frida sviland more than a boat trip

More than a Boat Trip!

Green and blue futures

Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland, 10th October 2013

Frida Sviland, project coordinator

THE TELEMARK CANAL

REGIONAL PARK

Contents

1. The Telemark Canal and The Regional Park.

2. More than a boat trip - how to make more visitors stay longer and return.

Skien

Notodden Dalen

Skien – Dalen 105 km

Skien – Notodden – 80 km

The Telemark Canal

• Natural waterways

o Lakes, rivers and waterfalls

• Canal from 1861

o 18 locks lifts 72 m

o Regular canal boats

o Timber, industrial goods, people

• Tourist canal from 2006

o May - September

o 3 canalboats - 20 000 pax

o Visitors on shore

The challenge

• Short season.

• To few visitors.

• Difficult economy for tourist business.

• How to make

o more people come

o stay longer

o and return?

Photo: Telemark County Council

The Telemark Canal

Regional Park (2012)

Permanent platform for cooperation

• Government agencies

• Private business

• Volunteers

Objective

• Attractive tourist destination and residence

• Growth and development in business/industry

Owners

• 6 municipalities

• County council

• Canal Enterprise

Organisation

• 2 employees + network of owners

• 332 000 Euro + projects

Photo: Telemark County Council

The canal and the canal landscape

More than a boat trip!

• Visitors regard The Telemark Canal as just a boat trip.

• Show visitors what more to see and do in the canal landscape.

• Build local attraction clusters and connecting activity networks.

Photo: Telemark County Council

Cultural

heritage

Industrial

heritage

Fruites

landscape

Canal city

The Telemark Canal

More than a boat trip!

Culture and hiking

in spectacular nature

Attraction clusters – example

The fruit landscape

• Large production of apples.

• 17 farms/businesses cooperate.

• Design program for visits on the farms.

• Taste, buy and experience.

• Booking of groups.

• Pilot this summer - many visitors.

• Next: Cycling, canoeing, walking the

fruit landscape.

Local clusters – lessons so far

• Local identity and ownership.

• Focus on existing attractions and make them cooperate.

• Bring in private business, commercial elements.

• How to move between attractions by car, foot, bicycle, boat.

• Where to eat local food, find toilets, by souvenirs, sleep.

• Make attractions recognize and promote each other.

• Establish a common history with connection to the canal.

• Local clusters of small attractions make them more visible and attractive.

Collection of local clusters – lessons so far

• The regional park brings the local

clusters together, to learn, change

ideas.

• A variation of local clusters makes

the regional park richer and more

attractive.

Activity networks in the canal landscape

• Activity tourism grows - the canal

landscape offers many possibilities.

• Leisure boats are declining – but vital for

the canal.

• Routes and connections between

attraction clusters.

• Combine canalboats and activities.

• Need facilitation and marketing.

Routes, maps, service for cycling

Routes, maps, service for hiking

Routes, maps and service for canoeing

Campsites with sanitation, waste management, fireplace

Piers and marinas with fuel, fresh water, waste management, septic

Lots of things to do –

no low season for

the regional park!

Photo: O. C. Thomassen

Thank you – and welcome!