Lifelong Learning in Ecotourism

1. Global Ecotourism Conference 2007 Lifelong Learning in Ecotourism Aivar Ruukel Estonian Ecotourism Association

2. Personal Profile <ul><li>1994-96 Kodukant Ecotourism Initiative </li></ul><ul><li>Since 1995 private tourism business in Soomaa national park </li></ul><ul><li>Since 1996 Estonian Ecotourism Association, networking nationally and internationally </li></ul>

3. Personal Profile <ul><li>Since 2000 lecturer and trainer at courses and seminars nationally and internationally </li></ul><ul><li>Since 2001 consultant nationally and internationally </li></ul><ul><li>Since 2006 Student at Estonian University of Life Sciences </li></ul>

4. Issues <ul><li>Estonian Ecotourism </li></ul><ul><li>Experience from Soomaa National Park </li></ul><ul><li>ECOLL Project (Lifelong Learning for Ecotourism Development) </li></ul>

5. Estonia on the map

6. Estonian Ecotourism <ul><li>Kodukant Ecotourism Initiative </li></ul><ul><li>Ecotourism Association – ESTECAS </li></ul><ul><li>Our mission </li></ul><ul><li>Our activities </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Seminars, Conferences, Fairs </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Plans, strategies at national, regional and local levels </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ecotourism labelling process </li></ul></ul>

7. Estonian Ecotourism Quality Label <ul><li>Established in 2000 </li></ul><ul><li>Criterias: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Accept carrying capacity </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Support local economy </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Green business perfomance </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Support conservation of nature and culture </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Responsibility, education and respect </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Safety and quality </li></ul></ul>

8. Estonian Ecotourism Quality Label <ul><li>Destination analysis </li></ul><ul><li>Environmental plan </li></ul>

9. www.ecotourism.ee

10. National Parks of Estonia <ul><li>Lahemaa </li></ul><ul><li>Matsalu </li></ul><ul><li>Vilsandi </li></ul><ul><li>Karula </li></ul><ul><li>Soomaa </li></ul>

11. Soomaa National Park <ul><li>established in 1993 </li></ul><ul><li>400 sq.km </li></ul><ul><li>RAMSAR area since 1997 </li></ul>

12. Soomaa National Park <ul><ul><ul><li>- Bogs, forests, meadows, rivers </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>- Home for eagles, black storks, flying squirrels, wolves, bears, lynx ... </li></ul></ul></ul>

13. Soomaa.com <ul><li>Private company </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Established in 1995 </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>8000 quests in 2005 </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Operating in Soomaa NP </li></ul></ul></ul>

14. Canoeing trips on the rivers

15. Walking on the bogs

16. Skiing on the bogs

17. Five seasons – more reasons <ul><li>Regular floods – a fifth season </li></ul>

18. Five seasons – more reasons <ul><li>Regular floods – a fifth season </li></ul>

19. www.soomaa.com

20. Our policy <ul><ul><ul><ul><li>The philosophy of SOOMAA.COM is ecotourism, which means to us : </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>supporting preservation of cultural and natural heritage </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>educating t ourists and public </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>promoting local economic development </li></ul></ul></ul></ul>

21. Local People <ul><li>The backbone of our activities is a network of farms along the rivers and people living there. </li></ul><ul><li>involvement in planning </li></ul><ul><li>guide services </li></ul><ul><li>other services – food, transport, riding, B&B </li></ul>

22. Conservation of alluvial meadows

23. Conserving the culture of haabjas Haabjas- Estonian dugout canoe

24. Conserving the culture of haabjas

25. Haabjas-building workshops <ul><li>1995 - 2000 </li></ul>

26. Haabjas-building workshops <ul><li>1995 - 2000 </li></ul>

27. Haabjas and ecotourism <ul><li>New product - exclusive trips on the rivers </li></ul>

28. Haabjas and tourism <ul><li>Image building and promotion for Soomaa NP </li></ul><ul><li>lot of attention from media </li></ul><ul><li>in 2005-06 eight film-teams visiting Karuskose </li></ul>

29. Haabjas and tourism <ul><li>Promotion of Soomaa on festivals in Tallinn and Tartu </li></ul>

30. Partnerships and networks <ul><li>Partnerships </li></ul><ul><li>Horizontally and vertically </li></ul><ul><li>Within the business sector and across sectors </li></ul>

31. ECOLL <ul><li>Project period 2005 – 2007 </li></ul><ul><li>EU Leonardo finance </li></ul><ul><li>Vocational Schools from 4 Countries </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Võru County Vocational Training Centre – Estonia </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>University of Lapland – Finland </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Schools of Economics no1 Nicolaus Copernicus- Poland </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Vocational Training Centre “Alfonso Motolese” - Italy </li></ul></ul>

32. ECOLL <ul><li>Partners from business sector </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Finnish Nature-based Entrepreneurship Association </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Tourism Agency Wedrowiec (Poland) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Touriusm Agency "Terrae Maris" </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Estonian Ecotourism Association </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Estonian Rural Tourism Association </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Soomaa.com (OÜ Karuskose) </li></ul></ul>

33. ECOLL <ul><li>Objective is to develop programme for education and training in the area of ecotourism in accordance with the principles of lifelong learning. </li></ul>

34. ECOLL <ul><li>Target groups: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Students who choose tourism as their vocational training program </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>People who already work in the tourism sector </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>People who live in rural communities with ecotourism potential </li></ul></ul>

35. ECOLL <ul><li>Activities of each partner country </li></ul><ul><ul><li>develop the requirements for professional qualification </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>adapt existing and develop new programs, teaching materials, and curricula </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>test the new programs, teaching materials and teaching methods in the education environment and test their validity in the partner companies </li></ul></ul>

36. ECOLL <ul><li>Learning Modules: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Tourism Impact on Environment </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Safety and Wilderness Skills </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ecotourism Marketing </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Foreign Language </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Guiding and Tour Leading </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Cultural and Natural Heritage </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Ecotourism Management </li></ul></ul>

37. ECOLL Modules <ul><li>Tourism Impact on Environment </li></ul>

38. ECOLL Modules Safety and Wilderness Skills

39. ECOLL Modules <ul><li>Ecotourism Marketing </li></ul>

40. <ul><li>Foreign Language </li></ul>ECOLL Modules

41. ECOLL Modules Guiding and Tour Leading

42. ECOLL Modules <ul><li>Cultural and Natural Heritage </li></ul>

43. ECOLL Modules Ecotourism Management

44. www.ecoll.ee

45. ECOLL Summer Camp 03. – 07.of July 2007 in Soomaa, Estonia Welcome!

46. <ul><li>Thank you! Questions please? </li></ul><ul><li>Contacts: Aivar Ruukel </li></ul><ul><li>phone: +3725061896 </li></ul><ul><li>[email_address] </li></ul><ul><li>skype: sookoll3 </li></ul>