This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of the publication is the sole responsibility of City of Lieksa and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
1. Development of nature tourism in the "Reboly-Lendery" model area
The "Reboly-Lendery" model area comprises the villages Reboly, Lendery, Vostochnyi and the water system with lakes Leksozero, Kargiozero, Sula and Lenderskoye, River Lenderka and Lake Tulos.
1.1. Organization of the public event "Nature tourism serving the development of the "Reboly-Lendery area" with wide involvement of local people, tourism entrepreneurs (both Russian and Finnish), participation of local and district officials.
Venue - villages Reboly and Lendery.
Aim - dissemination of information about the project aims, tasks and activities, as well as bringing the project target groups together.
1.2. Construction of pilot facilities (fire sites, woodsheds, tables, benches, convenient moorings) for the tourism small infrastructure, and training local builders.
1.3. Public presentation of whitewater rafting and a training campaign.
1.4. Study tour to Finland (Ruunaa area, Koli National Park in Lieksa) for actors dealing with nature tourism in the Muezersky District.
2. Nature tourism development plan for the Muezersky District
To ensure the efficiency of nature tourism one first needs to find out the socio-economic circumstances and assess the current situation in nature tourism. This will be done by interviewing local and regional officials, tourist firms, local people, officials from the Republic of Karelia State Sport and Tourism Committee, etc. The data will be analysed to determine the potential for nature tourism development.
Work on the nature tourism development plan will include the following activities:
2.1. Survey of the current socio-economic situation. Determining the role and position of nature tourism development in overall local development.
2.2. Defining the aims and tasks of nature tourism development in the district.
2.3. Analysing current capacities and problems of tourist service providers. Determining the demand for tourist services and infrastructure.
2.4. Analysing current training and education options for different social actors in the field of nature tourism. Determining training and educational needs.
2.5. Identifying the possibilities for collaboration between various actors involved in nature tourism, research and environmental education, as well as for wide local involvement in the provision of tourist services. Potential capacities of the Lendery and Reboly villages will be discussed with local people during the public event "Nature tourism serving the development of the "Reboly-Lendery area".
2.6. Determining the prospects for nature tourism development.
2.7. Working out the nature tourism development plan.
Feasibility study for the checkpoint development will include the following activities:
3.1. Analysis of the current condition of the checkpoint. Topographic survey.
3.2. Determination of the freight traffic volume (export, import, current status, forecast) and passenger traffic (current status, forecast).
3.3. Transport communication layout.
3.4. Analysis of the existing service lines.
3.5. Compilation of the list of services working at the checkpoint; identification and analysis of technical requirements.
3.6. Estimation of the checkpoint cost efficiency and the economic effect from enlarging the traffic, tourism and trade between Russia and EU countries.
3.7. Analysis of the possibilities to staff the international motor vehicle checkpoint (IMVC) with qualified personnel.
3.8. Studying the demand for new premises for the services involved in the checkpoint operation.
Activities 1, 3, 4, 5 & 8 will be done by the "Shtrikh" Engineering Centre.
4. Creating the geographical information system (GIS) and initiating environmental education
The GIS for Muezersky District consisting of a set of thematic maps (including corresponding attribute information) describing the basic elements of the environment and nature, human population, local and regional economy will be developed to identify and analyse the linkages between nature use, tourism development and environmental education in the district.
The material collected will serve as the basis to model the development of the Reboly-Lendery area as the nature tourism model area, and will also be used in training local teachers and nature tourism entrepreneurs.
The following activities have been planned:
4.1 Purchasing GIS-compatible computer
4.2 Compiling the socio-economic database on the Muezersky district
4.3 Compiling the environmental database comprising the following thematic layers: water systems, forests and valuable floristic objects, mires and landscape elements, specific faunal elements. Requisite field work will be carried out to specify the information.
4.4 Producing the necessary cartographic materials and brochures for environmental education and awareness activities. The resultant materials will serve as environmental learning aids for teachers and entrepreneurs. At least two training events will be held by environmental educators.
4.5 Developing the metabatabase of the geoinformation resources for their further use and compatibility with other GIS
4.6 Establishing the project web-site, maintaining it and sending out proposals on its maintenance, contents and linking to other environment-related sites and actors.
The aim is to organise effective dissemination of information about the project activities and achievements among the partners and target groups.
The following activities have been scheduled:
5.1 The project will start with the Project Launching Days organised by the Tacis Management Agency for consultations with the Tacis Supervising Officer.
5.2 The project will terminate with the Final Conference organised by the Tacis Management Agency to present the outputs and experiences of the project.
5.3 The start-up will take place in Lieksa in the beginning of the project. It shall familiarise all project participants with the project contents.
5.4. The public event "Nature tourism serving the development of the Lendery-Reboly area", where Russian and Finnish entrepreneurs, local and district officials and local people will participate, will be organised in villages Reboly and Lendery.
5.5 Project outputs and follow-up will be discussed at the concluding seminar to take place in the Muezersky District.
5.6 Two leaflets devoted to the project will be published: one in the beginning and the other one at the end of the project. The first leaflet will introduce the project partners, aims, tasks and activities. The seconds one will tell about the project outcomes.
5.7. A constantly updated website will be created to ensure continuous supply and exchange of information about the project progress.
