Southern Öland Heritage Tourism Action Plan

Take part of 4 sustainable heritage tourism development ideas from the proposed tourism strategy for the Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland. 

You will find the documents as a whole by clicking on the links below. 

1. Promotion of the Heritage Week

As the local World Heritage managers have a policy to be working more with information "everywhere", where people are, the World Heritage Week could serve this purpose with further brand building and product development: make visible and develop new World Heritage products as anticipated in the Management Plan.

It has a clear purpose: through many and varied activities, carried out by different associations, companies and other stakeholders, together focus and highlight the unique cultural heritage and values of the World
Heritage site.

2. Cooperation with the nature centre of Ottenby

At Ottenby Nature Reserve, besides the research at the bird's station, there is also a nature centre. It provides an opportunity for visitors to learn more about local plants, animals, geology and cultural history related to the World Heritage.

One of the aims of sustainable tourism development on the Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland is to develop special birdwatching tourism offers for bird ringing, watching and studying in close cooperation with the nature centre of Ottenby.

3. Outdoor experiences in the World Heritage

The priority interest of the World Heritage managers is to make the visitors to get out of their cars, move around in the landscape and explore it. There is a need to develop the cycling route network further, first of all, to have two additional cycling routes designed or at least the existing ones better equipped. The World Heritage managers, together with Mörbylånga Municipality, are currently producing a detailed cycling map focusing on 'creating the content'.

Another opportunity could be to facilitate and motivate farmers to offer ancillary services, for instance, rent bikes and, at the same time, tell the tourists essential information about the World Heritage. This also implies promoting Southern Öland as an attractive destination for active leisure in the overseas priority markets, for example, Poland and Lithuania.

4. Agricultural experiences of the World Heritage

Rather than focusing on quality programs and certifications for the hospitality sector, the World Heritage managers of Southern Öland believe that education of local actors is one of the answers to tourism sustainability. Also, the Management Plan for the Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland implies an in-depth dialogue with agricultural companies and other enterprises about the World Heritage as the farmers are the most important stakeholders, not the tourism sector.

An opportunity should be provided for the farmers to offer ancillary services, for instance, rent bikes and, at the same time, tell the tourists essential information about the World Heritage.

Sustainable Heritage Tourism Action Plan, Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland

Sustainable Heritage Tourism Acion Plan, annexes, Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland