Partners

Project partners

Swedish Forest Agency (project leader - Sweden)

The Swedish Forest Agency is the national authority in charge of forest-related issues. Sweden's forests are a national asset and resource. The management of Sweden's Forests aims to give sustainable high yields while biological diversity is maintained. At the same time other interests like the public's need of forest environments for recreation are taken in consideration. The mission of the Swedish Forest Agency is to work for a sustainable utilisation of the swedish forests according to the guidelines given by the parliament and the government. In this project the Swedish Forest Agency is the lead beneficiary coordinating the different project activities and responsible for the reporting to the European Union.

Region Blekinge (Sweden)

Region Blekinge is a regional level cooperation body between five Blekinge municipalities and a regional health care authority, with a mission to promote a sustainable regional growth through high quality infrastructure, good transport links both within the region and with the neighbouring areas, good environment, adequate climate and energy measures, vibrant culture, tourism and recreation and through support to the business life. Following the policy guidelines adopted by Blekinge politicians in the regional tourism strategy, Region Blekinge involves staff and financial resources in tourism entrepreneurship activities, and through the cooperation with market players and state authorities contributes to the development of regional tourist products. Region Blekinge will lead the implement of one of the pilot demonstration sites (Blekingeleden). Region Blekinge will also be involved in the marketing activities and be part of project steering and dissemination processes.

County Administrative Board of Blekinge (Sweden)

The County Administrative Board is a government authority that exists in close proximity to the people. The commission of the County Administrative Board is to work for development where the environment, economic growth and good living conditions go hand-in-hand. The goal is a clean living environment, a stable labour market and a good life for the residents. The County Administrative Board works towards sustainable development in the county.

Regional Directorate of State Forests in Gdańsk (Poland)

The State Forests National Forest Holding is an organisation protecting, utilizing, and shaping Poland's forests for over eighty years. It manages public owned forests on behalf of the Polish State treasury. Their area exceeds 7.5 million hectares. A staff of experienced, professional foresters guarantee that next generations of Poles will be able to make use of all the benefits which forests provide to a not lesser degree than they do today.

Pomorskie Tourist Board (Poland)

The Pomorskie Tourist Board is the regional expert organisation on tourism in the Pomorskie region. The organisation has over 10 years of experience in coordinating tourism projects in local, national and international level. The mission is to work on strengthen the Pomorskie brand as an attractive tourist destination in accordance with the guidelines given by the local and national authorities. The role in Attractive Hardwoods is to cooperate with Regional Directorate of State Forest in Gdańsk by offering good possibilities for marketing and promotion of activities.

Directorate of Žemaitija National Park (Lithuania)

Žemaitija National Park was established in 1991 having a goal to preserve the natural and cultural heritage, to guarantee proper use and regeneration of natural resources, to create conditions to cognitive tourism, scientific researches and observation of the state of surroundings. Directorate of Žemaitija National Park is responsible for implementation of locally state protected areas policy, for protection and management of "Natura 2000" areas and promotion of sustainable tourism. Žemaitija National Park and visitor center offers good dissemination possibilities and have long experience and tradition in arranging different tourism activities and offering services to visitors. The national park directorate successfully implemented several EU funded cross border projects and has long experience in management international projects. Žemaitija National Park is involved in all project work and is responsible for co-ordination of work package 5, 'Marketing of hardwood activities'.

Associated partners

Visit Blekinge (Sweden)

Visit Blekinge is a commercial network involving more than100 public and market organisations in a joint work to promote Blekinge as a tourist destination. The purpose of joint activities is to develop tourism as a growth engine in the Blekinge area following the policy guidelines of the politically adopted regional development strategy. The target set is to double the income generated by tourism in the regional economy to 4 billion SEK in 2020. Visit Blekinge is interested in taking part in the strategic network activities (WP3), ecotourism product development (case Blekingeleden and its benchmarking with the other pilot cases in WP4) as well as in the marketing of the developed products and services (WP5). Visit Blekinge is eager to take over the use of the project results of interest for the tourism growth in the region via own tools (e.g. search engine of available accommodation sites and activity offers, packaging of tourist activities, promotional brochure and leaflets etc.).

Blekinge Archipelago (Sweden)

Blekinge Archipelago is a coastal area in the county of Blekinge, designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Biosphere Reserves are areas designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature increasing people's ability to efficiently manage natural resources. The mission of Blekinge Archipelago is to support, maintain and develop the nature, culture and entrepreneurship in the area. The representation within the project partnership brings several synergies and mutual benefit effects. Ongoing tourism and marketing activities within the Blekinge Archipelago have a clear connection to the main scope of the project – to develop tourism products and to increase the numbers of visitors to natural and cultural sites in the Swedish project area.

Ronneby municipality (Sweden)

Ronneby municipality offers several public services connected to tourism, e.g. tourism office and management of tourism sites. Ronneby municipality is involved in different projects and actions related to tourism, rural development, marketing and business. The role of the municipality will be to participate in project related activities to give important input for increasing the understanding of different stakeholders' needs. Participation at seminars aims at finding a good model for co-operation between nature conservation, management and tourism, a model to be benchmarked and shared between the project partnership and parallel ongoing case studies in partner countries. Ronneby municipality also offers good possibilities for co-operation in connection to marketing of tourism events and products planned in the project.

Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection in Gdansk (Poland)

Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection, RDfEP, carry out tasks related to environmental protection policy in the field of nature protection management, investment process control and information on the environment in the voivodeship and issue local legislation in the form of regulations. RDfEP is the Polish expert authority in management of Natura 2000 and other forms of nature protection. The role of RDfEP in the project is to give valuable input to measures of tourism in protected areas, especially Natura 2000 forests. Involving RDfEP opens for extended communication between forestry, tourism and nature conservation, which is also required as a matter of urgency, pointed out by both RDfEP and the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Gdansk. RDfEP also has good possibilities for dissemination of Natura 2000 information and for dissemination of project results.

Samogitian Rural Tourism Association (Lithuania)

Samogitian Rural Tourism Association is an organization connecting owners of country tourism homesteads in the Lithuanian project area. The association creates conditions for various recreation, education and eco-tourism in the Žemaitija National Park. Our role in the project is to contribute to project events in Žemaitija National Park and to promote project activities to homestead visitors. Through the participation in different project activities we will strengthen our organisation's capacity in international cross-border co-operation and participation in international projects. In line with the project scope, Samogitian Rural Tourism Association is particular interested in activities aiming at extending the tourism season and to increase the numbers of foreign visitors, all year round.

Lithuanian Fund for Nature (Lithuania)

The Lithuanian Fund for Nature, LFN, is the Lithuanian partner of the World Wide Fund for Nature and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The organisation has more than 10 years of experience in promotion of sustainable forest use and management of High Conservation Value (HCV) forests in Lithuania. It maintains two nature trails in protected forest areas of Eastern Lithuania, where examples of management and conservation are presented. LFN will provide support and help for partners on management of HCV forests, designing and establishing of nature trails, publishing information materials and other necessary support to partners in Lithuania.

Plunge district municipality (Lithuania)

Marketing of tourism in Plunge region is one of the main purposes of cultural and sports department of Plunge district municipality. The main role of our institution in this project is in line with our mission, to increase the number of visitors. Plunge district municipality has the responsibility to carry out tourism marketing and to raise public awareness about all activities in this project, including increasing the number of tourists in different seasons. From January 2016, Tourism Information Centre (new institution) will take Plunge district municipality's role in the project.

Telsiai State Forest Enterprise (Lithuania)

Telšiai State Forest Enterprise is responsible for 33.000 ha state owned forests located in the Lithuanian project area. Telšiai State Forest Enterprise has long experience and knowledge of sustainable forest management and establishing different recreational equipment in forests to increase the visitor service and the recreational value of a forest visit. The main role in the project is to coordinate establishment of the Lithuanian demonstration area - the Liepija forest - which is part of the Lithuanian case study. Telšiai State Forest Enterprise will also be involved in dissemination project results to other State Forest Enterprises and to private forest owners. Consultancy of private forest owners is one of enterpriser's responsibilities. Minifestival/forest day will be organized with support of Telšiai State Forest Enterprise.

State Service for Protected Areas under the Ministry of Environment (Lithuania)

State Service for Protected Areas under the Ministry of Environment is the budgetary body implementing the country's policy of protected areas, providing conditions for cognitive tourism (eco-tourism), promotion of natural and cultural heritage and traditional ways of life and creating conditions for various recreational activities in the state parks of Lithuania. The role in the project is to contribute to the marketing activities of hardwood tourism and to give other important information and suggestions on developing hardwood tourism in protected areas.

Scanian Landscape Foundation (Sweden)

The Scanian Landscape Foundation, SLF, is responsible for 19 recreation areas in Scania serving the general publics' needs of outdoor recreation. SLF was formed to protect, conserve, restore and develop natural and cultural sites as well as to encourage recreation. In September 2010, we became an independent organisation, with an annual grant from the Skane Regional Council for work with recreation areas and outdoor education activities. We cover an area of about 10 000 hectares, of which almost 20 percent is protected as nature reserves. Some of this is owned by the foundation, but we also manage land on behalf of five other foundations. The land is used for our recreation areas, but we also undertake forestry, which should provide an income for the foundations. In the project the Scanian Landscape Foundation will provide particular valuable inputs to the joint strategy and to the development of tourism products and services and in management of tourism sites and hiking trails.

  • Last Updated: 1/9/2024