National Park Environment and Cultural Tourism Assessment Report

This report provides an overview of the Sochinsky National Park, including a SWOT analysis, key issues, and recommendations for improvement. It highlights the impact of the 2014 Sochi Olympics on the park's environment, including habitat destruction, pollution, and infrastructure challenges. The report suggests solutions such as constructing bridges instead of altering river routes, developing income-generating programs, improving infrastructure quality, implementing river cleaning programs, and planting more trees. It emphasizes the importance of balancing tourism with environmental preservation and recommends penalties for deforestation and limitations on commercial activities within reserved areas. The report concludes by stressing the need for the Russian government to take steps to recover the park's damaged ecosystem and biodiversity.

Environment and Cultural Tourism
Assessment: National Park

Table of Contents
Executive Summary...............................................................................................................................2
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Overview...........................................................................................................................................3
National Park varieties.......................................................................................................................3
Global challenge....................................................................................................................................4
SWOT Analysis.......................................................................................................................................5
Key Issues..............................................................................................................................................6
Recommendation and Alternatives.......................................................................................................7
Alternatives.......................................................................................................................................7
Recommendation..............................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8
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Executive Summary
Sochi national park is the oldest park in Russia. The area of the national park is reserved so
that the land and the water of this area cannot be used for commercial purpose. The tourism is
permitted to gain historical and economic knowledge of the nature. This area is highly
protected and few activities are allowed like tourism, traditional use and for forestry. The
responsibility of national parks came under the Ministry of natural resources and environment
of Russia. The main objective of national parks is to develop ecological education and
promote manageable tourism. This report presents the overview of the national park, SWOT
analysis of the National Park. In this report, we also discuss the Global Challenges, issues,
and solution and also provide the recommendation and alternatives of the Sochinsky National
Park.
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Introduction
Overview
Sochinsky National Park was established in May 1983. There are several sites in this park
which are the attraction points like caves, mineral springs, and archaeological sites. This park
has different types of flora and fauna; it creates a habitat for many animals and plants. High
mountains are found in the southeastern area and sea level in the northwest area. Rivers flow
through the park with waterfalls. The largest cave Vorontsov's, sinkholes and underground
water are present in this park. The climate differs so quickly like summers are very hot and
winters have below the freezing temperatures.
National Park varieties
There are varieties of plants and animals are found in this park. Unique plants like trout-lily,
peony, orchids and Turks cap lily are also present in this area. This park is the habitat for
many animals like European red deer, chamois, Caucasian tur, roe deer, wolves, foxes,
badgers, hares, and lynxes. 17 reptile species and 126 Bird species are found in this park such
as osprey, peregrine falcons, firecrests, golden eagles, bearded vultures and short-toed tree-
creepers, whip snakes, Greek tortoise, legless lizards. There are 114 cultural and historical
monuments are found, it provides a chance to get know about history and nature. Burial sites
and ancient dwellings also exist in this park (Yung, 1997).
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Global challenge
The 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi are believed to be the first global sports events in Russia
which are more famous for environmental damage rather than its games. These games in
Russia to have taken environmental concerns and the measures of sustainability.Russian
parks have fewer visits compare to national parks of other countries. The 2014 Olympics
Games has been highly damaging for the area while construction process of games. The
construction has blocked the migration path of animals like brown bear, illegal dumping of
wastage and the amount of drinking water is getting limited for locals. The quality of life is
decreased in Sochi. There are many problems in Sochi National Park such as
1) Lack of infrastructures like hotels, transportation, lodges or its low quality.
2) Lack of evidence on the region where the ecological based programs are
established.50% of the national parks announce information about the park events in
the native press, 10% of National parks procedure to press and tell persons about
parks.
3) Human beings are selfish because they disturb the nature's path for their use like they
made roads by changing the routes of the river which affects the aquatic life and
polluted the river while construction
4) Parks do not provide the suggestion for additional services which would be helping to
increase revenue and increase the visitor’s satisfaction– different types of sight-seeing
shops, tours, rental services etc.
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SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
It creates a habitat for
many animals and
plants
Every year, it losses
trees
The competitors are
very few
Environment
Changes
Equipment
Investment
Lack of information
on the region where
ecological programs
are developed
Marketing
Opportunities
Changes in
requirements
Constant result and
personalized care
Changing the routes
of the river which
affects the aquatic
life and polluted the
river
Core actives are
affected
Customer attitude
changes
Provide appropriate
quality of hotels,
buildings, shops
The amount of
drinking water is
getting limited for
locals
Competitive strength
gap
Seasonality
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Key Issues
2014 winter Olympics destroyed the Sochi national park. There is a big challenge for the
organizers to develop the infrastructure to host other countries and the theme of the 2014
Winter Olympics is green and to fulfill this green theme dream they cut a large amount of
plants which disturbed the ecosystem. Reptiles and brown bears do no longer exist in the
mountain regions of Sochi National park according to official reports. The 2014 games raise
many issues regarding the environment such as degradation in the quality of forest life as
many species migrated to other places and several die because they lost their habitat.It also
increases pollution (Ferreira, 2014).
1) To make Olympic way better plants are destroyed which affected the large area of
Sochi national park. The Olympic contractors planted 1.5 new trees every year to
overcome the loss of forest.
2) The second issue is the Sochi’s largest river which flows from a lake in the Caucasus
to the black sea. Sochi’s airport is connected with Olympic venues through a road and
a railway which were constructed along it's not developed left bank. The shape of the
river changed which degrades its value as a fishery which was lost and pollution is
also the reason behind this loss. In many reports, it was found that no fish had
survived and the river Mzymta converted into chemical pollutant river from clean
whitewater river (IUCN, 2014).
S. No Issues Solution
1. Changes in river route Instead of changing the shape of the
river construct the bridges.
2. Lack of source of income Many programs or events should be
conducted near the park by people who
attract tourists.
3. Lack of infrastructure Increase the quality of hotels, buildings,
shops
4. Polluted river The programme to clean river should be
made by Russian forest authority.
5. Shortage of plants Planting more trees which overcame the
damage done by 2014 Olympics Games.
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Recommendation and Alternatives
Alternatives
Olympic officials also admitted that 2014 Winter Olympics are the reason behind the damage
of Sochinski National Park. The Russian government should take some steps to overcome the
environmental damage of most valuable regions of Russia. Sochi organizers have faced many
problems and failed to fulfill the promises on their green theme and created problems for
different species to survive. The loss of established forest could never be replaced by planting
trees which make the ecosystem complex but yes it could be sufficient if they planted a forest
in an open area of a thousand hectares. Awareness is important so that everyone should be
aware of the damage and it should be published in every newspaper. Cutting trees made the
climate imbalance which is dangerous for human beings so that it is important to save plants
and parks (Barrow, 2018).
Recommendation
The following rule should be applied
a) The penalty should be assigned for cutting trees.
b) There should be a limitation for cutting trees.
c) Planting more than thousands of trees per year.
d) Reserved regions in the park should not be used for commercial purpose.
Biodiversity loss is the dangerous part of the damage in this region. Many parts are fully
damaged of the national park. The chances landslides, mudflows increased and building
collapses due to poor construction and hazardous waste dumping practices. Some members of
IOC didn’t see the environment which is also as important as games (Environment, 2009).
Sochi organizers face many problems regarding environmental perspective than hosting the
Games. It was a poor decision made by IOC members on lack of information. Many animals
have lost their habitat and several had died. This affects the tourism because many unique
species are lost and the quality of life in this park is decreased. Planting more trees can
recover the damage not completely. Russian government should take some steps for the
recovery of this park.
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References
 Barrow, G. C. (2018). The Socio-Economic Benefits of New National Park.
Retrieved 9 April 2018, from http://aprs.scot/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SC_SCNP-
Report-1.pdf
 Environment. (2009). Economic benefits of national parks and other reserves in New
South Wales Retrieved 9 April 2018, from
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/research/09663ecobennp.pdf
 Ferreira, S. (2014). Kruger National Park: tourism development and issues around the
management of large numbers of tourists. Journal of Ecotourism. Volume 13, no 1,
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2014.925907
 IUCN (2014). Developing capacity for a protected planet. The International Journal
of Protected Areas and Conservation. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from
https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/parks_20.2_low_resolution_10.2305-
iucn.ch_.2014.parks-20-2.pdf
 Yung, C. & Miko, S. P. (1997). Environmental Impacts of Tourism on US National
Parks. Journal of Travel Research. . Retrieved 9 April 2018, from
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/004728759703500405
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