NP is part of Transitional Estonia and due to that it is surrounded with forests and bogs with minimal human impacts;•The small local community has learned to live with the wilderness.

I Natural Values Size: 39 640 ha, from which largest mire complex (core area): 11 530 haInternational recognition:Ramsar wetland of international importanceImportant Bird AreaNatura 2000 network

II ManagementProtection rulesManagement planEnvironmental BoardState Forest Management Centre

III Visitor management

•Protection regime and directing visitor flows•Maintenance of trails and other infrastructure•Nature education•Visitor monitoring and visitor surveys•Visitor impact monitoring

IV STDS

•In cooperation with local LEADER plan, Soomaa as a core area for LEADER Green Riverland•STDS outputs developing into legal territorial thematic plan for the counties.

V Business Partners

• Branded with nationally recognized sustainable tourism label.•Cooperation contract with Environmental Board•Approval from the cooperation panel (LPPG).

IMPACT ON TOURISM – indirect benefits from the certification

• Better cooperation locally between different stakeholders;

• Tourism strategy for the region -> now foundations for the thematic plan of Soomaa region;• EDEN award;• Good publicity for Soomaa through media coverage

IMPACT ON TOURISM – indirect benefits from the certificate

• More publicity (articles travel magazines etc);• Shared brand and responsibility to keep the quality for the whole network;• One park markets the other;• Possibilities to share experiences about tourism development in different protected areas.

IMPACT ON TOURISM –direct benefits from the certificate

• PAN Parks tourism model

Thank you!murel.merivee@keskkonnaamet.ee, +372 53 022 335