SuPortNet II - Sustainable Spatial Development with a Network of Ports for Boat Tourism

The Boating tourism industry generates employment and income for major parts of the Baltic Sea region, particularly in small harbour communities that have lost their traditional sources of income. Yet, boat tourism can be a threat to nature, especially to coastal areas due to hazardous waste.

SuPortNet II found ways to protect nature in spite of growing boat tourism, integrating boat harbour development into urban and regional planning and promoting private-public partnership.

Project partners carried out technical harbour planning in Putpus, Gustow, Göhren, Klütz, Schwedt, Stralsund and Greifswald in Germany, as well prepared a spatial concept for the future development of the harbour network for pleasure boats on the coast of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania. For Narva river marinas (Estonia) and marinas on the Russian islands as well as for the Lithuanian inland waterway pre feasibility studies were prepared. In Lithuania a council of municipalities along the Nemunas River was established. The council will monitor the development of water tourism in the region.

SuPortNet II developed a system of easily recognisable symbols that represent technical, sanitary and tourism equipment for sport boat harbours. The system is recognised in the whole Baltic Sea area. To make it more attractive for boat tourists’ information on harbours, toilets, waste stations, shops, services, walking paths, hospitals, tourist information and museums has been presented on an interactive maritime atlas.

In total SuPortNet II involved more than 40 sub-projects in information technology, environmental issues, mapping and other topics related to boat tourism. To improve common marketing of marinas and boating regions in the BSR more than 3.500 harbours from Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden registered at the harbour info system www.suportnet.com.

In order to promote environmentally friendly boat tourism a recommendation for waste water treatment was developed. The recommendation deals with, for example, waste water handling on boats, alternative treatment of hazardous waste, criteria for Blue flag and Eco lighthouse for environmental certification of harbours and others. This will help to secure common standards in storing on-board, collecting and disposing of waste water and garbage.

SuPortNet II proved that public sector can get more involved and help protect the environment, especially fragile areas, by introducing and developing legislations and regulations. As a result conditions for private sector and tourists are directly improved as well. At that time, the project had already facilitated the involvement of the partners from new Member States made possible by PHARE funding.

SuPortNet II worked together with Baltcoast project on nature protection and tourist development issues in the Greifswalder Bodden (Germany).