Abstract
This article examines innovation processes in forest recreational services on the basis of case studies in five European countries with differing institutional backgrounds of forest ownership and access rights. The analysis reveals that forest-related recreation services are developed under varying institutional conditions and on public as well as private land. Ideas for innovations in recreational services may come from within but often outside the forestry sector. Financing is provided from public and private sources. Both public and private spheres have important roles in providing natural, human and financial resources and usually a network of public and private actors are involved in innovation processes. Of particular importance are cross-sectoral interactions between forestry and tourism. Greater institutional support is needed for the development of forest-related recreation services because the field is at an early stage of development. It is concluded that support should focus on providing ideas and financial resources for product development and on facilitating cross-sectoral interaction between forestry and tourism actors. A particular need is seen for development of models for durable interaction between land owners and tourism operators on a regional scale.
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Acknowledgements
This paper was prepared as part of the COST Action E30 on the ‘Economic integration of urban consumers’ demands and rural forestry production’, under which working group meetings were financed. The authors want to thank all interview partners for their time and openness to share their knowledge in course of the case study collection. The valuable suggestions by two anonymous referees and the editors are well acknowledged.
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Weiss, G., Martin, S., Matilainen, A. et al. Innovation Processes in Forest-related Recreation Services: The Role of Public and Private Resources in Different Institutional Backgrounds. Small-scale Forestry 6, 423–442 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-007-9034-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-007-9034-y