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The approach of sustainable tourism development implies the inclusion of the local population into the development process. This means firstly, supplying them with all relevant information about the tourism strategy and secondly, the intention to raise the locals' understanding of the targeted development. Therefore environmental education workshops or campaigns are often included into the sustainable tourism development process. Furthermore, additional activities and initiatives, such as waste collection, informative events or the construction of a nature education trail, contribute to the enhancement of the locals' - and also the tourists' - environmental awareness. |
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Visitors come to the Vydrovo valley in order to see a piece of Slovak forestry or railway history, to spend leisure time in a clean and peaceful environment and to explore the atmosphere of Slovak rural villages. Tourism development in the area took place in cooperation with a local NGO, uniting a number of volunteers, a forest company, the municipality, and a railway company. Natural values of the area are well understood both by the visitors and tourism developers. One of the main attractions in the area, the Forest Open-Air Museum, is of great interest to the young generation. The museum has become a well known attraction for local inhabitants, schools and families.
The Tourist Area in Vydrovo valley is located in central Slovakia, near Čierny Balog, a village with 5,100 inhabitants. It is situated away from the main communication lines at the foot of the Veporské hills. Due to its remoteness, the community in Čierny Balog is rather conservative and the development is slow. The unemployment rate is always above the national average.
Among the main attractions of the area is the Forest Open-Air Museum, an educational path which is 3.5 kilometres long and contains 48 stops. Information boards and three-dimensional exhibits at the stops show the history and the current situation of Slovak and worldwide forestry, of the wood processing industry, and of natural forest ecosystems. The Forest Open-Air Museum was built in an environmentally friendly way, using natural materials adjusted to the local terrain and the conditions of Vydrovo valley. A total of 20,000 tourists visited the museum in 2005.
The narrow-gauge Čiernohronská railway is another tourist attraction. It was used to transport wood in the last century from valleys around Čierny Balog. Today it operates for visitors and inhabitants of the micro-region Čierny Hron. The rails go from the main station in Čierny Balog to the Vydrovo valley (2 km) and to Chvatimech (13 km). Furthermore, there is a small museum about the history of the Čiernohronská railway, built by a youth group in the main station of Čierny Balog. Visitors can see historical wagons and how workers used to load lumber onto the wagons by hand.
There is a stage in the valley for 800 visitors where cultural performances are held during the summer season. The programme usually comprises performances about traditions in forestry (e.g. “The Day of the Tree”), folklore group performances or alternative events for young people (e.g. cinema showings). An information centre at the entrance of the Vydrovo valley provides information about the entire area and the surrounding region. It is further possible to buy souvenirs and handicrafts made by local people there. In addition, there is a buffet and catering services, shelters, fireplaces, playgrounds and other facilities needed, including a parking place and toilets. All these facilities are made from wood in a traditional architectural style. Other services provided by the local people, e.g. horse riding, renting of sports equipment, guiding services, ecological games, shows by local artists and craftsmen are available during the weekends or at special events.
The Vydrovo valley has become a place for active leisure time not only for tourists but also for local inhabitants. The area offers high-quality recreation, helps to build up social contacts, supports tolerance between the different visitors, and strengthens the pride of the local population in their forests, their region, their village, their ancestors and the contemporary local inhabitants. Impressive information boards and three-dimensional exhibits of the Forest Open-Air Museum captivates the young generation for forest protection or for work in the forests.
In addition to the visitors, the developers of the area learn to appreciate the natural and cultural values of the region. Since 1983 summer camps for young people and children are organised every year in the Vydrovo valley. The participants help to reconstruct the Čiernohronská railway and to maintain the tourist area in the Vydrovo valley. By organising volunteer summer camps and working weekends for youth, the non-profit organisation VYDRA — Rural Development Activity (established 1997) helps to create a positive image of Vydrovo valley as a place where many young people put their energy and time to help save traditions and the environment. VYDRA started a project for tourist area development in the Vydrovo valley in 2001. For many years VYDRA has been consulting small local entrepreneurs in the tourism sector on how to provide quality services and make a profit at the same time. Thanks to the increasing number of visitors and through the encouragement of small entrepreneurs, the number of beds in Čierny Balog rose 50 times over and the number of services 10 times (from four beds in 1997 to 200 in 2005).
In 2002 the Forest Company of the Slovak Republic was looking for an appropriate place for the Forest Open-Air Museum. Thanks to the location close to the track of a historical forest railway in the Vydrovo valley and because of the VYDRA project, the Forest Company decided to build the museum there. Čiernohronská railway has supported both of the projects. The municipality of Čierny Balog made needed grounds in the area available. The partnership of four organisations established when developing the tourist area continues during its maintenance.
The number of tourists in Čierny Balog region increased from 20,000 in 1992 to 40,000 in 1999, to 80,000 in 2005. The goals of education and tourism development are achieved without impacting sensitive natural areas. One of the aims of the Forest Company of the Slovak Republic and of VYDRA was to shift the interest of the public from the National Nature Reservation (NNR) Dobroč Virgin Forest to the tourist area in the Vydrovo valley. The Forest Open-Air Museum has been constructed in secondary forests where no rare animals or plants are in danger due to the high numbers of tourists. On the contrary, the National Nature Reservation (NNR) Dobroč Virgin Forest is an important area for Europe as it represents a unique stabile forest ecosystem (climax stages and other phases of Central European virgin forest). It was even awarded the Diploma of the European Council.
The NNR Dobroč Virgin Forest is located 8 km from the centre of the village Čierny Balog. Every year about 1,000 tourists visited the NNR before the Forest Open-Air Museum was built. This visitor attendance had already had a negative impact on the fauna in the Dobroč virgin forest. After the opening of the Forest Open-Air Museum the number of tourists in the Dobroč Virgin Forest decreased to nearly zero.
For more information please contact:
Jan Rohac, Ekopolis Foundation / Slovak Environmental Partnership
E-mail: rohac@stonline.sk
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Positive Ecological Impacts of Tourism: