As an educative part of the SEA-Med project, a study visit to Austrian National park Neusiedler See- Seewinkel and Hungarian National park Fertö-Hanság was organized from 19 till 23 October 2015. Nature Park Lastovo Islands and Telaščica’s employees and local community representatives gathered, to learn more about best practices in cooperation between the public and private sectors in the management of the protected area. They also found out more about Nature parks development as a destination for sustainable tourism, based on local production and promotion of natural and cultural values.
First part of the study visit was based on lectures about visitors and habitat management, education programs for tourists and schools, promotional activities for the local community and destination marketing, Leader+ local action group tasks for rural development and transboundary cooperation with Hungarian National park. Second part was based on a guided fieldtrip to the National park, where participants saw unique landscape with vast meadows and pastures, salt ponds, with a rich variety of bird and plant species.
At the end of the study visit, each participant obtained new educational experience and expanded his/hers social network. Therefore they are able to develop innovative ideas based on presented best practices and implement them into their local community.
Special thanks to our Austrian and Hungarian friends who helped us in the organization of the study visit.