The Pulpit Conference on June 4 and 5, 2024: A success with 100 participants from all over Norway
The Pulpit Conference 2024 was a great success with 100 participants from all over the country. The theme of the conference was good visitor management at Norwegian nature-based travel destinations, while the Pulpit Foundation celebrated its 30th anniversary. The day before the conference, the Norwegian Environment Agency organized its gathering for National Tourist Trails at the same location.
The debates covered important topics such as visitor management, visitor contributions, facilitation, financing, Section 14 of the Outdoor Activities Act, sustainability, good guest experiences, economic ripple effects and safety. The discussion revolved around how we can maintain attractiveness, experience quality, reputation and value creation when traffic and visits to nature increase. Do we have the necessary toolbox to practice sustainable visitor management, and do we need legislative changes to handle increased visits?
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The Pulpit Rock Foundation is very pleased with the commitment from representatives from the industry, the public administration, destination companies and voluntary organisations. There was a cautious consensus that the current legislation is not fully adapted to the need for financing and facilitating heavily visited natural areas, and many appreciated having this topic higher on the agenda.
During the visit to the Pulpit Rock, the participants were able to see how the Pulpit Rock Foundation and its partners have worked on facilitating along the trail. The visit included observation of Sherpas from Nepal at work, a visit from the Air Ambulance, a presentation by the Norwegian People’s Aid Strand and Forsand at the emergency shelter, and ended with the “maiden landing” of the 330 Squadron SAR Queen on the new helipad, specially adapted for emergency response in connection with rescue operations in the area.
We would like to thank all participants for their great commitment!
Participants are invited to fill out an evaluation form.
Presentations from the speakers can be downloaded here.
