1. „Protected natural areas and tourism management in Latvia“ EEA TOUERM
Eriks Leitis, PhD
Department of Nature Protection,
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia

2. General information Latvia’s total territory - 64 589 km2 use of land:
38,5% agriculture
44,4% forestry
17,1% other
- 13% specially protected territories,
including 334 Natura 2000

3. Specially Protected Nature Territories of Latvia
Total Area of Specially Protected Nature Territories except marine areas – 1’170’868 ha

4. Ecotourism research areas4

5. The main institutions The Ministry of Environmental Protection
and Regional Development
Department of Nature Protection:
Development of the Biodiversity Protection Policy
Cooperation with the European Commission and International Conventions

6. Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia
Integration of specially protected nature territories of Latvia in spatial plans
Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia

7. Spatial plans of local governments
Spatial plan specifies the requirements for land use and building, including functional zoning, public infrastructure and land use and building regulations, as well as other land use conditions for administrative territory or a part of it
Spatial plan is elaborated by harmonizing public and private interests and providing society involvement – various proposals of landowners, that are interested in valuable use of their property, may be taken into account

8. Target group Owners and managers of the land in protected nature areas
Local spatial planning experts/ local municipalities
Responsible state institutions and managing institutions

9. Financial instruments for the management of Natura 2000
EU funds, Rural Development Program, LIFE, Interreg Horizon 2020)
National development Plan (2014 – 2020),
Latvia 2030

10. Trends in the development of ecotourism in Natura 200010 10

11. Ecotourism resources- especially protected nature territories (EPNT)
Category
Number of EPNT
Incl. Natura 2000)
Number of
Natura 2000
National parks 4
Biosphere reserves 1
Strict Nature reserves
Nature parks 42 37
Protected landscape areas 9
Protected marine territories 7
Nature Monuments
355
Nature reserves
260
237
Total
682
332 11 11

12. Category of monuments Number
Ecotourism resources - heritage
Category of monuments
Number
Architecture
3401
Archeology
2493
Industry 10
Arts
2454
City planning 45
History
113
Hitorical sites 16
Total
8532 12 12

13. Nature and heritage resources for the development of ecotourism
The Sabile vineyard (2012) Sabile by W.S. Stavenhagen (1860) 13 13

14. Nature and heritage resources for the development of ecotourism
Nature Park “Daugavas loki”
labi 14 14

15. Nature and heritage resources for the development of ecotourism
The trail of history - Nature park “Daugavas loki”
labi 15 15

16. Landscape resources for the development of ecotourism – Nature Park “Sauka”16

17. Good environmental practise in ecotourism to reduce impact of industry on Natura 2000
1. Waste managemnet;
2. Ecotechnologies for sewage watewr treatment;
3. Environmentally friendly mobility;
4. Eco-building;
5. Renewable energy resources;
6. Organic products;
7. Ecovillages;
Environmental education;
Environmental ethics and philosophy
Certification of ecotourism products and services 17 17

18. Eco building
Camphill Rožkalni village (2002) 18 18

19. Eco building
Waldorf school in Lizdeni (1999) 19 19

20. Videi draudzīgie risinājumi ekotūrismā – atkritumu šķirošana Management of waste separation in Ventspils city (2008) 20 20

21. Camp site near the Daugava river in the Nature park “Daugavas loki” (2011)21 21

22. Methodology of research/ approach A content analysis of legal acts, policy and planning documents, statistical data; B seven case studies in the area of ecotourism in protected nature areas; C observation and evaluation of tourism impact; D survey of target groups and occasional respondents – 379 respondents, survey covered following areas of evaluation (a total of 53 questions): participation of various interested parties in ecotourism; tourism activities in the local surroundings; forms of tourism that could be developed; tourism entrepreneurship; the importance of tourism resources; factors affecting tourism as a business; types of tourism education; environmentally friendly approaches and technology proposals.
Aktualitātei veltīt divus kadrus?
Varbūt pieminēt piemērus, ko ekotūrisms sniedz, tūrsms? Ekotūrisms
Ekotūrisma ietekme uz aizsargājamām teritorijām utt 22 22

23. Findings and data Ecotourism feasibility studies have been carried out at several Natura 2000 sites in Latvia since 2001:
environmental risks: air and water pollution, waste, soil erosion, timber industry;
environmentally friendly solutions: biological water treatment systems, eco-buildings, eco-villages, environmentally-friendly mobility, renewable energy resources, energy saving, bio-products;
Precizēt pēc Rozītes ieteikuma 23 23

24. Ecotourism research area - results
Evaluation area
Evaluation scores (I – V)
Results I II
III IV V
Sum of scores (0–500) %
Organic food 45 32
355
432
86,4
Waste separation 33
108
290
431
86,2
Heating of buildings 1 18
280
110
409
81,8
Solar energy 4 12 70
370
74,0
Wind energy 2 9
268 80
360
72,0
Eco -detergents 21
264 60
345
69,0
Saving of resources
184 30
322
64,4
Biogas energy 90
192
314
62,8 24

25. Ecotourism research area - results
Tourism activities in your community:
1. are obstructive %
2. promote SME %
3. endanger local environment (a plastic waste as a special problem) %
4. give an opportunity to get to know other cultures %
5. give an opportunity to present our own culture %
6. promote welfare in the tourism region %
7. promote renovation of the heritage and recover environment endangered % 25

26. Ecotourism research area - results
By which factors your tourism business is affected:
Seasonality (3 summer months only) %
Weather conditions %
Shortage of transportation %
Shortage of marketing %
Not predictable situation % 26

27. Development of new ecotourism products - Sonata of Lighthouses27 27

28. Prolongation of the ecotourism season28 28

29. Model for the Development of Ecotourism29 29

30. Ecotourism Development Cycle30 30

31. Conclusions
While Ecotourism is still a relatively new concept in tourism throughout the world, this is especially so in Latvia where it has barely been accepted let alone understood and has even interpreted in many and diverse ways, thus creating problems for the planning and realisation of this form of tourism.
In Latvia, there remains a notable deficit of studies and publications in the field of ecotourism and this is tied to a lack of information with regard to its importance and value in the overall advancement of sustainable development. 31 31

32. Conclusions
In planning for ecotourism projects a key factor revolves around the integration of environmentally friendly technologies and approaches – renewable energy resources, reduction of emissions of sewage water and air pollution, application of energy efficiency, separation of waste, promotion of organic products, eco-village and ecobuilding projects, green mobility, nature guiding, environmental science and education. 32 32