C a s e S t u d y
Tourism development strategy and tourism promotion brochure for Razgrad
Summary
The tourism development strategy and the tourism promotion brochure comprise one of the four major projects that the Razgrad/Brunswick partnership undertook in Phase III of the Bulgarian Technical Twinning Program.
Problem Statement
Razgrad is not a traditionally developed tourism area. However, it has the potential to offer a significantly expanded tourism product that would appeal to both Bulgarian and foreign visi tors. The rich historic, architectural, and spiritual heritage is good starting point that offers excellent opportunities. Unfortunately, this potential has not been developed so far.
Project Description
Considering the minimal use of Razgrad's tourism potential, Razgrad's municipal manage ment decided that one of the projects under the Technical Twinning Program should be aimed at developing tourism. The municipalities of Veliko Turnovo and Shoumen were also invited to join the project in order to maximize the effect. The project's purpose was to use the joint potential of the three areas to create different forms of tourism and achieve a greater variety and quality of products. At a later stage, the
In October 2001, the mayor of Razgrad hosted a meeting of the mayors of the participating municipalities. The partners officially declared their willingness to cooperate in achieving the common goal by signing a tourism development agreement. Each municipality established a work group, and the work groups jointly developed a tourism development strategy. The strategy identified the following goals and tasks for the partners:
Goals:
n Create a common, competitive tourism product
n Promote the region's tourism potential
n Increase the number of Bulgarian and foreign visitors.
Tasks:
n Unite public and private sector efforts for maximum use and development of tourism potential in the three municipalities
n Create a common database of tourism sites and events
n Identify priority forms of tourism
n Establish reliable communication channels
n Establish tourism information centers.
As an initial step, the work groups updated the existing database on the condition of tourism sites and collected new data. To get a firsthand impression of their partners' tourism poten tial, the work groups held meetings in the individual cities. Municipal officials from all three munici palities, as well as tourism experts, also participated in the meetings. The participants identified the following priorities for tourism development:
n Archaeology and history
n Architecture
n Art
n Cultural monuments.
Another key element of project implementation was the establishment of tourism information centers in each city. The municipality of Veliko Turnovo established a new center, while in Razgrad, the Center for Economic Development assumed this function. Shoumen is the only participating municipality without such a center; an office has been provided but has not yet been equipped.
Implementation Timeline
After the participating municipalities signed the tourism development agreement, the work groups took over project implementation. Between November 2001 and April 2002, the work groups collected photos and information on tourist sites, cultural and sports events, hotels, and restaurants and presented them in a tourism brochure.
The action plan of the tourism development strategy for 2002-2003 incorporated the following important steps:
n June-July 2002: Develop a marketing plan
n August-September 2002: Develop a product for the schools
n Ongoing: Attract visitors from twin cities
n Ongoing: Participate in tourism fairs
n Work with tour operators from Razgrad, Shoumen, Veliko Turnovo, and larger cities to provide routes for tour groups.
Solutions Overview and Specific Results
Razgrad's cooperation with the municipalities of Shoumen, Veliko Turnovo, and Isperikh has produced the following specific results:
n A tourism development agreement
n A tourism development strategy
n A database on tourism potential
n A tourism promotion brochure.
The brochure has been printed and will be used to promote the potential of the partner municipalities. The information collected in the database of tourism sites and events will be updated regularly by the work groups and will be available to both the teams and the newly established tourism information centers.
Benefits
The tourism development strategy has served as a bridge among three, then four, muni cipalities that joined their efforts in the best interest of the whole region. Local NGOs, such as the Part ner ship Association and the Razgrad Tourism Board, are pleased with the project. The updated information on tourism sites is a prerequisite for in-depth analyses and provides for the appro priate development of tourism potential. Another key benefit is the establish ment of tourism information centers in Veliko Turnovo and Razgrad. The centers concentrate the available infor mation and will play an important role in tourism development in the respec tive municipalities.
Conclusion
The project helped experts from different municipalities form working relationships to address a common problem. Tourism is an important element of the local economy, and making the right steps towards tourism development will help revive the economy of the region. The municipal management of Razgrad, Veliko Turnovo, Shoumen, and Isperikh are committed to sustaining the achievements and future efforts of the tourism development project.
