22-23.07.2015 First Work Meeting of Project “Towards the opportunities and CHALLENGES OF Sustainable Cross-Border TOURISM“

22-23.07.2015 First Work Meeting “Towards the opportunities and CHALLENGES OF Sustainable Cross-Border TOURISM“

The first work meeting of the Project: “Towards the opportunities and CHALLENGES OF Sustainable Cross-Border TOURISM“, № 2007CB16IPO008-2013-3-069 and contract № РД 02-029-183/18.06.2015, financed on the third call for proposals of Bulgaria – Turkey Cross-Border Programme, co-financed by the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance was held in Haskovo on 22 и 23 July 2015.

The project that started on 19.06.2015, is implemented by Haskovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with Uzunköprü Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Republic of Turkey, and its duration is 12 months.

The project overall objective is to promote cross-border partnership towards the sustainable social and economic development of Haskovo-Edirne region based on the common natural heritage, biodiversity abundance and cultural richness for the development and promotion of sustainable tourism.

The project sets out the implementation of several main activities:

· Project management and coordination;

· Preliminary research of local natural and cultural heritage and its valorization for the development of new cross-border tourist products;

· Conduction of a promotional tour to present the new tourist products to 15 Bulgarian and 15 Turkish participants – representatives of tour operators, tourist agencies, hotels and restaurants owners, local tourist associations and other NGOs, engaged with the promotion of the tourism development in the cross-border region;

· Conduction of trainings for entrepreneurs in terms of alternative tourism;

· Development of on-line tourism platform for cross-border networking as a tool for exchange of know-how & promotion of the cross-border region as a new destination.

The meeting, in which representatives of the two partnership organizations participated, was open by the President of MB of HCCI – Yancho Yanev. Various topics related to the realization of the project activates were discussed. The Action Plan, the Communication Plan and the Cash Flow Plan were approved. The upcoming procedures for selecting sub-contractors and the necessary deadlines for the normal conduction of tendering procedures were discussed.

The meeting passed in a spirit of cooperation and understanding, due to the established, long-lasting relations between the partners.