…
Bohemian Switzerland became the first holder for the Czech Republic in history of the title EDEN (European Destinations of ExcelleNce). According to the verdict of a special jury, this very destination is best suited to develop tourism within the conditions of a protected natural area. Twenty-one destinations registered in the competition for the marketing brand EDEN, and in the finals the choice was between the tourist areas Kralicky Sneznik – Snieznik, the Orlicke Mountains and Podorlicko region, as well as Bohemian Switzerland.
Bohemian Switzerland was the outright winner. “This destination is an exemplary model of how to successfully co-operate in developing the tourist industry in a protected area. That co-operation entails the participation of a non-profit organisation together with the national park’s management on the development project. Also unique are special eco-education projects for nursery and primary schools and walks with a certified guide, which should help to regulate tourist traffic in the region. Besides, a tourist will himself recognise here that the local people realise the importance of the tourist industry as a contribution to their region,” explains Rostislav Vondruska, Minister for Regional Development, about why the jury went with this selection.
The destination Bohemian Switzerland is located in the territory of the national park of the same name, which was declared in 2000. The region is characterised by its unique rock towns with various rock structures – gates, towers, walls and passes. This romantic landscape offers plenty of possibilities for bikers, rock-climbers and nature lovers. Together with the Saxon side of the region, the destination is now applying to be included on the UNESCO list.
The European Commission has promoted the EDEN competition since 2006 as part of a project focused on developing sustainable tourist industry. This year, the participants had the task to prepare a tourism product that would emphasise the uniqueness of the protected area and bring development to the entire community in accordance with the principle of sustainable development.
The sponsor of this year’s competition in the Czech Republic was the CzechTourism agency, which also organised the competition in co-operation with the Ministry for Regional Development. Twenty-one destinations submitted their projects. Besides the tourism products themselves, the jury also evaluated how communication with the representatives of the protected area proceeds, how developed the region’s infrastructure is (range of accommodation, information centres, and the like), and how well the local community and promoters are able to co-operate.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
