NEST Sweden - The High Coast Project


Location
The High Coast is located on the north eastern coast of Sweden, between Härnösand, Kramfors and Örnsköldsvik.

Background
The High Coast is in the county of Västernorrland, right in the centre of Sweden. The High Coast’s precipitous and varied landscape has fascinated visitors throughout the ages. The steep cliffs, rolling hills and narrow valleys accent placid lakes and deep bays along the coast. People have always been drawn here to experience the unusual beauty of the countryside, the fishing and the sea. Tourism has become a part of everyday life in the region.

The High Coast holds the world record for land uplift after the glacial ice sheet melted. The highest point of the rising land is 286 meters above sea level at the top of Skule mountain. In 2000 the High Coast was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of the areas unique geology related to the rising land.

NEST/High Coast
The region, which is being developed within the NEST project in Sweden - The High Coast a world heritage area – is placed just south of the city Örnsköldsvik and stretches to the south to the city of Kramfors. The region is made up of these municipalities, the Örnsköldsviks municipality, the northern part and Kramfors municipality, the southern part.

As an integrated part of the trans national NEST project, the NEST-High Coast section of the project is targeted towards developing sustainable tourism and, to increase the profit potential from this, by analyzing and utilizing the opportunities within the Skule National Park and the other 10 protected areas within the High Coast area. The world heritage status gives new input and new ideas how to market and to take advantage of the whole heritage area and the 10 protected areas within The High Coast.

Below you can find some examples of activities within the NEST/High Coast project:

Theme 1 NETWORKING
  • Study around the new visitor centre in the High Coast- how can the centre be useful for local society and what kind of new business opportunities can it bring to the area.
  • Study around creating a new management organisation for the world heritage area and all protected land inside the heritage area.

Theme 2 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
  • New business opportunities in the Skule National Park.
  • Increase water/sea related activities in the heritage area. The project aims to create a kayak - and bicycle renting network in the heritage area.

Theme 3 ECOTOURISM AND ECO LABELLING
  • Seminars and support for interested entrepreneurs who want to start an ecotourism activity in the region.
  • A study about certification system for nature- and culture guides. There is no national uniform system in Sweden and the aim is to find out whether we need one or not and to come up with a suggestion for a common certification system.

Theme 4 NATURE SCHOOL AND GEOLOGICAL EXHIBITION
  • Test projects with nature schools in both of the two municipalities. How to establish nature school activity in the world heritage area.
  • Seminars and study trips for teachers to places in the heritage area.
  • Create a geological international exhibition for the NEST member countries.



The strength of the project is that all theme groups will work parallel in all participating countries. The structure of the project is seen as a continuum of increased knowledge and experience that will be transferred and discussed on regular bases at trans-national workshops throughout the project period. The NEST project in Sweden is responsible for Theme 3 Ecotourism and eco labelling. In May 2006 Sweden are hosting the third workshop and the theme will be Ecotourism and Eco labelling.
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