Parks & Benefits - Generating socio-economic effects by a sustainable management

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Parks & Benefits results from an initiative of protected areas in BSR who share the conviction that the protection of the natural heritage must involve a sustainable management of the natural resources. Mobilizing economic instruments for protection purposes shall benefit both the protected area and the surrounding region contributing to their socio-economic development. But up to now the economic potential is widely underestimated. Common problems are: · Lack of integrative & harmonized spatial planning strategies on linking the protected areas to the regions and getting regional stakeholders & SMEs better involved by forming public-private partnerships · Lack of joint actions to implement a management of natural environment on a sustainable basis and with socio-economic effects on the region · Compared to other European regions the BSR is lacking behind in establishing a well-functioning destination marketing on its natural assets Parks&Benefits is a network of protected areas, regional authorities, stakeholders in tourism & environment, and academic institutions in the BSR backed by EUROPARC Federation as European umbrella organization with 500 member parks in 38 countries, aiming to: · implement the “European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas” (devel. by EUROPARC Federation) as practical instrument to jointly develop, test & transfer solutions of generating socio-economic effects within protected areas of BSR benefiting regional development · develop integrative & harmonized spatial planning: linking protected areas to their regions · establish PPP between protected areas, SMEs & regional authorities · increase the quality of eco-tourism offers by a BSR quality standard · promote BSR Charter Parks via European-wide EUROPARC brand & increase the identity/recognition of BSR across Europe · to provide verified arguments in policy making & secure political commitment to nature protection. Activities. Main working fields to implement the European Charter as joint tool to guide socio-economic transformation of rural areas within BSR are: WP 1: Management & administration / WP 2: Communication & information / WP 3: Sustainable management of natural resources & BSR network of regions and protected areas / WP 4: Sustainable mobility concepts and transport alternatives within and to protected areas / WP 5: Implementation of European visitor management standards in protected areas balancing nature protection and economic utilisation. Results: strengthened cooperation of regions with protected areas on generating socio-economic benefits by a sustainable management / Increased interest in BSR natural heritage & its tourist products / Lessened problem of social exclusion in project areas implementing accessibility for all / Closing a gap by implementing the European Charter as European-wide policy at BSR level & establishing a BSR network of protected areas.

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