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Seminar and Discussion Series

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Browsing Seminar and Discussion Series by Author "Cottrell, Stuart, speaker"

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    Challenges for sustainable nature-based tourism: Vilsandi National Park, Saaremaa Island, Estonia
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012-02) Raadik-Cottrell, Jana, speaker; Cottrell, Stuart, speaker; Unidentified speaker
    The first protected area in the Baltic countries, Vilsandi National Park (VNP) is located near the west coast of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. As an archipelago, the area was designated a protected area at the beginning of the 20th century, became a national park in 1993, and designated as a wetland of international importance in 1997. VNP faces many challenges including a decentralized management structure, disjointed conservation plan, and lack of a visitor management plan. The purpose of the CCC fellowship is to enhance VNP and stakeholder capacity to manage nature conservation collaboratively, enhance sustainable livelihoods among tour operators via tourism to the park and to enhance the visitor experience. Data have been gathered via an onsite survey among international visitors, two initial workshops with VNP stakeholders and a second home owner survey conducted in summer/fall 2012. The project links conservationists, tourism specialists, NGOs, INGOs (PAN Parks, WWF), local municipal governments, and universities (Kuresaare College) in a collaborative process for conservation and tourism development. This presentation will highlight key findings of the various phases of the project thus far as well as challenges posed due to ongoing institutional changes protected area agencies face in Estonia.