Project code: | BGRS0200022 |
Project call: | Call under Priority 2 - Enhancing regional competitiveness, incl. in the area of tourism |
Priority axis / Specific objective: | Priority 2 - Integrated development of border region Specific objective RSO5.2 - Fostering the integrated and inclusive social, economic and environmental local development, culture, natural heritage, sustainable tourism and security, in areas other than urban areas |
Type of project: | Investment and soft measures |
Project duration in months: | 24 months |
Project final contract amount: | 774.518,76 € |
Project EU co-financing rate: | 85% |
Project start date: | 08/02/2025 |
Project end date: | 08/01/2027 |
Partners: | Lead partner: Municipality of Babusnica; Partner 2: Municipality of Gorna Malina Partner 3: Elementary boarding school "Dobrinka Bogdanovic" Partner 4: Gorna Malina Chitalishte Association 2015 Partner 5: Тourism organization of Babusnica |
Project summary: | Babusnica and Gorna Malina are very similar municipalities in many respects. They are small, sparsely populated, with small sized settlements and negative demographic trends. On the other hand, both municipalities are rich in natural sites and resources, as well as historical and cultural heritage sites, but lack tourist infrastructure and attractive and competitive tourist product that is integrated, supported and promoted. As a result, they have insufficient number of tourists during the year and apart from some fairs and cultural events, do not have a developed tourism product that matches and utilizes their resources and potentials. The overall project objective is development of an integrated, cross-border tourist product in the municipalities of Babusnica and Gorna Malina through smart investment, joint marketing and branding. Provision of environmentally friendly access to attractions and sites by the digitalization of 35 biking and hiking trails and routes; procurement of 160 bikes and vehicles; bike shelters, bike repair stands and accommodation. Organization of a joint marketing campaign in Sofia and Nis regions. The project aims at developing a new, integrated, regional and cross-border tourism product through smart investment. This means establishing a network of scattered tourism sites and locations by creating and supporting digitized signposted routes or trails for cycling and hiking, while offering accommodation. The routes will include and connect already familiar and exposed natural, cultural and historical sites, but also a number of locations that have not been integrated into the tourist offers due to poor infrastructure and/or limited accessibility. Routes would be marked in different colors, depending on their difficulty and the level of needed riding skills. To cover the routes and visit the attractions and locations, tourists in both municipalities will be offered bicycles and/or e-bicycles, together with bike repair shops, safety stands and accommodation. The project will cover a number of infrastructural interventions by making and improving access roads, paths and trails, installing solar lighting and charging points for mobile phones and laptops, making new or marking existing cycle friendly places to safely store bikes, eat, drink or sleep. All the routes and trails will be digitized which would ease navigation and needed information for the tourists. The project takes a multi-sectoral approach, including and linking different sectors and types of stakeholders to address the identified challenges. One of the focal points will be a completely innovative tourist-educational center that will be based on a completely new concept of education and education in nature through research and organization of various summer camps for children, young people, professional development sessions for teachers and other professions. The CB partnership is very important because of the shared knowledge and competencies that will encourage the development of tourism in two poorly developed municipalities and because Bulgaria as a member of the EU already has adopted practices and procedures that it will share with partners from Serbia through project activities, given the fact that Serbia is on its way to becoming a member of the EU. By connecting Babusnica and Gorna Malina, there will be an exchange of experiences, knowledge and education of children and young people as future tourists who will further transfer positive experiences from one country to another. Project will increase the visibility of both municipalities and enable them to become interesting for a larger number of tourists, which is the main goal of the project. The project will have many beneficiaries, like local public authorities, which will benefit through an increased number of tourists, promotion of tourist potential, exchange of experiences in the field of tourism. Service providers and entrepreneurs from the field of tourism will have more work after the implementation of the project. The NGOs will be able to use the content created through the project for the implementation of various educations, projects, etc. The regional authorities will benefit from project realization since the project is aimed at developing sustainable and replicable cross-border solutions. The project know-how, working models, best practices and solutions will be shared, further developed and multiplied through the regional authorities of the regions of Sofia and Nis. Sectoral agencies will share project benefits since the project will directly contribute to the realization of the goals and objectives of national, regional and local plans and strategies in sectors such as tourism, SME development, regional development, environmental protection, etc. |