Nature access to all

Programme Priority: P2 Sustainable use of common resources

Programme Specific Objective: 2.1. Natural and cultural resources developed into sustainable tourist attractions

Sub-programme: Central Baltic

Duration: 01.05.2019 - 31.10.2021

Total budget: €965 773

ERDF: €762 932

Project Summary:

To enable tourists with physical, visual, hearing and cognitive impairment to take advantage of the nature-based tourism sites in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, the specific focus should be put on accessibility.

NatAc project aims at facilitating access to nature tourism by developing a chain of accessible nature sites.

An Internet platform and a travel guide will be developed to streamline tourist information about the sites in the core Central Baltic area in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.

View this project in

Lead Partner

Kurzemes plānošanas reģions

Country: LV

www.kurzemesregions.lv

Partner budget: 300.000 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 240.930 EUR ERDF

Project Partners

MTÜ Lääne-Eesti Turism

Country: EE

www.westestonia.ee

Partner budget: 214.563 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 172.315 EUR ERDF

Keskkonnaamet

Country: EE

www.keskkonnaamet.ee

Partner budget: 126.968 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 101.968 EUR ERDF

Metsähallitus, Rannikon Luontopalvelut

Country: FI

http://www.metsa.fi

Partner budget: 238.805 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 179.104 EUR ERDF

Pärnu Linnavalitsus

Country: EE

www.parnu.ee

Partner budget: 85.437 EUR

Amount of ERDF funding: 68.615 EUR ERDF

Achieved results

Project result in category -

Joint tourist attraction

NatAc established a chain of accessible nature tourism sites

NatAc established a chain of accessible nature tourism sites in Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Existing nature sites were developed into accessible tourism objects by using up-to-date, modern and sustainable solutions on infrastructure. In cooperation with accessibility experts, the project improved or created 19 accessible nature sites which are now accessible to all, including people with disabilities, seniors, young families travelling with baby-strollers, people with temporary injuries.

The project developed new solutions for accessible products and services. For example tactile objects were developed that allow to understand the shape and details of nature objects. Braille and audio materials were created to allow the blind to read and hear the data, toolboxes with educational materials to comprehend and enjoy the nature through various senses - touch, smell, taste etc. Videos were produced to give information about the accessible nature trails and developed products for learning about nature. Information about the accessible trails is provided on the site in plain language on tactile info stands, cards, easy to understand marking system with accessibility pictograms.

Accessibility of all nature trails in project area were assessed using the accessibility checklist. The project issued a Travel Guide on accessible nature sites and launched an Internet Platform mapeirons.eu, which contains info on all identified accessible or partly accessible nature sites in the core Central Baltic area in Latvia, Estonia and Finland. The guide is available in Latvian, Estonian, Finnish and English.

Files: