Tourism Brochure - DANUBEPARKS

4Protected Areas are major players in environmentaleducation and sustainability. They have anincreasing number of education programmes andinterpretation infrastructure, offering informationabout environmental issues. These educationalelements and tasks are also integrated into tourismoffers.The DANUBEPARKS Network developed a jointposition on tourism and environmental educationin 2011. Additionally, an Action Plan has beenelaborated to define the role of the Network andjoint activities in these fields for the future. Thestrategy can be downloaded on the website, whilethis brochure gives an overview on our main goalsand offers along the Danube.Nature experience and protectionVisiting a Protected Area is a journey into the mostprecious natural areas in Europe.It is also the goal of the Protected Areasthemselves to lead people towards this fascinationfor nature, to let them experience and discover thenatural wealth. While this emotional aspect playsan important role, education about the functioningof the ecosystems, their connection to the river,and the measures to preserve this natural heritagefor future generations, is always included.At the same time, the presence of natural areas,especially in the surroundings of large towns,means a high standard of living for the localinhabitants. Protected Areas are also working toprotect the area in order to preserve it for leisuretime use of the surrounding population.Most Protected Areas offer visitor centres, guidedexcursions, and outdoor information points, inorder to educate about the value and protection ofthe area and make it accessible to all. At the sametime, it is our task to protect the areas againstnegative impacts from tourist overuse, which iswhy some rules need to be respected. A generalguideline can be found on page 5.Our target groups are as diverse as our areas andour tasks: We aim to welcome and inform touristsas well as the local population, with a focus onchildren and youth. We work together withschools and have special programmes for families.Regarding tourism, there is a high number of offersfor individual tourists, but cooperation with touroperators,regional tourism initiatives or companiesbring more and more groups, too.As diverse as our target groups and offers mayseem, the common goal of these actions and allthe members of the DANUBEPARKS Network isthe protection of our joint natural heritage – fornature itself and for our future generations.