Shaping cooperation in designate, maintain and revitalize the International Nature and Cultural Heritage Trail "Green Bike “Greenway Eastern Carpathians".
Mission of The Bieszczadzka Foundation (FB) is to integrate and support activities for the sustainable development of the Bieszczady Mountains and rural development and population activation. The area of activity FB is Bieszczady and border regions of Slovakia and Ukraine - an area of unique natural and cultural value (multiculturalism, ethnic groups, pastoral traditions etc.).
The main objective of FB is to develop and implement comprehensive and sustainable tools for development of the Polish-Slovak-Ukrainian part of the Carpathians based on the International Nature and Cultural Heritage Trail "Green Bike" - Greenway Eastern Carpathians (GB Route) a high-quality ecotourism product that exploits the potential of the region's cultural and natural heritage.
GB Route is the oldest and most important ecotourism venture of FB and partners. The trail runs around the International Biosphere Reserve "Eastern Carpathians".
The partnership cooperation allowed to mark 980 km of bicycle routes, including 105 km of the main route-the international trail; 522 km commune loops; 73 km connecting municipal loops in one network ("spiderweb"); 200 km parts of the "Bieszczady Extreme" - the most difficult parts. On the Slovak side about 80 km of the trail was created. The marking of part of the Ukrainian route (about 400 km) is still at the planning stage.
At present, actions are being taken together to revitalize the route and change its course (in accordance with the Greenways idea).
Resources needed
GB Route was designated in 2004. Now it’s time for extending the route on the Slovak side and marking trail on the Ukrainian side, create a Carpathian Center for Green Tourism. The cost of maintenance, modification and change of course in Poland and further development of the Route is around 6M EUR.
Evidence of success
The GB Route became a flywheel to initiate and develop ventures: social enterprises (SE) and ecotourism enterprises (EE). The projects SE are e.g.:Holiday English School–(volunteers American Learning Enterprises in Bieszczady); Act Locally-a program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation for communities etc. The projects related to EE are e.g.: initiation of the creation the Carpathian Ecomuseum - (6 ecomuseums were established in Bieszczady), EcoTravel Agency, GoToCarpathia Certification.
Difficulties encountered
No system of managing and maintaining GB Route and ecotourism, no strong partnership for the sustainable development of the region, no model of stable financing GB Route. For solving these problems group of entities that created the trail and took care of its maintenance are joined by new entities.
Potential for learning or transfer
Establishment and development of the International Nature and Culture Trail "Green Bike" Greenway Eastern Carpathians serves to integrate and support the partner's three-sector activities of NGOs, local government institutions and local entrepreneurs for the sustainable development of Bieszczady and border regions of Slovakia and Ukraine.
Experience of the Bieszczady Foundation in initiating the creation of new entities for local development (partner structures): Partnership Group "Green Bieszczady"; National Network of Partner Groups; Local Action Group "Green Bieszczady"; Local Action Group "Our Bieszczady"; Rural Activation Forum; Carpathian Tourist Cluster; Network of "Act Locally" Centers; Podkarpackie Cluster of Social Economy.
The process of partner initiatives that led to the development of social enterprises and eco-tourism enterprises (described in more detail in the section Evidence of success) is a great learning potential.
Strengthening and integrating GPZB activities t
Tags: Environment, Heritage, Tourism, Green, Infrastructure, Walking, Mountains
