SB MANTA Partners and Associate Partners gained valuable experience in sustainable tourism development in Denmark

SB MANTA Partners and Associate Partners visited Denmark, Rømø Island, on March 18-19. The visit to Denmark was one of the parts of the implementation of the international SB MANTA (South Baltic natural and cultural heritage assets management as Tourist Attraction) project, during which valuable experience in the field of sustainable tourism development was exchanged with colleagues from Denmark and various activities were carried out in the protected areas of the Wadden Sea National Park.

Rømø Island is located in the middle of the largest Wadden Sea National Park in Denmark (1,459 sq. km area). The majority of this national park consists of marine areas (about 80 percent).

The Wadden Sea National Park is distinguished by a wide variety of landscape types, such as tidal flats, sandbanks, salt marshes, beaches, dune landscapes, heather and marshes. The extremely frequent tides and ebbs characteristic of the Wadden Sea create a unique biodiversity here. The Wadden Sea and its national park are also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

During the visit, SB MANTA team participated in creative workshops at the Naturcenter Tønnisgård nature and visitor center on the island of Rømø where Danish hosters and SB MANTA Partners presented and generated new ideas and shared valuable experience on what measures can be used to change tourist habits today, in order to involve them more in activities important for environmental protection and local protected areas.

During the visit, SB MANTA team also participated in activities to familiarize themselves with and manage the protected areas of the island of Rømø. On the first day of the visit, Pacific oysters were collected on Juvre Beach. Although this oyster is considered an invasive species in the Wadden Sea, its collection is included in the recreational and tourist activities offered by the park. On the second day of the visit, the meeting participants also participated in a marine litter collection campaign on local beaches on the island.

During the visit, the meeting participants were also invited to a special dinner, where they could taste dishes prepared exclusively according to the cultural culinary traditions of Rømø, using products grown and produced on the island