SUSTAINABLE HUNTING TOURISM CREATES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Hunting tourism in Northern Europe can play an important role in rural areas. Sustainable social, ecological and economic activities are crucial for livelihoods in the Northern periphery and North Hunt, a new project involving scientists and practitioners in five countries in the far north, aims to set out the guidelines for hunting tourism development.

Hunting tourism in Northern Europe can play an important role in rural areas. Sustainable social, ecological and economic activities are crucial for livelihoods in the Northern periphery and North Hunt, a new project involving scientists and practitioners in five countries in the far north, aims to set out the guidelines for hunting tourism development.

The North Hunt project is a three year, €1,1 million, international project that has been awarded funding by the European Regional Development Fund within the Northern Periphery Programme. The project is focussed on developing sustainable hunting tourism in rural areas in Northern Europe. North Hunt’s timeframe is 2008-2010 and the research area is the peripheral regions of Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Scotland and Canada. Hjordis Sigursteinsdottir, project leader in Iceland claims; “The transnational partnership provides specialist knowledge on hunting tourism practices in different contexts and will allow the benchmarking of best practices and the establishment of transnational networks. The project is now well on its way through an initial examination of the socioeconomic, cultural and ecological environment.”

Hunting tourism could be one potential solution to sustainable game management while also providing a realistic source of income to rural communities in the Northern Periphery. The sector is labour intensive and the income from such nature-based tourism will benefit the local economy in rural regions. North Hunt involves multiple stakeholder groups in developing the sector. Because of extensive public hunting rights and intensive hunting club activities in many of the Northern countries, one of the key elements for success in hunting tourism is adapting to the local hunting culture. “This is why hunting tourism entrepreneurs are closely involved in the project and the development of sustainable hunting tourism products in all five countries”, Hjordis explains and adds: “there is demand for precise figures on the economic value of hunting tourism in order to objectively estimate the potential of the sector as a source of livelihood in the northern periphery. North Hunt gathers entrepreneur and hunter specific economic data to support investment and give an overall idea of the economic significance of the sector. North Hunt will also compare the game monitoring models used in different countries to provide information on sustainable ecological management of hunting tourism.”

The team is optimistic that the project will successfully implement sustainable hunting tourism as a business opportunity in rural regions.

For further information, please visit our website www.north-hunt.org or contact:
Hjordis Sigursteinsdottir, tel. +3544608905, e-mail: hjordis@unak.is or Eyrun Jenny Bjarnadottir, tel. +3544608931, email: ejb@unak.is