Seminar on tourism in Natura 2000 at Zebrus lake The seminar on environmentally friendly tourism development opportunities in specially protected nature territories supported by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund took place on September 18 in Dobele district at Zebrus lake. Seminar on tourism in Natura 2000 at Zebrus lake The seminar on environmentally friendly tourism development opportunities in specially protected nature territories supported by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund took place on September 18 in Dobele district at Zebrus lake. Tourism is marked out aso ne of the most perspective fields in several local authorities where pushful local residents might be employed in and, which would allow to develop and popularize in addition their region on a larger scale. It is already mentioned in the national tourism sector development guidelines that the local tourism sector is to be based on natural and cultural resources and united by knowledgeable people. The greatest natural values to be used in tourism are very often related to protected nature territories places of Natura 2000 or some particular protected nature site. Natural diversity is involved in the development of tourism products by creating great added value in both, educating people and providing recreation, as well as in obtaining income. There is a range of good and, unfortunately, also unsuccessful examples, how natural resources in Latvia are used for tourism organization. In order to help in finding the right solutions, how to plan the development of territory, based on continuous use of resources and how to develop formation of environmentally friendly tourism products, the Latvian Fund for Nature with support of the Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund organized the seminar Planning Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Tourism in Specially Protected Nature Territories and Places of Natura 2000 on September 18, this year at Zebrus lake. The conclusions drawn in the seminar were acknowledged useful by both, tourism development planners and tourism service providers. Presentations demonstrated in the seminar are available in Latvian section (here): Ilze Salna, the Latvian Fund for Nature on the importance of natural diversity maintenance and the role of communication with society Andris Klepers, Vidzeme University College, the Latvian Fund for Nature on development of Environmentally friendly tourism product, target audiences of nature tourism and product promotion Juris Smaļinskis, Vidzeme University College, Association Lauku ceļotājs Guidelines and criteria for sustainable use of natural resources in tourism in Latvia Inga Belasova, Ministry of the Environment Department of Nature Protection Available compensations and planned funding for supporting sustainable tourism in the territories of Natura 2000 Sandra Fridrihsone, Kurzeme region information centre of EU Structural Funds The planned support opportunities for sustainable tourism development within the framework of Rural development plan and EU Structural Funds Maija Medne, Nature Protection Board Tourism planning specificity in the territories of Natura 2000 Dina Lankovska, Roja Tourism Information Centre Explored problems, positive and negative examples of the use and popularization of natural resources in the region Andris Dzērve, owner of "Drubazas" an example of successful tourism service provider botanical trail "Drubazas" of Abava Primeval Valley Nature Park Valda Baroniņa, Latvian Botanical Society, the Latvian Fund for Nature example of planning tourism object- the nature trail of Cena Mire Andris Klepers | 
