Urban Ecotourism

Innovation and Development of Urban Ecotourism

Urban ecotourism is a rather unexplored area, and has not taken off yet in Denmark. Emerging national- and nature parks in Denmark, huge areas of natural resources very close to touristic urban centers, offer a completely new array of opportunities on how to perceive, perform and combine urban tourism.

The overall aim of the project Innovation and Development of Urban Ecotourism is to develop a scalable participatory model for development of commercial urban ecotourism.

Two recently established nature parks; Nationalpark Skjoldungernes Land and Naturepark Amager, serve as pilot projects. In order to elicit the hidden touristic potential of the two areas, the project traces and develops local identities and narratives on top of identified social, material, and ecological resources. Local/regional public and private actors will be brought together to develop a template for sustainable urban ecotourism with focus on infrastructures, architectural facilities and product development. Tourist guides/entrepreneurs will create prototypes of touristic urban eco products as well as educate and involve the tourists in order to promote sustainable behaviour.

We aim for this project to inspire existing national and international tourism projects and networks as well as nurture relations to investors, who potentially may carry out physical infrastructure as suggested in the prospects.

The entrepreneurs involved in the project are operating on markets with high potentials, and a constant demand for product development. We therefore see a great potential for DMC´s to market the products developed during and after the end of the project.

Finally yet importantly, we hope that Urban Ecotourism will be commercialised for the first time in Denmark. This will boost the branding of Denmark as a green tourism destination carried by DMOs and the tourism industry.

The project is financed by Innovationsfonden and will run from January 2017 until December 2019.

Partners

Roskilde University

Jane Widtfeldt Meged, Associate professor, Roskilde University

Jane Widtfeldt Meged janewm@ruc.dk is an Associate Professor, PhD, and Academic Coordinator at The Tourist Guide Diploma Program, Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University.  Jane´s expertise has been developed over the past 35 years through both industry experience and research. Her current research interests are the sociology of the guided tour, working life in the frontline in tourism, the sharing economy and network innovation in tourism. She has peer-reviewed a number of publications, and has been the main editor on a book on tourism methodologies. Currently, she is chair for the network organization Tourism Researchers in Denmark (TID)        

Jane’s role in the project
Jane is the project manager of the INUT project as well as an active member in three out of the four work packages. She contributes to the development and execution of the programs designed for “Innovation in guided urban eco-tours” tailored for the guide-entrepreneurs and the students and the Tourist Guide Diploma Program, Roskilde University and the Forest School, Copenhagen University. This activity is part of WP 2. She will in WP 3, contribute to the research process and the research articles, particularly in regards to the guides` role as innovators and mediators. She additionally contributes to the development of network and dissemination in WP 4. 

Jesper Holm, Associate professor, Roskilde University

Jesper Holm jh@ruc.dk, Associate Professor in Environmental Health Politics and Innovation. Teaching in Health Promotion and in Environmental Planning. Research in Greening in ecological tourism, Environmental Health Promotion Policies and Strategies, Health Promotion and Sustainable Inclusion, www.bæredygtiginklusion.dk; Local Agenda 21, deliberation, experimentation for health and environment. Environmental Transition and Socio-Technological systems - theory and cases. Sustainable Construction and Housing: climatebuildings.dk

 Jespers role in the project
Jespers activities in the INUT project involves operationalizing a theoretical framework, handle definitions of urban and sustainable ecotourism to guide the project (in cooperation with Berit Kaae from University of Copenhagen, KU). Jesper will in addition evaluate the process of place designing and narrating by Norrøn architects. In WP 2, he will be responsible for inputs on sustainable ecotourism education for the guides. In WP 3 focus, is on evaluation the overall process of the project (with Berit from KU) and on transferring the results of the project into a Blueprint and Tool Kit for other parks, and a number of papers and presentations.

Susanne Haraszuk, Head of Tourist Guide Diploma Programme, RUC

Susanne Haraszuk susanhar@ruc.dk has an MA in Experience Leadership (MOL) (2013) and MA in Geography & Communication (1987). Susanne has since 2003, been head of the Tourist Guide Diploma Programme and her management experience includes being a coordinator of the Summer Course in Danish Language and Culture (RUC 2016). Her latest research projects are "Tourism Innovation Management Fehmarnbelt" (2013-2015), EU-Programme for Regional Development, and Den lærerige miljøoplevelse (Eco-learning Experience) sponsored by Vækst Forum Sjælland (2007-2011).

Susannes role in the project
Susanne Haraszuk is head of the Tourist Guide Diploma Programme and participates in the current project as leader of WP 2. She will be responsible for planning and implementation of a new teaching program for students at the Forest School at KU and the Tourist Guide Diploma Program at RUC as well as developing a new teaching program for guide-entrepreneurs.

Henriette Kragh Jacobsen, project coordinator

Henriette Kragh Jacobsen. MA History & Qualified Tourist Guide. Founder and owner of two companies in the tourism industry. Henriette Kragh Jacobsen has worked with written and oral interpretation and mediation as a historian, as a tourist guide, as a teacher and as a project manager.

Henriette’s role in the project
Henriette Kragh Jacobsen Henriettekraghjacobsen@gmail.com  is the project coordinator and works in WP 2 as a developer of a new teaching programme as well as a teacher. Henriette will also participate in developing new tour products together with the other guide-entrepreneurs.

University of Copenhagen

Berit Charlotte Kaae, Senior Researcher, University of Copenhagen

Berit Charlotte Kaae bck@ign.ku.dk is a Senior Researcher in tourism and outdoor recreation. Her research fields include marine recreation, tourism, maritime spatial planning, innovation and development of new recreation experiences, resident perceptions of tourism, social impacts of tourism and adaptation strategies, sustainable tourism development, and tourism indicators.

Berits role in the project
Her activities in the INUT project involves establishing the theoretical framework, definitions and ecotourism principles to guide the project (in cooperation with Jesper Holm from RUC). In WP 2, she will be responsible for an evaluation of the guided tours (both guides and tour participants). In WP 3, focus is on evaluating the overall process of the project (with Jesper from RUC) and on transferring the results of the project into a number of papers and presentations.    

Ole Hjorth Caspersen, KU Science

Ole Hjorth Caspersen ohc@ign.ku.dk Senior researcher with expertise in landscape analysis and assessment. This includes research and development of nature and national parks involving new strategies and plan implementation. Read more about Ole Hjorth Caspersen at his KU-profile.

Ole Hjorth Caspersen's part in the project
Ole Hjorth Caspersen is involved in analysis of park user preferences and the landscape assessment. This also includes the development of a blueprint based on experiences from Nationalpark Skjoldungelandet and Naturepark Amager.

Anton Stahl Olafsson, Assistent Professor, University of Copenhagen

Anton Stahl Olafsson asol@ign.ku.dk is an Assistant professor in Outdoor Recreation and Green Space Planning. His research fields include Planning, management and spatial analysis in relation to landscape management, green structures, outdoor recreation, marine recreation, tourism, nature perception, GIS and cycling as a mode of transport.  

Anton’s role in the project
Anton works with a local mapping of place values and narratives in the two case areas: National Park Skjoldungernes Land and Amager Nature Park. The mapping is built around a so-called public participation GIS or PPGIS, which is an online map-based platform. Here, different users and stakeholders have the opportunity to identify and map place specific values in the parks based on their own assumptions and ideas. The survey will be used as input to the development of dedicated narratives for the parks.

NORRØN

Norrøns role in the project

NORRØN is the business partner in the INUT project. Throughout the project, they wish to define a narrative for both the National Park Skjoldungernes Land and the Naturepark Amager. The narratives will be based on mapping and an analysis of existing physical structures and intangible stories. With a strong narrative, we wish to create a common identity, on which future development can be based. The project takes part in the overall agenda on how to implement sustainable urban tourism. A task that wishes to create balance between sensitive nature, inhabitants and economic growth.

Marco Berenthz, Partner & Founder NORRØN, Architect MAA

Marco Berenthz marco@norroen.dk is the founder and partner at NORRØN. He is responsible for a number of projects, which all focus on destination development within tourism and experience economy. Marcos area of expertise is strategic development, where the strong narrative and the clear architectural concept are in focus.

Poul Høilund, Partner & Founder NORRØN, Architect MAA

Poul Høilund poul@norroen.dk is the founder and partner at NORRØN, and focuses on destination development. He works with designs on the inherent qualities of the place and his area of expertise lies within the artistic profile of the company, as well as handling the strategy and daily management of the office.

Anna Maria Indrio, Partner NORRØN, Architect MAA

Anna Maria Indrio annamaria@norroen.dk is partner at NORRØN. She joined NORRØN after 25 years of experience as a partner in C.F. Møller. Anna Maria possess great experience with building both abroad and in Denmark, where she has managed difficult design processes including museums, hotels, private housing, office buildings as well as teaching and research facilities. Anna Marias area of expertise lies within each phase of an architectural project, from competition to finished project

Pil Whitta Andersen pil@norroen.dk works as project manager at NORRØN, specialising in destination development. As project manager, Pil is handling the strategic development projects at the office. The projects all seek to stage the unique location and its inherent narratives as a base for future development.