The high level of mobility in today’s world has numerous positive aspects, among which access to education and work in fringe regions are undoubtedly a part.
In spite of these positive aspects, there are also a whole range of negative impacts on the environment:
Global issues such as climate change
Issues that affect individual continents, such as acid rain
Putting a burden on the quality of air and the subsequent affects on health
Direct hindrance of the development of eco systems in natural landscapes as a result of construction and infrastructure
Direct hindrance of the development of eco systems in natural landscapes as a result of construction and infrastructure
Locals, as well as visitors, are aware of these consequences. Where traffic has a too great an effect on the quality of tourism in certain regions, the absence of visitors could soon lead to secondary economic consequences. In today’s world, people are increasingly directing their own work and free time, because they want to be flexible and independent. All calls for changes to habits that attempt – with a clenched fist – to enforce more environmentally friendly behaviour are to a great extent doomed to failure. This means that tourist services and facilities must not only be limited to the aspect of profitability, rather it must be seen as a public task. Conversely, tourist services and facilities must be of a high standard whilst also including soft mobility. In the area of advertising, it is necessary to clearly highlight the traveller experience (peace and slowing down, experiencing nature, etc.).
By supporting soft mobility for tourists and inhabitants, protected areas can also contribute to the limitation and regulation of energy consumption, and in turn to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By introducing soft mobility, we have a desire to solve the problem of the smallness of the market for environmental tourism (only cca. 1% of tourists consciously decide on a sustainable form of holiday and also behave sustainably).
We see the solution to the identified problem as building on the unique sustainable approach of using nature for tourism. A greater number of sustainably aware visitors and inhabitants. Increase in the number of stops of otherwise transit motor traffic in Solčava. (we are not only counting on tourists with a strong environmental orientation, but also effectively targeting the general tourist population). Create conditions to manage the increased number of visitors: stationary traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, disabled persons and reason for stopping.
In the context of the deployment of soft mobility, we created a project for traffic calming the integrated arrangement of the urban settlement, which covers arrangements for the disabled, pedestrians, walkers, cyclists, stopping and parking of motor vehicles (parking areas are already partly arranged) and signage. The project for the integrated regulation of the Solčava urban settlement includes an expert detailed report on signage. We have purchased bicycles (high quality mountain bikes, and e-bikes), and upgraded the conditions for their use. We have acquired licensed cycling guides. We have established a destination website, developed a strategy with a communication manual and trained staff on making the wider population aware of sustainable behaviour by communicating through social media. We carried out a sustainable workshop for locals in order to improve the sustainable awareness of the local population. In the settlement of Solčava, we held an event, through which it is hoped will have a lasting influence on the domestic population and the wider population of the Upper Savinja and Šaleška valley Local Action Group, as well as visitors to the area. We will pay special attention to younger and older unemployed people. We have created a tourist programme to enable visitors to experience the sustainable mountain village of Solčava (the tourist programme will have a link to the project programme). (the tourism programme will have a link to the programme).
Specific aims:
By supporting soft mobility for tourists and inhabitants, protected areas can also contribute to the limitation and regulation of energy consumption, and in turn to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Upgrading the unique sustainable approach – the use of nature for tourism.
A greater number of sustainably aware visitors and inhabitants.
Increasing the number of stops/stays of otherwise transit traffic in the settlement of Solčava.
Easier management of an increased number of visitors.
Calculating the carbon footprint of visitors as part of making people aware of climate change.
Tourist programme to introduce soft mobility.
Among them the most well known is Potočka zijalka, an important archaeological cave site from the start of the New Stone Age (Neolithic).
Lead through the pearls of nature with breathtaking views of high summits and sprawling valleys.
Despite Solčava being one of the least populated municipalities in the Republic of Slovenia, it has an exceptional wealth of cultural and ethnological heritage.
Soft mobility will contribute to awareness of the urgency of maintaining and improving the state of the environment and conserving nature, including smaller investments in infrastructure (urban equipment) and means of transport – to promote sustainable mobility and consequently energy efficiency…
Expected results:
Innovation will be presented in the search for new ways of informing and raising awareness among residents, as well as in an originally prepared event, which will be organized for different target groups. It will also be innovative to spread the importance of sustainable tourism in connection with sustainable mobility and the sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage. (CLICK)
The aim is to focus on sustainable management of natural resources and the preservation of the environment, i.e. on improving the situation in the environment.
The operation is also innovative in terms of so far unrelated content and integration. By realising the purpose or general objective to ‘raise awareness among the wider population of visitors and inhabitants about sustainable behavior, thus maintaining or increasing the existing level of environmental protection and environmental quality, while at the same time having an indirect positive economic effect in Solčava’s urban settlement’, we approach the useful link between two diametric opposing objectives in an innovative way: raising the level of environmental quality, indirect positive economic effect on the environment due to an increased number of visitors.
Realisation of the operation has not been designed in any segment in such a way that the negative impact on climate change does not provide for major construction or transport. The endogenic potential of the area will be utilised. For a minimum investment (design and construction of equipment/stands for bicycles), local materials (Solčava mountain wood, most likely ‘lunar wood’ – wood harvested during the waning moon – will, inter alia, provide greater sustainability). The contractors will be local.
A local energy source will be exploited through the use of electricity from renewable sources – in the local environment, electricity is produced at small hydropower plants. (the area has multiple small hydropower plants)
The development and implementation of an effective system of promoting sustainable behaviour among all visitors by example (sustainable mobility for exploring the settlement, overall communication of a sustainable lifestyle, a sustainable approach to the use of nature for tourism). Click CLICK
By realising the purpose or general objective to ‘raise awareness among the wider population of visitors and inhabitants about sustainable behavior, thus maintaining or increasing the existing level of environmental protection and environmental quality, while at the same time having an indirect positive economic effect in Solčava’s urban settlement’, we approach the useful link between two diametric opposing objectives in an innovative way: raising the level of environmental quality, indirect positive economic effect on the environment due to an increased number of visitors.
Tourist program for travelers in Solčavsko as part of the project
Programme touristique pour les voyageurs à Solčavsko dans le cadre du projet
STOP-START-SAVE-STAY
TOURIST PROGRAMME TITLE: Solčava Panoramic Road, the most beautiful views – life 1,000 metres above sea-level
Duration: 4-5 hours, includes local guide, use of a bike and organisation of the programme
TOURIST PROGRAM TITLE: Solcava Panoramic Road, the most beautiful views – life above 1000 meters above sea level
• Presentation of Solčava – a European destination of excellence
• Visit the permanent exhibition and multimedia presentation at the Rinka Center, entitled: “Solčava – a Walk in the Lap of the Alps”
• Visit the exhibition of Middle Triassic fossils in Solčavsko that makes us one of the three sites in the world, a butterfly collection comprising over 1000 different species, a farm garden with medicinal herbs, felt wool products
• Walk through Solčava with a village overview – sustainable development, soft mobility
• Cycling and walking along the Solčava Panoramic Road, presenting attractions and life on mountain farms
• Visit the source and taste of ferric acid water
Duration: 4 – 5 hours, included local guide, bicycle use and program organization.
TITRE DU PROGRAMME TOURISTIQUE: Route panoramique de Solčava, le chemin des plus beaux panoramas – la vie à plus de 1000 mètres d’altitude
• Présentation de Solčava – une destination européenne d’excellence
• Visitez l’exposition permanente et la présentation multimédia au centre Rinka, intitulées: “Solčava – Une promenade sur le tour des Alpes”
• Visitez l’exposition des fossiles du Trias moyen à Solčavsko qui nous fait l’un des trois sites au monde, une collection de papillons contenant plus de 1000 espèces différentes, un jardinde ferme avec des herbes médicinales, des produits en laine feutrée
• Promenade dans Solčava avec vue d’ensemble du village – développement durable, mobilité douce
• Vélo et marche sur la route panoramique de Solčava, présentant les attractions et la vie dans les fermes de montagne
• Visitez la source et le goût de l’eau d’acide ferrique
Durée: 4 à 5 heures, guide local, utilisation du vélo et organisation du programme inclus.
The investment is financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.
The project is implemented within the Upper Savinja and Šaleška valley Local Action Group.
