Geopark – promoting sustainable tourism via regional cooperation

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To promote the use of natural, geological conditions and contribute to their conservation, the Geopark project intensified cross-border cooperation between neighbouring regions in Slovenia and Austria with the result of improving visibility and promoting sustainable development via geo-tourism and geo-education.Gerald Hartmann, Geopark Project CoordinatorBy definition, a geopark is an informal geographic designation aimed at protecting, interpreting, promoting and marketing the geological heritage of a given area. Europe enjoys a proud history of geopark designations, with the European Network of Geoparks (EGN) uniting 32 individual parks in 2000 (and 69 individual parks 2016), all of which are also included in the UNESCO’s World Network of GeoparksSeeing an opportunity to boost sustainable tourism and increase opportunities for local schools to learn about the surrounding environment, the Geopark project draws on this rich European tradition and expands it east, protecting the largely undeveloped and ecologically diverse cross-border area situated southeast of the Karawanks.Uniting regions, uniting natureAs nature knows no boundaries, particularly in cross-border areas, the Geopark project started by uniting the various regional and national efforts happening on both sides of the border to create a common strategy and single brand identity. Various stakeholders were brought in, including universities, schools, residents, tourists and public administration, in order to fully understand the region’s rich geological diversity and, based on this common understanding, implement a cross-border policy for promoting sustainable tourism.Via cross-border coordination and management, the project is successfully advocating sustainable development and tourism in the area and, as a result, protecting its natural heritage. Key milestones include the hiring of a naturalist, construction of eight geo and thematic trails complete with trail markers and other informational signage and the launch of a new brand identity and marketing campaign – including a children’s book – on the importance of protecting the local environment.A geo-adventure for allToday, tourists are flocking to the park for its numerous outdoor activities and cultural opportunities. From a bike ride through old mining tunnels to hiking the park’s thousands of kilometres of trails, clambering over two lithospheric plates, learning about the area’s unique geological history at the state-of-the-art museum or simply relaxing in a mineral water bath at the local spa before enjoying a dinner of local cuisine – Geopark Karawank offers something for everyone. But most importantly is what it offers the local population: a new sense of cross-border pride, a fact further bolstered by the region’s designation as a UNESCO Global Geopark and the international significance this brings.The project has created four jobs.Total investment and EU fundingThe total investment for the project “Vzpostavitev čezmejnega geoparka med Peco in Košuto/die Errichtung eines grenzüberschreitenden Geoparks zwischen der Petzen und der Koschuta” is EUR 2 391 224, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 2 009 069 through the “Slovenia-Austria” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.