The main objective of the project is to contribute to the touristic development of the Giurgiu-Rousse area by providing local stakeholders (including public authorities, NGOs and economic actors) with a comprehensive strategy (based on a rigorous study of the cultural heritage of the area) to enhance the visibility of the two municipalities as visiting destinations and by facilitating the formation of a network of interested actors that would provide their input to the development of the strategy and provide the context for private-public collaboration as a means to put into practice the lines of action put forward by the strategy in the future. The specific objectives include:1). Enhance the visibility of and promote the natural and cultural (both tangible and intangible) heritages of Giurgiu and Rousse municipalities, by the end of the project at least 100 persons being better informed of the opportunities for touristic development; 2). Contribute to better informing and encouraging engagement among the local interested actors in identifying strategic priorities for the touristic development of their municipalities, by the end of the project at least 90 people having been informed. 3). Contribute to identifying means for the valorisation on the medium term of the cultural and natural heritage of Giurgiu and Rousse, by the end of the project at least 100 representatives of the local administration, members of informal groups, economic actors and interested citizens being informed; 3). Promote and raise awareness with regards to the efforts that are being made to develop the area and the existent opportunities and strategic priorities, by the end of the project at least 100 people being informed. The project has a direct and measurable contribution to the programme’s specific objective 2.1. “To improve the sustainable use of natural heritage and resources and cultural heritage” through:
– The elaboration of one comprehensive (trilingual) joint study of the Giurgiu-Rousse area which will identify all of the attractions with the largest touristic potential (focusing more on less known, less visible but culturally rich communities) that can be capitalised in a sustainable manner (the study will be freely available on the project website in its pdf version to all interested individuals in a non-discriminatory manner);
– The elaboration of a bilingual joint strategy for the Giurgiu-Rousse area that would put forward targets, lines of action and development directions and the distribution of the document (as a hard copy) to at least 50 interested actors (the strategy will also be freely available on the project website in its pdf version to all interested individuals in a non-discriminatory manner);
– The organisation of 3 workshops (with at least 30 participants per event) in order to inform of and encourage input from the most important local actors to the draft of the strategy;
– The organisation of one joint conference in order to raise awareness to the opportunities existent in the area (with the participation of at least 100 interested actors) and inform of the results put forward by the joint strategy;
– The development of a network of interested actors that would provide their input for the strategy and assimilate the document’s proposals in their own development plans.