Nature and culture tourism in the Wadden Sea World Heritage represented at the ITB

+++ Please note that the ITB 2020 has been cancelled +++

This year sees the introduction of a range of sustainable nature and culture products and experiences in the Danish and North German Wadden Sea at the annual International Tourism fair, ITB, in Berlin. The launch will take place at the jointWadden Sea World Heritage stand 227 in hall 4.1. The stand is being realised within the framework of the INTERREG project "Prowad Link" together with Dutch, Danish and German Wadden Sea residents and the British Wash & North Norfolk coast.

These new products pertaining to the Wadden Sea World Heritage have been designed with world heritage tourists in mind, a new target audience for the area. These special interest tourists (SIT) expect a higher standard in their nature and culture experiences, often staying for an extended period in the same place, typically in the low season. The main areas of focus for these new activities are cycling, hiking, birdwatching, thematic routes and cultural experiences.

These engaging new experiences are the result of the close collaboration between the Wadden Sea National Park and Business Region Esbjerg in Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein National Park, the Nordsee-Tourismus-Service and the Wadden Sea project office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Germany. They are the results of the Interreg 5a funded NAKUWA – sustainable nature and culture tourism in the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage site project.

As part of the NAKUWA project, a range of local guides underwent an intensive bird-guiding course, aimed at the sustainable development of local bird watching tours. During the ITB it will be possible to meet two of these new guides: Marit Beckmann of Denmark and Christine Dethleffsen of Germany. Both guides will instruct visitors in the use of scopes for spotting birds, and talk about the many fascinating species of migratory birds, which visit the site twice a year on their way to and from breeding grounds in the arctic. Meet Marit and Christine at the Wadden Sea World Heritage exhibition in hall 4.1 at the following times: Friday March 6th at 15:30; Saturday March 7th at 12.00 and 15.00 and Sunday March 8th at 12.00 and 15.00.

The Danish artist and ornithologist, Marco Brodde, who lives and works on an island in the Wadden Sea, will present a series of his beautiful works of the birdlife and landscapes of the world heritage site. Meet Marco Brodde on Wednesday and Thursday, when he will be giving engaging and captivating talks about his and the processes involved in producing them. Wednesday March 4th 11.00-12.30 and 13.00-15.00 and Thursday March 5th 11.00-12.30 and 15.00-17.00.

This year we are offering our guests the opportunity of tasting a sustainably foraged oyster, picked by hand in the Danish Wadden Sea. The Danish nature ranger, Bente Bjerrum, who will explain everything about this local (and invasive) delicacy, while preparing them individually for each guest, will present the oyster tasting session. The Oysters from the Wadden Sea tasting events will take place at the Wadden Sea World Heritage stand in hall 4.1 at the following times: Thursday March 5th 11.00-13.00 and 15.00-17.00; Friday March 6th 11.00-13.00 and Saturday March 7th at 11.00-13.00.

Representatives of the NAKUWA project will be present at the stand during the entire ITB, where they will on hand to present all the various aspects of these new products and experiences.

About NAKUWA

The Interreg 5a project, NAKUWA, covers the Danish Wadden Sea and North German parts of the Wadden Sea in Schleswig- Holstein. The project period runs from June 2017 through June 2020, and a collaboration between five major local partners: Business Region Esbjerg and the Wadden Sea National Park in Denmark, and Nordsee-Tourismus-Service, the Wadden Sea National Park Schleswig-Holstein, and the Wadden Sea project office of the World Wildlife Fund Deutschland, in Germany.