1. SOOMAA NATIONAL PARK
a member of PAN Parks network
IMPACT ON TOURISM
Rait Parts
In the name of Murel Merivee
Photos: Soomaa NP archive, LBP of Soomaa
16. Land of mires
The name “Soomaa” is
translated land of mires. The
name is very accurate,
because large part of NP are
freshwater wetlands.
Only the bogs cover more
than half from the NP, but in
addition to bogs also the
forests and grasslands and
sometimes even gardens are
turned into swamps because
of the regular floods.
17. Soomaa NP is one of the
biggest national parks in
Estonia, its total area is
39 640 ha.
The protection aim of the
NP is to preserve mires,
floodplains, forests in the
Transitional forest-rich
zone of Estonia.
2005
1993
1981
1957
2011
18. PAN PARKS IN SOOMAA
2007 – IDEA!?!
2008 – verification
contract
2009 – certification of
the park and 7
business partners
19. Wildness of Soomaa
• Soomaa NP is large and
unfragmented;
• Soomaa NP is part of
Transitional Estonia and
due to that it is surrounded
with forests and bogs with
minimal human impacts;
• The small local community
has learned to live with the
wilderness.
20. I Natural Values
Size: 39 640 ha, from
which largest mire complex
(core area): 11 530 ha
International
recognition:
Ramsar wetland of
international importance
Important Bird Area
Natura 2000 network
22. III Visitor
management
•Protection regime and
directing visitor flows
•Maintenance of trails and
other infrastructure
•Nature education
•Visitor monitoring and
visitor surveys
•Visitor impact monitoring
23. IV STDS
•In cooperation with local
LEADER plan, Soomaa as a
core area for LEADER
Green Riverland
•STDS outputs developing
into legal territorial
thematic plan for the
counties.
24. V Business Partners
• Branded with nationally
recognized sustainable
tourism label.
•Cooperation contract with
Environmental Board
•Approval from the
cooperation panel (LPPG).
25. IMPACT ON TOURISM – indirect
benefits from the certification
• Better cooperation locally between different
stakeholders;
• Tourism strategy for the region -> now
foundations for the thematic plan of Soomaa
region;
• EDEN award;
• Good publicity for Soomaa through media
coverage
26. IMPACT ON TOURISM – indirect benefits
from the certificate
• More publicity (articles travel magazines etc);
• Shared brand and responsibility to keep the
quality for the whole network;
• One park markets the other;
• Possibilities to share experiences about tourism
development in different protected areas.
27. IMPACT ON TOURISM –direct benefits
from the certificate
• PAN Parks tourism model