Igor Shevchuk Timo Hokkanen Elena Cherniakevich North-Centre/ELY Vuokatti, December 12-13, 2012 This programme is funded by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland Six-month project progress

Umbrella programmes «Green Belt of Fennoscandia» organization of a single ecological-economic space to preserve the unique nature of the North and develop territories with regard to their historical and cultural potential «Harmony of the North» finding solutions for sustainable development and harmonious interactions between man and environment in the North. Special focus is on advancement and utilization of the human creative potential, support to young researchers, youth creativity groups, and their mentors

Umbrella programmes “The New Infrastructural Model of Sustainable Development in the North” Nomination for a special economic zone focused on tourism and recreation in RK (2012)

Eco-efficiency concept Modern environment friendly technologies Reliable operation at local level Reliable operation at local level Multiplicative effect for the society Institutional models

Tourism development in Karelia Planning document Forecast, mln. people Master Plan for Locating Tourism Infrastructure in RK Until Year 2025 Inertia-driven scenario1,84 Moderate scenario2,72 Innovation-driven scenario3,8 Nomination for a special economic zone focused on tourism and recreation in RK (2012) 2,6

Tourism development in Karelia Tourists entry flow to the Republic of Karelia via «Vartsila» check point Foreign tourists overall entry flow to Karelia via Finnish-Russian border in thousand people, of which 301 thousand via “Vartsila” Hotel accommodation about 18 thousand people (4,7%), of which 90% for 1-3 days

Tourism development in Karelia Further increase in tourist flow makes important the following: Is increase in tourist traffic expedient with the current levels of tourism- and related infrastructure? Can income from tourism in the region grow unless the tourist flow is enlarged? What will the environmental impact of the increased tourism be in areas bearing tourism facilities?

Tourism development barriers in Karelia and pilot territories Tourist services: Disparity of prices to the quality of services provided; Narrow range of tourist services; The complexity of self-route planning for tourists; Low level of infrastructure development Environmental risks; Lack of development of energy infrastructure for investing in tourism; Low involvement of the local population in the process of rendering of tourist services Socio-economic development of the territory:

Overall objective: Making Euregio Karelia more attractive for tourists through gradual leveling of the quality of services provided to tourists on the two sides of the border Specific objectives: Promoting introduction of eco-efficient technologies of recreational area management and improving the quality of services offered in active tourism destinations in Republic of Karelia (Lake Ladoga and Syamozero areas) in co-operation with adjacent Finnish areas Making pilot areas more comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly & known for these features Improving cross-border tourism transboundary practices and regional development co- operation “Eco-efficient tourism” project outline

“North-Centre” (Lead partner) “North-Centre” (Lead partner) Karelian Research Centre of the RAS Energy Efficiency Center Petrozavodsk Municipal Utility College Pryazha National Municipal District Administration Sortavala Municipal District Administration Partners Ecofoster Group Oy Finnish Environment Institute, Joensuu office Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for North Karelia Metsähallitus, Natural Heritage Services, South Finland/North Karelia Ilomantsi Municipality Karelia Expert (Associate)

Project implementation diagram Choosing the technological solutions for the tourist sites Working out the tourist site operation pattern Overview of available “green” technologies and case studies Working out the operation pattern Calculating the economic efficiency Environmental assessment of the solutions Project experts and managers Pilot area local administration Entrepreneurs Choosing the prospective tourist route Working out the spatial design of the tourist sites Analysis of the tourist market condition Assessment of the tourism potential Forecast of tourist traffic Environmental risk assessment Project experts and managers Survey of the existing tourism- and related infrastructure Substantiation of the site selection criteria Assessment of the potential sites Legal formalities of land use Project experts and managers Pilot area local administration Deciding on the specific sites where the pilot projects will be implemented в Assessment of alternatives Analysis of institutional conditions

Principles behind the “Eco-efficient Tourism” project Multidisciplinary approach, i.e. involvement of a wide range of specialists and experts from various fields to deal with current sustainable development issues Partnership. A major result the project is expected to produce is the institutional models and organizational setups built upon partnership between municipal authorities, businesses and local people Integrated approach to local development. The solutions proposed within the project aim at a multiplier effect to be achieved not only through tourism development but also through making the municipalities more attractive for investments, dealing with employment issues, improving the environmental situation. Systematic approach, implying that the spatial configuration of the project is integrated into the Master Plan of Locating Tourism Infrastructure in Republic of Karelia Until Year 2025 Sustainability. It is not so much implementation of eco-efficient know-how and new institutional models in pilot areas that the project aims at, but rather their testing and further dissemination all across the region

Project progress timeline (1) Seminar "Strategies and best practices for sustainable/ green development of cities and regions“ Petrozavodsk more than 50 participants from 6 countries co-operation with another international project «Nordic-Russian green growth arena» June 13 – 15: Launch of the project

Project progress timeline (2) Part of the social-economic and environment assessment of the existing tourist and recreational potential of the pilot areas Basis for infrastructural development of the tourist stopovers along the “Blue Road” More than 20 potential sites explored July 16 – 17: Expedition to pilot areas

Project progress timeline (3) July 16 – 17: Expedition to pilot areas Pilot areas selection criteria: The convenience of the location, its accessibility to different lanes The attractiveness of the site and its esthetical characteristics Infrastructural facilitation of the site Land ownership issues

Project progress timeline (4) Results: several sites for long stay on the shores of lakes Ladoga and Syamozero and for short stay along the "Blue Highway“ chosen tailor-made methodology of integral assessment of the potential stopovers elaborated July 16 – 17: Expedition to pilot areas

Project progress timeline (5) short list of the sites was developed with regard to existing infrastructure, customers demands, further technological solutions to be applied, cost effectiveness, international environmental and esthetic requirements September 18: Working meeting in Pryazha

Project progress timeline (5) taking part in the conference "Pearls of the Coniferous Forest”, 20 th anniversary of the North Karelia Biosphere reserve presenting the project and eco-efficient concept assessment of best practices and potential for technical facilitation of open-use tourist sites October 30 - November 2: Study Tour to Finland

Visibility actions 1.Web-tools: Official web-site ( ) Partners’ web-facilities (eg., ) Social mediation ( 2. Press-releases 3. Information letters: #1 published on 18/10/12 4. Public events: XI All-Russian Forum «Strategic Planning in the Regions and Cities of Russia» Exhibition «Tourist Karelia – 2012» 8th international conference "Cross-border cooperation: Russia, the European Union and Norway“ North Karelia Biosphere reserve conference "Pearls of the Coniferous Forest”

Cooperation with other projects 1."Nordic-Russian Green Growth Arena“ ( ) 2. “Green Cities and Settlements” ( 3."Contemporary Old City“ 4."Mining Road” 5.RUNAT, etc.

Thank You! Igor Shevchuk Project Leader Tel.: +7 (814 2) Mob.: Fax: +7 (814 2) Elena Cherniakevich Project Manager Tel.: +7 (814 2) Mob.: Fax: +7 (814 2) Contacts This programme is funded by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland