Project title

Developing the international cultural tourism route "Northern Lights" – Karelian White Sea area

Priority

  1. Promotion of spatial development approaches and actions for specific territories and sectors (macro regions, coastal zones, islands and other specific areas)

  2. Promotion of territorial structures supporting sustainable BSR development (settlement structures, communication links, cultural and natural heritage)

  3. Promotion of institution building, strengthening transnational spatial development

Lead applicant

Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences

Contact person

Nadezhda Mikhailova

E-mail

mikhailova@krc.karelia.ru

Homepage

www.krc.karelia.ru

Address

11 Pushkinskaya St., Petrozavodsk, 185610, Karelia, Russia

Phone

(814 2) 78 01 09

Fax

(814 2) 76 96 00

Thematic key words

tourism in the coastal zones and islands, cultural and natural heritage, informational systems

Project description

The cultural and heritage tourism route "Northern Lights" around Fennoscandia, the Northwest Russia included, runs also through the Karelian White Sea area. In 1997 it became part of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes. The route is, however, still little known in Europe and Northwest Russia and not much used in tourism. Awareness of the natural and cultural heritage of the Russian part of the route is particularly low.

Objective of the project is to make the pan-European cultural tourism route "Northern Lights" more widely known, to raise awareness of the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the Northwest Russia as part of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, to promote pan-European cultural identity.

Description of activities1. Inventory of available materials on the cultural and natural heritage of the White Sea area. Creating up-to-date batabases on the natural, historical and cultural heritage objects in the area. 2. Producing the Karelian component of the "Northern Lights" web-site (in Russian and English) as the basis for a shared informational and educational space. 3. Seminar and folklore festivalŕl A necessary element of the project is a seminar to establish a network of actors and discuss the data available and plans for future activities;á) Within the seminar a folklore festival will be organised to demonstrate a possible sustainable use of the area's cultural heritage, to involve local people, promote revival of cultural traditions and raise public awareness of the heritage.4. Publication of promotion materials

Central objectives

The tasks of the project are to:Create informational and advertising resources on the history, culture and nature of the Karelian White Sea area as the comprehensive basis for promoting the international tourist route “Northern Lights” in the Northwest Russia, thus enhancing conservation and sustainable use of the cultural and natural heritage, recovery of the lost traditions (folklore, architecture and nature uses); Start the environmental and cultural education in the area, Revive the tradition of folklore festivals;Strengthen contacts and interactions within the authorities – tourist business – science system;

Expected benefits

The main benefit of the project will be the development of international route "Northern Lights ", increase awareness about the area and its attractiveness

Target groups: the main target group is tourists from Europe and Russia taking a voyage on the "Northern Lights" route. The project also aims to serve the interests of tourist businesses (both European and Russian), local authorities, research and education institutions and local people.

Partners found already

     

Partners searched

institutions in Finland, Norway (especially in BEAR areas)

Estimated budget

25 000 euro

Date of filling in the form

25.04.2002