Mongolia will use the Czech system of marking tourist routes. The Mongolian Tourist Association (MWA) has signed a contract with the Czech Tourist Club in Bogd Khan Mountain, one of the oldest protected areas in the world. The sprawling capital city of Ulaanbaatar reaches up to it. On the city’s border, where the forest begins, MWA decided to build the first hiking trail in Mongolia. The first trail was created on the Dugui Tsagaan trail. Representatives of the Mongolian government and a number of local organizations were present at the signing. The activity is supported by MENDELU and the Czech Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
“Hiking is a relatively new branch of tourism in Mongolia. In a country of steppes that turn into semi-desert and desert, where the population used to wander with their herds to graze, there has never been a place for such activities. But as people gradually settled in the cities, they began to miss nature,” said Václav Pecina of Mendel University, who trained the first Mongolian signwriter.
Mongolia has declared 2023 the year of tourism. Tourism is gaining popularity not only among locals. The country is increasingly attracting foreign visitors. Well-maintained and well-marked hiking trails are therefore increasingly necessary. Until now, tourists have had to rely on routes they have planned themselves or on improvisation and recommendations from locals.
The support for tourism is a continuation of MENDELU’s long-standing presence in Mongolia, especially its Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology. The University will continue to assist with signage, accompanying education and building tourism infrastructure in Mongolian forests. “In cooperation with MWA, we plan to jointly design and mark hiking trails, as well as develop accompanying information boards and implement nature trails. Our university students also have a chance to participate in this – two of them have already planned their bachelor theses on designing. Their goal will be not only the design of the trail and the accompanying infrastructure, but also the collection of information about the environment directly in the field,” Pecina listed the forms of cooperation. In cooperation with the Czech Tourist Club, the students will also train other Mongolian markers in September.
The Czech standard of tourist signage is an international system, which is the most widespread in the world. Its methodology and quality are among the best in the world. The markers can be used both in the countryside and in towns, and the simplicity of the 10 x 10 cm strip marker contributes to this. All horizontal stripes are the same width, the middle one indicates the colour of the route and the outermost white one serves to make the marker more visible. The markers are also used, for example, in Ukraine, the Romanian Banat, parts of Croatia and Slovakia. One of the most remote countries where it is possible to encounter Czech tourist signs is Brazil.
Contact for further information: Václav Pecina, Ph.D., Institute of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, MENDELU, vaclav.pecina@mendelu.cz, +420 731 920 599