The majority of Finno-Ugrian peoples live in the East- European forest zone, in the boreal forests, and in the tundra-regions. Nature and attitude to the environment mean an important role in the worldview and the cultural heritage. Tourism based on natural and cultural heritage - example of Finno-Ugric dugout boats Travel has originally been a place based phenomenon. It is about visiting interesting places to experience what these places have to offer. In the era of consumerism travel has developed into an entertainment based tourism industry. Today in any given destination these two approaches are mixed. Tourism sector exists in a large variety of different forms. As World is changing, so does a phenomenon called tourism. Tourism based on natural and cultural heritage, some call it adventure travel, has been a growing trend and movement already before covid epidemic. However, it's importance will only rise in the post-covid era. Central for tomorrow's tourism is the sense of the place - the uniqueness of natural and cultural heritage. In my place, Soomaa, traditional dugout boats occupy an important role in the local identity. On the one hand it is associated with the ancestral lifestyle, and on the other with today's cultural life and image of the Soomaa national park. Regular floods, called the fifth season by villagers, are the reason for the survival of dugouts in Soomaa. On October 10, 2018 Estonian Dugout Canoe Society NGO and URALIC Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Development submitted letter to Indrek Saar, Estonia’s minister of culture, with a request to support the nomination of Soomaa dugout canoe building tradition into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Reasons for enlisting Soomaa dugout canoe in the UNESCO list include the central role of dugout canoes in the intangible cultural heritage of many Finno-Ugric peoples. Hence, the recognition of Soomaa dugout canoe building tradition by UNESCO would help valorize and preserve this intangible cultural heritage not only in Estonia, but also in Russia. On March 19, 2020 Estonia’s minister of culture Tõnis Lukas signed the application to nominate “Building and use of an expanded dugout boat in Soomaa region” to UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. The decision on inscribing dugout boat culture of Soomaa into the global list will be made by UNESCO at the end of 2021. In June 2016 the Finno-Ugric network of hosts and places was formed at the 7th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in Lahti. The 1st Finno-Ugric Heritage Tourism Forum will be held on 30 July, 11-16, in Mulgimaa (Estonia). The International forum aims to stimulate exchanges and cooperation between Finno-Ugric tourism entrepreneurs, developers and culture carriers in the field of heritage tourism, including in marketing and product development.

1. Tourism based on natural and cultural heritage -
example of Finno-Ugric dugout boats
Aivar Ruukel
17.06.2021
Tartu

2. Place based travel
Entertainment based tourism

3. Nature tourism is 20%
of all international travel

4. Sense of place

5. Fifth season of Soomaa

10. #haabjas2UNESCO

11. Vepsia 2005

12. Mari El 2018

13. #haabjas2UNESCO

14. 2016

15. https://www.facebook.com/events/505308754044347
2021

16. Thank you!