The Pinzgau region has many things in common with the Jelovica plateau in Slovenia: the region is characterised by forest and alpine pastures, while its biological and cultural diversity form the basis for sustainable management in tourism, forestry and more. The main aim of the excursion was to learn from practical examples in Pinzgau, as project leader Katarina Žakelj from CIPRA Slovenia explains: “We wanted to find out how strategic communication can be used to achieve the goals of nature conservation, visitor guidance and the preservation of local natural and cultural heritage.” The project partners are developing an integrative management model for the Jelovica plateau on this basis.

Tourism: nature in the foreground

The JeloviZA excursion took the group to Krimml/A, Mittersil and Rauris/A, among other places. There, nature and culture are interpreted in first-rate ways as a means of strategic communication, as the content leader of the excursion, Marjeta Kerišč Svetel, explains: “It is an experience-oriented way of communicating the relationship to the natural and cultural heritage. People are consciously encouraged to build a personal and respectful relationship with nature, culture and history, especially through their own experiences.” Gerhard Meister, Managing Director of the Rauris Tourism Association, reinforces this observation: “We have our nature and we work with it. We want to convey nature to the guests, but not through fun or action programmes."

Integrative nature conservation management

In the National Park Centre Mittersill/A, the Slovenian project group from JeloviZA learned more about the successful management of the protected area. A management plan here covers all areas, from nature and species protection to visitor guidance and educational work. As Wolfgang Urban, Director of the National Park Administration in Salzburg, explains, it is essential for the success of such a management plan “to involve all interest groups in its preparation and implementation”, from tourism and hunting to local politics.

Further information: www.cipra.org/en/jeloviza, www.ra-sora.si/projekt/jeloviza (sl)

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