Charter Partnerships started!

“A major benefit from this first study visit was the high professionalism of the Harz national park staff but also their ambition to adapt the first steps of the Charter process and the approach to sustainable tourism to the local circumstances in the Muránska Planina National Park. Especially for the representatives of the local tourism sector and the community this played an important role”, says Zuzana Okanikova from the Muránska Planina National Park. The partnership between the Harz National Park in Germany and the Muránska Planina National Park is the first Charter partnership of two which has been established in the framework of the EUROPARC project “European CharterNet”.

These Charter partnerships aim at enlarging the network of Charter protected areas to Eastern Europe through starting Charter process in the Muranka Planina.

From 23-27 of March four representatives from the Harz National Park visited the Muranska Planina National Park in order to exchange experience and get to know the area. The study visit included a presentation of both national parks, working group discussions on the competencies and possibilities of the Slovakian national park administration of supporting sustainable tourism in the region and field trips and visits including a meeting with the most important tourism stakeholders of the region.

Zuzana Okanikova was EUROPARC’s contact person in Slovakia who prepared and implemented the first study visit. The Harz National Park takes over the role of the “mentor” to help with the preparation for the European Charter. The Harz National Park has been awarded the Charter in 2004 and has since then developed and implemented various excellent sustainable tourism activities. In its sustainable tourism strategy the national park states that all tourism activities included in the Charter action plan will be developed to link economic success, ecologic compatibility and social quality.