Back to the nature, in the future of agro- and ecotourism
Nataliya HLEBUS, Magazine "Native Nature", No 1, 2006
In a wonderful part where a Belarusian Grandfather Frost chose to place his residence and where herds of mighty bison take a free-living walk, a Project of the Program of UN Development "Ecological Sustainable Development of the Region "Belovezhskaya Pushcha": Overlapping Nature Protection and Sustainable Development" is in progress. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Republic of Belarus is the National Executive Agency of the Project.
Head of the Project Dmitriy FRISHCHIN is our guest.
The basic purpose of the Project is development of agro- and ecotourism in the above called area which covers Pruzhany and Kamenetz districts of the Brest region, and Volkovyssk, Zelvensk and Svisloch districts of the Grodno region.
This Project is supervised at high international and national levels. Its objective, corresponded to the purposes of the millennium, is increase in standard of living of the village population, ecological sustainable development of the region, and preservation of sites of historical, cultural and natural heritage.
According to international approaches, the Project covers transboundary regions since a part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is within the Polish territory while the other part is in the Belarusian one.
Nature of the area covered with the Project is unique. Woods are the most part of this territory. Besides the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", a lot of other especially protected areas are available, which serve home for over ten thousand species of animals and plants. Such natural protected areas as "Meduhovo", bog "Dikoe" and Ruzhanskaya Pushcha, which have very fantastic sites to fascinate soul and give food for thought and creativity, are unique concerning ecological cleanliness
Last years it was already managed considerably to rise a standard of living of the Polish people, inhabitants of such the nearby areas at the expense of development of agro- and ecotourism.
The Belarusian area gradually becomes popular to be used. The aim of the Project within the UN Development Program is exactly to popularize this area by promoting the sustainable development of regions which specialize in the rural and ecological tourism and which have no large industrial enterprises now and it is undesirable to have them in the future, as well as which have insufficiently advanced infrastructure. Agro- and ecotourism is exactly this kind of business to give such the opportunity by taking into care of all kinds of heritage units both from the part of the state and local inhabitants. This follows both their spiritual and commercial interests.
The UN Project is relatively divided into two parts – the theoretical and applied ones.
The theoretical part aims, first of all, to make offers to improve the national law. Since agro- and ecotourism is only being started in the country, it is naturally important for those people who are engaging in or wish to be engaged in these kinds of businesses to feel themselves in optimum comfort. The Project is ready to bring an appropriate support. For instance, the recommendations of the Project on perfection of the national legislation in the field of agro- and ecotourism were taken into account by preparation such key documents as the National Program on Tourism Development in 2006 - 2010, the project of the law of the Republic of Belarus "On modification and additions to the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On especially protected natural territories".
Apart from this, economic benefit of development of agro- and ecotourism in this region and factors which influence on its development are determined within the framework of the Project. A guidebook for the businessmen who make and wish to make agro-tourist services is prepared.
As to the applied part of the Project, an electronic database on village farms of the region "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" which already provide agro-tourist services is drawn up and the potential makers of such the services in this region are identified. Ecological friendly craft manufactures are the object of strong attention.
In May 2005, the seminar "Rural tourism: opportunities for regional development" for the representatives of local and district authorities involved in the UN Project was held in Poland. Its participants visited a number of farms and learned about how interactions between local authorities, farm owners and public associations engaged in agro-tourism are functioned, about what kind of assistance they get from local authorities and about how the growth of agro- and ecotourism services influences on development of the region.
In July 2005, a session of the high advisory body of the Project, National Advisory Committee consisted of the representatives of some international and foreign organizations, national bodies of the state management and public associations was held.
Within the framework of this session which placed in the farm "Veres" in the Zelven district, the participants visited other farms of the region, the Synkovichi church-fortress and the Zhirovichi monastery. Although the last site is out of the Project, but it shares the border of Zelven and Slonim districts and it can be considered the part of a tourist route.
The experts of the Project made inventory of natural, historical and cultural heritage of the region. A calendar and booklet about the region "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" with description of agro-tourist farms, their addresses, and local historical, cultural and natural heritage in Russian and English have already been issued. A website of the Project is under preparation. Thanks to the UN Project, this paper-production is distributed among all international organizations and tourist agencies which will actively promote the development of rural and ecological tourism in the region "Belovezhskaya Pushcha".
As to the further initiatives, this is, first of all, financial support to improve the farms, equip them with services and rise their attractiveness for the tourists.
The financial support's program within the frame of the Project is a target both for those who already has a farm and who would like to get it. Each owner of the farm can offer a micro-project made by himself and propose his vision of the manor and his business plan in order to bring not only benefit to him but also to be advantageous to the district and to promote ecological sustainable development of agro-tourism. Based on the results of an open competition among these micro-projects, about ten farms (their number can be both more or less) will be selected and will get the means (~ US $ 1,500 – 2,000) this year to develop the farms. Then, in half a year, a Belarusian-Polish booklet on results of the Project will be issued really to show what kind of the original and well-organized rest can be offered in Belarus.
Apart from this, the owners of farm-winners will take a training course in Poland. Such the study, besides of gaining valuable experience on development of agro-tourist services, is useful in term of avoiding to duplicate services in the neighboring countries, search one's own spirit and offer one's own originality and uniqueness.
Big work with the pupils of the region "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is also conducted in the frame of the UN Project. An exhibition of their drawings was recently held in the village of Kamenyuki by heading of the Project together with the Fund "Euro-region Belovezhskaya Pushcha". Children submitted their production about originality, history and nature of this land. Five of the best designs are issued in the form of posters.
There are plans to exhibit pictures-winners in Minsk this year to allow the adult and top managers to see what is children's love to their small homeland and what kind of its future they dream.
Prepared by Nataliya HLEBUS