LANDSCAPE LAB 2004 - 2007

The basis for the EU LIFE Environment  project ’Tourist Destinations as Landscape Laboratories - Tools for Sustainable Tourism’, LANDSCAPE LAB was in the increasing need for knowledge about the impacts of growing tourism on nature, culture and local communities. 

The LANDSCAPE LAB project was co-ordinated by the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, Finland.

The project developed and presented of methods using which tourism operators can estimate and promote the sustainability of tourism.

The project produced new knowledge on the environment-related attitudes and land use, and gave recommendations for the use in the planning of tourism areas and implementation of care of the environments.

One of the main objectives of the LANDSCAPE LAB project was to develop and demonstrate indicators and methods for the assessment of the sustainability of the regional impacts of tourism.

LANDSCAPE LAB –project has produced new information about the effects of ski resorts on nature and local communities and developed ecological and sociological indicators. In addition, the project has developed suitable methods for greening and restoration. These methods and indicators promote the sustainable development of the tourist destinations and therefore assist to save attractiveness of the resort as well as development of the local economy. The tree guiding books produced in the LANDSCAPA LAB –project give new information about the sustainable development of ski resorts and help the planning and management of these areas.

The main deliverables of the LANDSCAPE LAB –project were:

The main results of the LANDSCAPE LAB -project are given in the LAYMAN´S report .