With European funding from the Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013, the Business Support Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises – Ruse (BSC SME – Ruse) started the implementation of the Project “Tournet- Promotion of Cross Border Netwoking for the Development of a Common Bulgarian-Romanian Tourist Product“on 1 September 2010. The Project’s coordinator is BSC SME - Ruse and is working in
partnership with Giurgiu County Council in Romania, The Association Euroregion "Danubius" – Ruse, and The Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest Territorial University Centre - Giurgiu. The TourNet Project aims to research the potential for alternative tourism in the cross-border area of Bulgaria and Romania along the River Danube. This is because tourism is underdeveloped in the Danube regions of both countries. The main types of alternative tourism that falls within the scope of TourNet project are historical, religious, bird watching, cave exploration and various extreme sports. Following a period of research activity a web portal in four languages will be created - Bulgarian, Romanian, English and German - containing data on all tourist opportunities, as well as information on accommodation, food and entertainment places and transport, etc. The Project will result in the publication of a luxury catalogue that will present the region as an attractive tourist destination with common branding and design. The final project activities also include the organization of an international trade fair on alternative tourism. There is potential for the fair to become an annual event being held in different Bulgarian or Romanian cities within the cross-border area. Project Objectives:
1. Promoting the establishment of a Bulgarian- Romanian network in support of tourism;
2. Mapping of available tourism resources in the region;
3. Development of common information and promotional materials;
4. Development of common services for the future Network;
5. Development of a common tourism promotion strategy;
6. Development of a common strategy for the establishment of a tourist cluster. Project Activities include:
1. Kick-off project meeting;
2. Ongoing gathering of information;
3. Quarterly working meetings;
4. Establishment of 2 networking coordination Centres;
5. Design of a regional tourism logo, website, database and promotion material;
6. Regional seminar for launching the website and networking opportunities;
7. International cross-border tourism fair;
8. Management and reporting. Project Results
- Developed conditions for networking in support of tourism;
- Developed database of available tourism resources in the area;
- Developed common informational and promotional materials;
- Developed common services and strategies.
