An acceleration program for methodological support and training of participants in the competition for the creation of tourist and recreational clusters (TRC) and the development of ecotourism was launched in early August. During the training, 36 teams will have to develop a comprehensive master plan for their territory, correctly build a roadmap, link different development directions and strategic goals for the successful implementation of the idea. Each team has a mentor who helps to set priorities, organize work more efficiently and achieve the set goals. Jerzy Stankevich became one of such mentors. He told the editorial board about successful examples of the development of specially protected natural areas (PAs) and the criteria by which they can be assessed.
What are the most successful, in your opinion, branded protected areas? What determines their success and the result of their work?
If we talk about those projects with which I work, then they can be divided into those with one main attractor, such as, for example, whales in the project "Whales of the Sea of Okhotsk" or "Entrance to the Taiga" in Mezhdurechensk, and into those consisting of many not so unusual but still attractive tourist sites (like the "Living Land of Pridonya", where every corner of the cluster has its own flavor or natural-geological peculiarity, or like "Paustovsky", where nature and its features, described by Paustovsky, is a connecting element and the main tourist product) … In this regard, the most elaborated from the point of view of the brand is "Entrance to the Taiga", where the unifying history is not only the natural value of the territory, but also the elements of the tourist infrastructure, which are unique in their qualities: authentic Shor villages in the taiga, the idea of an international winter resort, eco-educational programs for "acquaintance" with the taiga and other, beyond the scope of the competition, social effects of the development of the region, for example, a decrease in the level of outflow of the population from the nearby monotowns of Kuzbass. It is clear that the latter, in the light of the objectives of the competition, is not formally considered a plus, but the fact that the project team takes "wider" speaks of the long-term, far-reaching goals of the project. The success of such projects, of course, will depend on many factors and, above all, on the competent use of their tourism resources and the availability of sound investment projects.
Give an example of the most striking protected area from an architectural point of view? Is it possible to create something similar in Russia?
Personally, I am a supporter of "quiet places", where infrastructure is only an accompanying element, and not their essence. In this regard, the Scandinavian policy for the development of protected areas is the most attractive for me. The essence of this approach is very simple - branding based on display objects, where the tourist infrastructure is only a necessity. Moreover, when visiting such territories in Norway, you understand that the more the infrastructure is “integrated” into the context, the “higher” the feeling of being both in the infrastructure points themselves and when visiting directly the objects of display. Of course, in Russia it is possible and necessary to apply such a strategy, it is clear that not everywhere. Russia is very rich in terms of tourism potential. It is important to correctly calculate its capabilities in each specific territory.
How do you see the development of protected natural areas in terms of architecture, taking into account the difficulties with the summing up of the main communications and with the subsequent disposal of waste?
In this regard, everything is extremely simple. First of all, it is necessary to understand what engineering communications can be developed in an independent format, for example, many compact water supply systems have been developed in the world with the subsequent processing of sewage, when water in a closed circuit can be used many times in different ways; or composting systems for public toilets that use natural processes. These toilets are completely environmentally friendly and require minimal maintenance. When it comes to solid waste, there are many tricks. Firstly, by minimizing waste, and secondly, by using rapidly degradable materials. Such waste can be stored on site longer, without danger for the environment, and not taken to a landfill, but used as compost raw materials at the facilities of the dispenser.
Architectural objects, of course, should be as neutral as possible in terms of impact, both visually, only “continuing and settling” on themselves or in themselves, and in terms of an infrastructural element that only “helps” a person to stay in nature in a comfortable, safe conditions. Conversations that the architectural ego should be (encouraged) should be (encouraged) to be implemented as one of the elements of attracting tourists have nothing to do with the “interests” of the natural area. But this does not mean that the facelessness of solutions takes place here, no! Neat, careful - not necessarily dull. The ability to read the context and react to it, which is the essence of the approach of architects working on the territory of protected areas, is sometimes interpreted as too neutral, uninteresting, although in relation to the most important thing that exists in such areas (natural space), it is the most correct.
How do you envision an ideal national park? What must be in it, and what can you refuse?
The essence of a specially protected natural area is not only conservation, at least not everywhere. It is important to save, but without providing conditions and opportunities for visiting such places, the meaning of such a (security) event is lost. An ideal national park is, first of all, a "living" space both in terms of visiting and in terms of the safety of the immediate inhabitants of the territory, when it is not behind a barrier or a fence, when a person who gets there overnight realizes his responsibility in terms of impact on ecosystems such places. In Lithuania, for example, the area of protected areas is more than 17% of the total area of the state. This figure is one of the highest in the world, but this does not prevent residents from enjoying the benefits of such places. Environmental education and a tough policy for the protection of natural areas in this regard played a significant role, but did not "exclude" these areas. For Russia, where the scale of protected areas is often "immense", it would be relevant to introduce very high fines for violations and "aggressive", obsessive eco-educational activities not only in the territories of the shopping and entertainment complex, but also in all tourist information centers in the country.
Competition is a powerful tool for changing protected areas. What, in your opinion, is the effectiveness of the competitive procedure?
A competition of this kind in Russia is almost an "avant-garde". This is a significant contribution to the formation of a long-term environmental agenda in the country. Today, in the PAs, in the tourism development departments in these territories, there is an acute lack of understanding of how to correctly adapt the space for visitors and minimize or at least keep under control the anthropogenic impact. During the competition, participants will have the opportunity to really think about the prospective development of their territories, having real expert support, the opportunity to look at themselves through the prism of modern approaches to the development of tourism clusters, to understand / revise / formulate the values and characteristics of their territory.
Tell us, what results should the students of the acceleration program get? What is it like?
The acceleration program is a tool for “removing rose-colored glasses” in terms of “everything is fine with us,” it is a powerful educational tool. Many teams, sincerely striving to implement new, competent solutions, get the opportunity to evaluate them from the point of view of expert opinion and current trends. The opportunity to ask questions from a leading expert in the field of ecotourism and natural areas development within the framework of lectures and webinars is certainly valuable and in demand.
Do you have any recommendations for the contestants?
Nothing that the participants don't know about. In the construction of their competitive projects for the development of shopping malls, one should, first of all, be guided by the interests of the user - the one whom they intend to see as a guest, a tourist. As soon as the idea of scenarios for the provision of "services" is formed, it will become clear what is the value of the territory (except for the main, natural). All derivatives will flow from this: the choice of suitable sites, their components, and so on. Of course, one should not forget that the solutions should also be attractive to investors, but within the framework of the ecological interests of the SEC. I agree that commercial interest can often have a dictating nature, and it sometimes dominates, but it is worth remembering that there are "many" potential investors, and we have the same nature. Making mistakes at the beginning of the journey can lead to a lot of problems, and it can take decades to fix them.
