On November 21, 2013, training on Protected Areas and Ecotourism was organized for beneficiaries of the project “Development of Ecotourism in the Javakheti National Park Support Zone”. The training was conducted by the representatives of the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia – Lika Kalmakhelidze and Khatuna Tsiklauri.

The training participants received comprehensive information on protected areas, reasons and goals of their establishment, their categories and management, role of local community, legislation on protected areas, biodiversity and sustainable use of nature. The training participants learnt about ecotourism, its types and economic significance, tourists’ interests, ecotourism potential of protected areas, protected areas of Georgia and their tourist products.

The project “Development of Ecotourism in the Javakheti National Park Support Zone” has been implemented by the Biological Farming Association Elkana since May 2013. The project aims to support development of ecotourism in the Javakheti National Park support zone villages (Patara Khanchali, Epremovka, Zhdanovo, Sameba, Dadeshi, Sulda, Miasnikiani, Filipovka, Bozali, Kartsakhi), and it is part of the Javakheti National Park Establishment project which is funded by the German Government through the Reconstruction Credit Bank KfW and is implemented by WWF in cooperation with the Agency of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia.