The project activities consider cultural and natural heritage, as a means to improve public health, the development of SME's and the demographic profile of the region.

The project builds on the results of two former Interreg IIIB project; Nave Nortrail and Cycle-on, using the trails set up by these projects as a basis for activity. The project will carry out a number of transnational field studies within the partner countries, the results of which will feed into a toolkit.

The work will be supported by three universities, the UK organisations, Federation of Small Business and British Ramblers Association, the North Sea Commission and a Political forum. The project results (toolkit) will be promoted through the projects own website and also the North Sea Commission website.

Aim
To use cultural and natural heritage and the assets from previous III-B projects to contribute to the improvement of public health, encourage small and medium-sized businesses and contribute to improving the demographic profile of the participating regions.

By factoring in the actual impacts of climate change, the project will work with business organisations to ‘climate proof' leisure and tourism businesses.

The project will use politicians and stakeholder input, national level groups and expert guidance when working with specific target groups. With gradual development, achieved through repeated testing, it will be possible to produce a major toolkit of information, experiences and procedures for easy transfer of the approach and the success.

The project will work with new technology mapping to make routes accessible and attractive to new groups of users and to trial various approaches to marketing and mobilisation for the tool kit.

Background
Nature tourism currently grows three times faster than the tourism sector as a whole. The strong economic drivers of tourism and leisure work in the cross-over between protection and promotion of nature and heritage. Deployed with insight, such drivers will aid sustainability. The project will not develop tourism, but will teach businesses how to be more effective without degrading heritage assets.

It is possible to design opportunities for health into urban design. There are opportunities provided in the link between health and land use planning, such as in the new British Right of Way Improvement Plans (2007-2017).

By working with the right combination of experts on issues such as on walking, obesity and SME development, it should be possible to create a lasting effect on business development and lifestyles in the North Sea Area and develop a toolkit for others to achieve the same.

Including natural and cultural heritage in such work will enrich the experience and also to ensure that heritage becomes a more integral part of business. It is important to engage with national level organisations like the Norwegian or Danish Ancient Monuments Commissions and at the same time with politicians and local participants in order to foster future investment beyond the duration of any project.

The ability to build on ‘inheritance' from III-B, as provided by the 12,000 km of trails from the walking and cycling projects, will ‘kick-start' a project without having to incur capital expenditure and will provide loyalty and longevity. Physical infrastructure, supported by two independent support organisations and the close involvement of the business community will help ensure direct and lasting benefits.

• Toolkit to create a series of templates for initiatives generated through the project to increase outdoor activity;
• Stimulate the growth of small businesses through an increase number of people participating in outdoor life;
• A web based North Sea coastal Assets Collection and new web tools to promote health and outdoor life;
• Cooperation with the North Sea Commission and national organizations to promote health and outdoor activities to be used as economic drivers.