Switzerland
Swiss parks have a rich variety of natural landscapes: forests of various shapes, natural rivers and lakes, alpine meadows, wilderness, wetlands, and other rare habitats such as glaciers in the Alps... The diverse habitats have created a rich population of flora and fauna. Therefore, the number of endangered species living in Swiss parks is far higher than the average level. Swiss parks not only play a key role in protecting natural habitats, but also serve as a good place for people to relax and leisure, setting a benchmark for ecological and economic benefits. Strict regional divisions and natural conservation regulations have laid the foundation for the environmental benefits of Swiss parks, while sustainable economic development methods continue to create value for Swiss parks. Among them, sustainable tourism plays a huge role. According to research statistics, every 1 Swiss franc of public tourism funds invested can generate 6 Swiss francs of economic benefits. So, how does Swiss parks develop tourism?
Hiking is the most important carrier of sustainable tourism in Swiss parks.
In the network of Swiss parks, the most famous one is the Swiss National Park. Established in 1914, it was the first national park in the Alpine region and is also the best-preserved national park in the Alps. It is classified as the strictest category Ia in the IUCN Natural Protected Area Classification Guide - a strictly protected area. Here, human activities, resource utilization, and impact are strictly controlled to ensure that its conservation value is not affected.
Public transportation and outdoor activities make up the main transportation network of the Swiss National Park. Tourists can take trains and buses to reach important nodes such as the center of the park in Zernez, and then choose different types of outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling to explore further. Among them, hiking is the most important way to visit the Swiss National Park.
In the 170 square kilometers of land in the Swiss National Park, there are over 100 kilometers of officially marked hiking trails, nature observation trails, and short themed hiking trails suitable for families with children. The walking time of the hiking trails ranges from less than 1 hour to 8 hours. Visitors can hire professional guides to explain along the way and deeply appreciate the value of the national park under their guidance.
The trip to the Aofengshan Pass Observation Deck is one of the popular routes, where tourists will pass through the iconic alpine shrubs of the national park, reach the world's best alpine pasture and interact intimately with marmots, walk to the end of the interstate highway in the Stadabychede Village near the cave to observe bearded vultures, and then search for the traces of deer and antelopes along the mountain ridge. The whole journey is like a wonderful natural treasure hunt game, where tourists can observe the real geological evolution and natural symbiosis.
Due to its value in natural education and outdoor education, hiking products are also popular among schools. National parks encourage children and teenagers to start learning about the natural world from a young age, and have created a series of natural education products. They distribute relevant introduction materials and textbooks to cooperating schools, and organize training courses for school teachers every year, enabling them to become leaders in teaching natural knowledge of national parks.
According to reports, about 120,000 people hike through the Swiss National Park each year. The development of official marked hiking trails is itself a form of protection for the park's environment. The existence of scientifically planned hiking trails and mature hiking tourism products greatly reduces the possibility of people taking the double risk of safety and law to "cross" the core protected area of the national park. At the same time, people's behavior in the hiking area is strictly limited, such as strictly prohibiting leaving the official marked path and rest area, not littering, not picking or moving natural objects such as animals, stones, and branches, not bringing pets, not allowed to swim in lakes, streams, and rivers, not allowed to stay overnight in the park, etc. National park management personnel have the right to supervise the behavior of tourists and punish them according to relevant regulations. Guides will also provide pre-trip education to ensure that every tourist complies with the rules.
Greenway, cycling through six natural parks in different regions.
From the hometown of the International Watch, Schaffhausen, to the Garden City of Geneva, riders can leisurely ride electric bicycles along the gentle arc of the Jura Mountains, cycling through seven stages of the Green Road, spanning 470 kilometers and crossing six natural parks in the Jura Mountains.
On this route, cyclists can taste estate wines in the vineyards, relax their body and mind in the famous hot spring resort of Churcillach, have friendly conversations with passing farmers, and learn the secrets of the 350-year-old paulownia spruce from instrument makers.
The Greenway was established in 2018 by six natural parks along the way, with the aim of connecting the scattered parks into a unique cycling brand, encouraging people to discover the treasures of the Jurassic Mountain area through cycling, and boosting the economic income of service points such as villages, farms, wineries, restaurants, accommodations, and electric bicycle rentals along the way. Compared to hiking, cycling can connect different areas more quickly, and the Greenway chooses electric bicycles for this purpose. Developing cycling is a park development model with the concept of overall tourism, which is worth learning and studying for areas with large scale and scattered important nodes.
Natural parks, represented by national parks, have a natural affinity with outdoor sports. We hope that more people can understand and fall in love with national parks through outdoor sports, and together protect this treasure trove of humanity.