Welcome to DUNC

“ The Baltic Sea Heritage puzzle – time to experience all the pieces ”

“During the project’s lifetime the focus will be on UNESCO sites, but all the results and outputs will be applicable to other sites as well. The project’s legacy will be an umbrella concept and network that connects the UNESCO sites with other natural and cultural landmarks within the region to form a common, sustainable South Baltic Sea destination”

Niklas Carlsson / DUNC Project Manager

The Mission

The South Baltic Sea region is rich in natural and cultural heritage and boasts some of the World’s finest UNESCO World Heritage sites and Biosphere reserves. These sites have the potential to be role models for sustainable tourism that are recognised globally for their contribution to regional development and the empowerment of local communities. The DUNC mission is to unlock the potential of the region’s assets by developing an effective, sustainable tourism strategy for its UNESCO sites. Together we are creating quality touristic activities that help to prolong the tourist season, promote economic growth and bring about a real connection of tourism with the outstanding value of the Baltic Sea’s heritage.

What We Are Doing

Sustainable tourism
Co-operation
Capacity building
Products & Services

Assessment of sustainability, tourism challenges and opportunities at each partner site
Establishment of a tourism baseline at each heritage site for future monitoring purposes
Implementation of the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism tools and UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) at South Baltic sites
Joint development and communication of a unique ‘South Baltic Heritage’ sustainable tourism strategy
Ensuring that the environment, tourism sector & local communities benefit from the UNESCO label.

Identification of key stakeholders / groups
Incorporation of host community needs and aspirations into decision making processes
Engagement of local communities to promote ‘ownership’ of their heritage sites and the idea of ‘common responsibility’
Joint development of sustainable tourism ‘action plans’ for each partner site.
Identification of regional stakeholders and the establishment of a ‘Baltic Sea Heritage & Friends’ network that will uphold sustainable tourism goals for the region.
Coordination of stakeholder efforts to promote the region’s heritage and sustainable activities associated with it.
Proactive approach to cross- project cooperation

Helping heritage sites manage tourism more sustainably
Transnational networking to share best practices and to pass on lessons learnt
Improvement of stakeholder knowledge about tourism challenges and the importance of sustainability at heritage sites.
Provision of educational and awareness raising material/activities to potential heritage ambassadors
Helping tourism service providers and site ambassadors communicate key messages.
Improving stakeholder capacity to sustainably utilize local assets, resources & regional opportunities

Working with host communities to promote unique, authentic and quality visitor experiences before, during and after their visit.
Supporting entrepreneurs and communities to develop new sustainable products, services and experiences
Cooperation with local & transnational businesses to ensure that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the South Baltic UNESCO sites is preserved.
Facilitation of meetings and workshops to open up a dialogue between private enterprise and site managers
Local testing of new quality products & services that reduce seasonality pressures