Joint Valorisation Strategy English

Business Support Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises

7000 Ruse, Kresna str., Phone/Fax: +359 82 821472 http://bsc.smebg.net/

bsc@smebg.net

Project “Sustaining Rural Tourism in the Giurgiu-Ruse Area Through its Cultural Heritage” Project code: ROBG-502 Financed under the Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme

JOINT VALORISATION STRATEGY

2019 The content of this document does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union. www.interregrobg.eu

Table of contents Introduction ..................................................................................... 5 Rural tourism definitions and concepts .......................................................... 6 1. Study of Ruse-Giurgiu region sustainable development potential .................... 8 1.1 The potential of Ruse region settlements to establish and maintain sustainable rural tourism.........................................................................................................10 1.1.1 Overview of the tourism potential of Ruse region ...................................10 1.1.2 Survey among the local stakeholders and organisations - summary ..............16 1.1.3 Study among the tour operators, agents and experts - summary .................17 1.1.4 Accommodation in Ruse region .........................................................19 1.1.5 Settlements in Ruse region with the greatest tourism potential ..................19 1.2 The potential of Giurgiu county settlements to establish and maintain sustainable rural tourism ..................................................................................................23 1.2.1 Overview of the Giurgiu County ........................................................23 1.2.2 Tourist potential of the Giurgiu County – summary .................................25 2. Study on the opportunities ..............................................................27 2.1 Strengths and opportunities of the settlements in Ruse regions .......................28 2.1.1 Ivanovo.....................................................................................28 2.1.2 Pepelina ...................................................................................30 2.1.3 Ryahovo ....................................................................................32 2.1.4 Karan Varbovka ...........................................................................34 2.1.5 Nisovo ......................................................................................35 2.1.6 Cherven ....................................................................................37 2.1.7 Mechka .....................................................................................39 2.1.8 Nikolovo ...................................................................................40 2.1.9 Basarbovo..................................................................................41 2.1.10 Ekzarh Yosif ..............................................................................43 2.1.11 Study on Ruse region opportunities – summary .....................................44 2.2 Strengths and opportunities of the settlements in Giurgiu county ....................47 2.2.1 Comana ....................................................................................47 2.2.2 Herasti .....................................................................................48 2.2.3 Izvoarele ...................................................................................49 2.2.4 Draganescu ................................................................................50 2.2.5 Letca Noua ................................................................................51

2.2.6 Gostinu .....................................................................................52 2.2.7 Oinacu .....................................................................................53 2.2.8 Clejani .....................................................................................54 2.2.9 Slobozia ....................................................................................55 2.2.10 Balanoaia .................................................................................56 2.2.11 Study on Giurgiu county opportunities – summary .................................57 3. Risks and threats analysis ...............................................................59 3.1 Risks and threats to rural tourism development in the settlements of Ruse region .60 3.2 Risks and threats to rural tourism development in the settlements of Giurgiu county ..................................................................................................................67 4. Development objectives .................................................................68 5. Investment priorities .....................................................................72 5.1 Investment priorities under Strategic objective 1........................................72 5.2 Investment priorities under Strategic objective 2........................................74 5.3 Measures, recommendations and stakeholders under the strategic objectives ......76 5.3.1 Measures under Strategic objective 1 .................................................77 5.3.2 Measures under Strategic objective 2 .................................................80 5.4 Consistency with the objectives and priorities of other strategic and programming documents for the region ...................................................................................86 6. A common road map for rural tourism development in Ruse-Giurgiu region.

Recommendations and responsibilities................................................................88

Introduction This document is developed under the procedure “Development of Joint Valorisation Strategy” within the framework of the Project “Sustaining Rural Tourism in the Giurgiu-Ruse Area Through its Cultural Heritage“, project code ROBG-502, financed under Interreg V-A Bulgaria-Romania Programme. The task has been carried out under a contract between the Business Support Centre acting as the contracting organisation and Promola Ltd. acting as the implementing party, concluded on 14 January 2019, for a period of six months.

The joint strategy has been developed by using the data provided by the project partners, which was collected during the documentation phase in order to: • conduct an exhaustive research of the potential of the wider Giurgiu-Ruse region to attract tourists by focusing mainly on the needs and expectations of those who are interested in the rural destinations; • examine how small and less known places (such as the selected rural communities in the study) can develop a strong trade mark and a regional brand through the experiences and products that can be offered; • analyse the extent and ways to mitigate the risks and threats, so that these places become tourist destinations themselves; • offer objectives that are to be achieved jointly by all local stakeholders; • identify investment priorities and opportunities for private initiatives which can contribute to the achievement of the development objectives; • provide recommendations for clear guidelines on short-term/mid-term actions and a common roadmap for rural tourism development within the region; This document is available in Bulgarian language (on which it has been drafted) and in English language.

Rural tourism definitions and concepts The Word Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)1 states on its official website that “tourism can and must play a significant role in delivering sustainable solutions for the people, the planet, the prosperity and peace. In 2015 tourism was the third economic sector in the world by export earnings, which is 10% of the world GDP and 30% of the outsourcing services, as well as provides one in 10 jobs worldwide. Tourism has the potential to contribute directly or indirectly to the all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals".

The Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism2 gives the following definitions: ➢ Rural tourism and agricultural tourism are types of alternative tourism. They are historically linked to the post-war recovery of West Europe, namely France, where providing the farmers with support in the area of tourism has led to keeping the population in rural areas and their revival. Rural tourism is characterised with staying in rural environment (a house or a nearby camp, other accommodation facility), communicating with the host farmers and access to the farm. It can be in the form of transit, e.g. a stay within a round trip or a weekend stay, or even a one-week stay. In both cases the tourists expect to be involved in the daily life of the household: to pick up fruits and vegetables or herbs, to cook traditional meals, to participate in the local customs and festivals, to watch or be trained in local crafts, folk and agricultural traditions. These activities are usually complemented by various types of active or cultural tourism (trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, visits to monasteries, museums, archaeological and other sights, craft school), and very often, a mixture of them. ➢ Sustainable tourism appears to be a continuation of the sustainable development concept (Rio, 1992). It results from the cares that have been taken for the endangered areas on the entire planet, and in particular, for the tropical forests. At the same time, sustainable tourism also covers the urban areas and villages, as well as the cultural and architectural heritage, hence, it has a wider framework compared to the ecotourism. Sustainable tourism aims not only to minimize the impact on the environment, but also to shape tourists' perceptions before and during their travel, as well as to develop environment-friendly tourist practices. This is an evolution in tourism, which on the one hand, reflects the interests of hosts, and on the other hand – the interests of the visitors.

All activities in the visiting zone should be relevant to the maximum capacity of the natural resources, i.e. to comply with the principle of more effective use of resources.

In her analysis3 a researcher form the New Bulgarian University states that rural tourism destinations are the regions/areas which are rich of sights/events forming the product of this alternative form of tourism: (a) rural life (way of living) and communication; (b) agricultural activities; (c) local traditions (customs, rituals, etc.); (d) culture, art

1

http://www2.unwto.org/

2

https://www.baatbg.org/

3

http://ebox.nbu.bg/pa2016/18Rizova.pdf“State-of-the-art and development of rural tourism in Bulgaria”, Senior assistant Teodora Rizova, http://ebox.nbu.bg/pa2016/18Rizova.pdf

(folklore); (e) cultural and historical sites; (f) natural and environmental heritage. The same document identifies the villages that are suitable for rural tourism by classifying them in one of the following categories: (1) villages which offer specific folklore, traditions, specific cuisine; (2) villages with attractive craft arts; (3) villages with suitable climate and fascinating landscape; (4) villages which provide opportunity for hunting and fishing; (5) villages which are famous with the their viticulture and wine production, horticulture, vegetable growing, etc; (6) bucolic mountainous villages with well-developed sheepbreeding; (7) villages which provide opportunities for practising various sports; (8) villages with suitable conditions for SPA activities.

The characteristics of rural tourism can be summarised as follows: • sustainability is an inherent feature; • the number of tourists is relatively small; they are interested in the local culture and traditions; • developing rural tourism does not require big investments in infrastructure, as it is the case with the other forms of tourism; • the evolution of rural tourism is slow and depends on social and environmental factors; • rural tourism development takes place within a small-scale; • governed by long-term local interests; • quality-oriented and focused on values; • creates jobs within the tourism industry; • requires ongoing training of the personnel, incl. the local people; • requires educating of tourists and the wider public with regards to the importance and benefits of tourism.

1. Study of Ruse-Giurgiu region sustainable development potential Figure 1. Map of Ruse – Giurgiu region as a part of Bulgaria and Romania crossborder region

In this section Study on Ruse District – Giurgiu County cross-border region potential to attract tourist interest.

The analysis is focused on the tourism needs and expectations towards the rural communities in the region, by taking into consideration the following aspects: • • •

the contemporary requirements to the tourism products; the trends in tourism, in particular, in rural tourism; the potential for integrated tourism products.

The analysis of the potential for establishing and developing rural tourism through the cultural heritage of Ruse - Giurgiu cross-border region, understood as a combination of the territories of Ruse district and Giurgiu county, is primarily based on the document “Joint prior study and assessment of the tourism potential of the settlements in the region”. The study has been conducted by means of a common methodology that was approved and

implemented by the project partners. The scope of the study covers 92 cultural and historical resources within the entire Ruse - Giurgiu cross-border region, namely, 74 settlements on the territory of the 8 municipalities in Ruse region and 52 local authorities in Giurgiu country, respectively.

Following the application of the assessment methodology and based on the terms of reference the study identified 20 settlements with a rural tourism potential, i.e. 10 settlements on the Bulgarian side and 10 on the Romanian territory.

The study concluded that although there are barriers imposed by the weak economic development of the cross-border region and the fact it has not being recognised as a tourist destination (both by local and foreign tourists), the region has a variety of natural and anthropogenic resources which are a prerequisite for developing a year-round tourism.

Summary of the assessment approaches to the cultural and historical tourism resources and their potential: •

• •

• • • •

the main purpose of the comprehensive assessment has been to select the most important resources and to identify the possibilities of including them in the tourist routes, while identifying the specificities and problems related to their use and preservation; the assessment is based, on the first place, on objective criteria, and also takes into account the general view of the study participants and experts; the study is based on the so called “score method” which has been applied to selected characteristics of the sights, specific indicators for their measurement and generalized opinions; the sum of the awarded points gives the total score of the relevant place and ranks it among all sites that have been assessed; the selected characteristics and their corresponding indicators have different value within a score system from 1 to 100 points; the maximum score for each of the sites amounts to 100 points and it is formed as a sum of the points for each characteristic; the main characteristics of the sites, used for the purposes of this evaluation, combined with their inherent indicators, are presented in a separate table.

In addition to the project research and assessment of the tourism potential for the purposes of this strategy, other strategic and planning documents have also been used, thereby, allowing to fit in the strategy within the context of the cross-border planning activities across the Romania - Bulgaria cross-border region. The sources of information are quoted in footnotes; in case there is no clarification on the source, the information is based on the “Joint study of the rural communities' tourism potential in Ruse - Giurgiu cross-border region”.

1.1 The potential of Ruse region settlements to establish and maintain sustainable rural tourism 1.1.1 Overview of the tourism potential of Ruse region Ruse region has the characteristics of the Danube undulating plain with the essential advantage of the big river that connects Bulgaria with Europe. Both the Danube and Rusenski Lom river with its remarkable valley, are tourist sites difficult to forget. Ruse is the centre of the region with its impressive architecture and the reputation of a famous cultural, scientific, economic, tourist and trade centre. The city itself is a major and important tourist attraction of national significance. Moreover, it is an actively functioning multimodal transport hub resulting in active tourist flow through the city and region, incl. transit passers-by heading to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, and a lot more tourists travelling to Greece, Turkey and the Near East.

In order to estimate the potential of Ruse region for establishing and maintaining sustainable rural tourism, the project has conducted the above mentioned study on 72 settlements tourist resources to provide an overview of the cultural, historical, natural, tangible and anthropogenic specificities from the point of view of the following main requirements (criteria): •

development capacity;

•

degree of impact;

•

degree of change as a result of tourism.

The above criteria have been taken into consideration in line with the identified trends and the dynamics of the tourist behaviour, namely: • increased demand of quality, authentic, attractive and diverse tourist services; • increased requirements to the tourist infrastructure, facilities and availability of specific services; • demand for secure and safe destinations that offer alternative tourism cultural, eco-, rural, adventure, etc .; • increased share of children and young people in cultural and cognitive tourism, where they travel to explore other countries, communities and people; • increased role of the IT systems in hotels and tourist companies; • increased share of the senior population in tourism.

The identification of the full tourism development potential based on the cultural and historical resources, has been carried out in successive steps, as follows: Degree of development of the tourism function - based on statistics on the state-of-the-art of the facilities and the attendance of the sites; 2.

Tourist resources potential • the extent to which the cultural and historical resources are used for the establishment of a comprehensive tourism product, which is assessed by exploring its attractiveness and usability; 1.

• quantitative and qualitative characteristics of selected cultural and historical resources.

Infrastructure assessment (transport accessibility), personnel availability, and marketing of destinations as factors determining tourist flows.

3.

4.

Ranking and grouping of cultural and historical resources according to:

•

the degree of absorption;

•

the tourism development potential;

•

the maximum capacity;

•

the degree of attractiveness;

• products.

the degree of suitability (whether appropriate) for setting up tourism

The quoted study combines two types of surveys: 1. A survey addressed to the local population, organisations, authorities, businesses, organisations operating in the fields of culture and tourism.

2. A survey focused on the tour operators, tour agents, stakeholders.

The two types of questionnaires that have been developed were distributed among representative of the local stakeholders, where out of 100 questionnaires 49 were filled in and returned (23 questionnaires of type 1 and 26 of type 2). The survey also included interviews of tourists and owners of accommodation and eating facilities.

The major aim of the survey on the potential of the selected cultural and historical sites in the region is: to identify their attractiveness and the possibility to be included in the tourist routes, as well the specificities and problems, related to their use and preservation.

Following the application of the assessment methodology, the settlements are rated as described in the previous section, where the first 10 have been outlined as settlements with the best potential for developing and maintaining rural tourism.

The table below shows the scores as a result of the application of the methodology; the colour highlighted settlements are ranked the top 10 destinations according to their potential for tourism development.

Figure 2 Rating of 74 settlements in Ruse region with regards to their rural tourism potential Settlement Batin Brestovitsa Volovo Gorno Ablanovo Ekzarh Yosif Obretenik Bistrentsi Bosilkovtsi Botrov Dryanovets Koprivets Lom Cherkovna Peichinovo Pet Kladentsi Polsko Kosovo Starmen Smirnenski Krivnya Pisanets Baniska Batishnitsa Bazovets Mogilino Karan Varbovka Katselovo Ostritsa Pepelina Pomen Chilnov Shirokovo Bozhichen Ivanovo Koshov Krasen Mechka Nisovo Pirgovo Svalenik Tabachka Trastenik Tserovets

Municipality Borovo Borovo Borovo Borovo Borovo Borovo Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Byala Vetovo Vetovo Vetovo Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve Dve

Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili Mogili

Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo Ivanovo

Score 431 218 165 370 496 250 157 207 50 50 200 157 207 207 326 201 50 259 408 228 50 50 50 676 154 175 702 50 50 50 153 807 672 204 583 672 203 150 358 260 50

Cherven Shtraklevo Basarbovo Dolno Ablanovo Nikolovo Novo Selo Prosena Sandrovo Semerdzhievo Vetovo Hotantsa Cervena Voda Yastrebovo Bazan Babovo Borisovo Brashlen Golyamo Vranovo Kosharna Malko Vranovo Ryahovo Stambolovo Chereshovo Yudelnik Beltsov Belyanovo Dzhulyunitsa Dolna Studena Karamanovo Krivina Novgrad Piperkovo Tsenovo

Ivanovo Ivanovo Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Ruse Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Slivo Pole Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo Tsenovo

603 316 501 150 543 50 50 350 150 225 50 50 50 50 50 171 54 390 350 100 693 100 100 153 120 50 50 50 200 50 303 50 196

The cultural and historical heritage sites, being the main tourism resource of the region, are concentrated basically on the territories of Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities.

The heritage sites in the settlements around Ruse also have tourism potential, although their current status (physical status, exposure, accessibility, complementary tourist services) does not allow for its maximum exploitation.

The most popular and significant anthropogenic tourist resources of Ruse region are: •

National Archeological Reserve "Rock Churches of Ivanovo village" (Rock Monastery "St. Archangel Michael" – a museum reserve since 1965; immovable cultural heritage under the auspices of UNESCO since 1979; archeological

• •

•

reserve since 1997. It is of great value with its frescos and architecture, as well as to the evolution medieval Christianity, archeology and anthropology; Medieval Town of Cherven – one of the most significant military, cultural and ecclesiastical centres of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (XII XIV century); Rock Monastery "St. Dimitar Bassarbovski" founded during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and mentioned by Paisiy Hilendarski (Saint Paisius of Hilendar) in his "Istoriya slavyanobalgarska" (Slavonic-Bulgarian History). The most famous occupant of the monastery is St. Dimitar Basrbovski whose relics are kept in the Patriarchal Church in Bucharest. Nowadays, this is the only functioning rock monastery in Bulgaria; Monastery “St. Marina” in the village of Karan Varbovka.

The natural resources have a recreational and healing impact on people. The project study of the tourism potential includes those of the natural resources that are most attractive to the tourists: rock formations, canyons, karst formations, water basins, unique ecosystems and attractive scenery. For the purposes of tourism, the key role is played by their complex impact and, mostly, the landscape attractiveness. The area encompassed the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom“ (established as a national park in 1970, and today covers an area of 3 408 ha)4, Forest Park "Lipnik", as well as important ornithological sites along the Danube and on the islands, riverside lakes, dams and micro-dams, flooded forests in the Bulgarian part of the Danube, islands.

The valley of Rusenski Lom river is an isolated oasis of a specific mixture of species with different zoological and phyto-geographic origin - medio-European, steppe and subMediterranean. This is favoured by the diverse terrain, specific micro-climate and the availability of rock formations and wetlands. Limestone predominates here. It is a fact that the biodiversity of the karst terrains is twice bigger compared to the other landscapes. There are also a number of smaller caves without branches in the valley. The steep slopes above the river are covered by forests, bushes and grass, called "dark forest", which is composed of oaks, elms, maple, ash-trees, Tatar maple (Acer tataricum), linden, and also rich undergrowth of bushes - haw, rosehip, privet, lilac and a diversity of grass varieties. The Park is proud with its rare and protected plants - one Bulgarian and five Balkan chamaecytisus - including Chamaecytisus kovacevii, velvet plant (Verbascum dieckianum), that can be found only along the basin of Lom river. An interesting representative of the steppes species is the feather grass (Stipa spp.). The fauna is even more diverse. The representatives of the invertebrates, the Carpathian scorpion and the scolopendra, deserve attention. Also the valley is the habitat of 10 amphibians (5 of which are protected) and 19 species of reptiles. The night lizard is of particular zoogeographical value. There are two species of land-duelling tortoises, the spotted grass snake and the Aesculapian Snake, the smooth snake, and the viper. The river is inhabited by 22 species of fish, crabs, snails and freshwater bivalves. Recreational fishing is allowed. The Park is a real paradise for bird species. An ample amount of bird species that are endangered all over

4

Website of the Rusenski Lom Nature Park Administration, lomea.org

Europe inhabit the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”, thus, making it a place of ornithological significance.

Rusenski Lom river and its tributaries join several types of protected territories: the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”, the protected areas in the basin of river Lom within the "Natura 2000" network - a place of ornithological significance and an important habitat for butterflies and bats for Bulgaria and Europe. The Nature Park has been recognised as an interesting and valuable site that combines diverse and preserved nature with significant cultural and historical heritage, lifestyle and hospitable people. In the adjacent territories of the Nature Park there are a number of small settlements which are suitable for rural tourism and ecotourism – peaceful environment, yards with old vines, gardens with fruits and vegetables, views to the river.

The Protected Territory Management Plan regulates the main tourist routes, sets out the visiting capacity and and provides guidance for the development of the Nature Park5.

By defining two interesting routes, i.e. "Mali Lom" and "Along Cherni Lom by canoe", the Administration of the Nature Park justifies the potential opportunities for rural tourism development and other recreational activities, as follows: • •

• •

•

Natural environment with cultural, historical and archeological sites of local, national and international importance; Opportunities for tourist routes connecting places of biodiversity, cultural and historical heritage sites, tourist sites, spectator areas and other protected territories in the region; Organisation of folklore festivals, local rituals and cultural events based on the traditional cultural feasts, singing and folk music playing contests; The morphological characteristics of the region provide opportunities for trekking, biking and horse riding tourist activities (however, there is a need for specialised routes for people with disabilities); Opportunities for developing rural tourism further in the settlements located within the adjacent territories.

The natural resources themselves provide an excellent opportunity for adventure and extreme tourism, e.g. in the unique canyon of the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”. The destination has become increasingly attractive for tourists and the Park Administration tries to manage the visitors flow in a way ensuring sustainable tourism. The study has outlines the availability of natural and anthropogenic conditions for religious tourism and biking activities. The trekking tours along the Danube can be combined with various sports activities, especially for young people. There are plenty of camping opportunities around the damps and along the Danube. Encouraging youth tourism and volunteering can contribute to the promotion of cultural exchange and the responsible attitude to nature.

5

"Nature Park ”Rusenski Lom” - a convenient place for tourism", presentation of the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” Administration

Regardless of the identified advantages, the conclusion of the project study on the tourism potential is that, in general, the region does not have sufficient attractions or infrastructure facilities for sports and leisure activities.

1.1.2 Survey among the local stakeholders and organisations - summary As pointed out in the previous section, the survey that has been carried out. reflects the opinions of the local stakeholders and organisations on the potential for rural tourism development in the region, including the advantages, risks and needs. This section presents the key conclusions of the survey.

According to the respondents the most attractive for tourism are the Rock Monastery "St. Dimitar Basrbovski" (village of Basarbovo), the rock churches of Ivanovo (the Rock Monastery "St. Archangel Michael"), the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”, the Medieval town of Cherven and the cave “Orlova Chuka”. Some of the respondents have pointed out the Forest Park "Lipnik" (village of Nikkolovo), as well the Monastery “St. Marina” (village of Karan Varbovka), Stalpishte area and the Bridge of Kolyo Ficheto over Yantra river (town of Byala).

On the question about tourism development in Ruse region the respondents have pointed out the establishment of suitable conditions for cultural tourism (discovery tourism, religious tourism), rural tourism (incl. festivals and folklore, i.e. traditions, customs and cuisine), ecotourism; they have also mentioned hiking, exploration of caves and hobby tourism, incl. biking and fishing.

The analysis of the responses shows that 41 of the respondents consider cultural tourism a priority for the region, which can contribute to the greatest extent to the development of local economy and become a source of income for the local cultural institutions, museums, hotel and restaurant owners, as well as for all representatives of tourism-related business. These expectations are overlapped with the experts' recommendations, therefore, there should be guarantees that planning and implementation of the national and regional policies on tourism give priority to the preservation of cultural heritage, encourage investments in cultural tourism and promote the region.

On the question about the other specific types of tourism in the region, the respondents have added rafting along the Danube and river cruises, walking expeditions, adventure tourism (paragliding) and even arranging of wedding receptions. There have been ideas for the development of congress tourism and spa tourism (climate-based and recreational).

Some of the respondents believe that the improvement of infrastructure and the achievement of sustainable economic and social development of Ruse region will result in the development of rural tourism. They consider the improved image of the region, the marketing and setting-up of special cross-border products between Bulgaria and Romania a key factor for the development of tourism.

The questionnaire also included questions on the accommodation and eating facilities in the region (this section summarises the respondents’ answers showing the degree to which they have been aware of the available hotels and restaurants in the region, while section 1.1.4 below outlines the conclusions from the survey based on documents and

statistical data). The respondents have motioned different hotels and restaurants located mainly in Ruse. They have also named some accommodation facilities located in the settlements outside the regional centre of Ruse: the hut "Orlova Chuka" near the village of Prosena; the family hotel "Chernia Shtarkel" (The Black Stork) in the village of Nisovo, the hotel "Sedem Pokolenia" (Seven Generations) in the village of Mechka; the guest house "Petrova" in the village of Cherven, the hotel complex "Lipite" (The Lindens) in the village of Nikolovo. The respondent have listed several eating facilties, which are outside Ruse: restaurant "Razklona" (the Clotch), the restaurant in the "Sedem Pokolenia" (Seven Generations) winery, the restaurant "Ribarksa Sreshta" (village of Ryahovo), the restaurant "Manastira" (The Monastery) in the village of Ivanovo, the hotel complex "Lipite" (The Lindens) in the village of Nikolovo, the restaurant of hotel "Chernia Shtarkel" (The Black Stork) in the village of Nisovo.

The survey respondents have also mentioned other places that attract tourists' interest: the fishermen and the boats in the villages of Mechka, Ryahovo and Nikolovo, the holy spring in the village of Karan Varbovka, the zoo and the ethnographic exhibition in the village of Ekzarh Yosif, as well as some monuments and churches.

The respondents have considered the necessity of investments for tourism development in the region, however, they themselves wouldn't commit to invest - only 17% of the respondents have been aware of people who invested in tourism infrastructure.

1.1.3 Study among the tour operators, agents and experts - summary The second survey within the study on the tourism potential of Ruse region is conducted among experts in tourism. The survey contains eight key questions and aims to encourage the development of new tourism products.

The respondents have considered that the villages of Ivanovo, Cherven, Basarbovo and Mechka are among the most popular places for tourism in Ruse region. They have also pointed out that the most popular routes related to the cultural, historical and natural heritage are: • • • •

Ruse - Ivanovo - Cherven - Mechka - Giurgiu; Ekzarh Yosif - Pepelina - Ivanovo - Mechka - Cherven Mechka - Cherven - Basarbovo - Nikolovo Basarbovo - Ivanovo - Cherven - Karan Varbovka - Pepelina - Ekzarh Yosif Mechka.

Almost half of the consulted experts have considered a 2-day trip the most suitable duration of the tours in the region, while only 9% have pointed out they could spend more than 3 days.

The experts give similar answers with regards to the nature tourism and sports activities in the region, where the identified most popular places in this regard are Ivanovo, Cherven, Nisovo, Karan Varbovka, Ryahovo, Nikolovo, Basarbovo and Mechka. On the question about the specific routes, the respondents have named the following most common 2-day trips: •

Ruse - Mechka - Ivanovo - Cherven - Giurgiu;

• •

Ruse - Ivanovo - Dve Mogili - Bucharest; Mechka - Cherven - Basarbovo - Nikolovo.

With regards to the cognitive tourism the experts have pointed out the villages of Nikolovo, Pepelina, Tabachka, Ekzarh Yosif, Basarbovo, Ivanovo - preferred due to the opportunities to visit ethnographic exhibitions and traditional feasts, which can raise the awareness of the cultural heritage.

The experts in tourism have assessed the suitability of the different settlements in Ruse area for developing alternative forms of tourism - the summary is presented in the table below.

Figure 3 Alternative tourism and the settlements in Ruse region Forms of alternative tourism

Settlement

River/Water-based tourism

Nikolovo, Ryahovo, Mechka

Cruise tourism

Around Ruse

Ecotourism

Ivanovo, Mechka, Pepelina, Slivo Pole, Nisovo, Karan Varbovka

Rural tourism

Ivanovo, Nikolovo, Pepelina, Ekzarh Yosif, Karan Varbovka

Cultural and Historical tourism

Ivanovo, Cherven, Mechka, Basarbovo, Byala

Ornithological tourism

Ryahovo, Slivo Pole, Ivanovo, Nisovo, Pepelina, Vetovo

Spa tourism

Ruse, Mechka

Horse riding

Nikolovo, Ruse

Fishing and hunting

Tsenovo, Vetovo, Nisovo, Karan Varbovka, Nikolovo, Ryahovo, Mechka, Pepelina

Biking

Ruse, Tsenovo, Nisovo, Pepelina, Karan Varbovka, Basarbovo, Nikolovo, Mechka, Ekzarh Yosif

Other forms of tourism (hiking, paragliding, wine tourism, etc.)

Borovo, Ruse, Ivanovo, Nisovo, Cherven, Mechka

Religious tourism

Basarbovo, Ivanovo, Cherven, Nisovo, Karan Varbovka

1.1.4 Accommodation in Ruse region The project study on tourism potential shows that recently the tourist flow to the region has increased, however, it is directed mainly to Ruse (97% of the accommodations and tourists). The region is mostly visited by Bulgarian tourists – students, groups of elderly people organized by the tour agencies. There is almost no seasonality of tourism. The main tourist activities characteristics are: • • •

concentration mainly in Ruse (70%); the tourist activities in the other municipalities are complementary and dependant on the cultural and economic centre of Ruse; the family hotels (inc. guest houses for eco- and rural tourism) are underdeveloped.

Based on the data from the National Statistical Institute for the tourism in the northern part of Bulgaria, in July 2018 Ruse region had 48 accommodation facilities with a total capacity for 1 979 visitors, where 20 of these facilities are hotels with the total capacity to accommodate 1 071 visitors. 16 out of the total 48 accommodation facilities are located in the rural areas of Ruse region, in particular, in the top 10 rated settlements according to their tourism potential (figures 3 and 4).

The total number of accommodations as of July 2018 was 18 281 (10 123 Bulgarian visitors and 8 158 foreign visitors) – 24.9% more compared to July 2017. Most of the foreign visitors are Romanians – 1073, followed by visitors from Germany and France.

As of July 2018, the total figure of the accommodation facilities occupation was 30.6%, which is an increase compared to data as of July 2017 (28.3%). This indicator is considerably lower for the country, which was 61,8% as of July 2018. The generated income from accommodations in Ruse region for the same period was 887.4 thousand BGN, where a little more than half of it came from Bulgarian tourists.

The project survey, especially the interviews with the owners of accommodation and eating facilities in the settlements outside Ruse, shows that the income is not sufficient to cover the living allowance of a family of two people, and it is rather a complementary than a basic source of income. Therefore, the owners refrain from making big investments.

There are exceptions such as the "Sedem Pokolenia" (Seven Generations) winery in the village of Mechka, which is of higher category and targeted at more demanding visitors, bid groups or individual tourists from the country or abroad, who visit for a short 2 or 3-day stay.

1.1.5 Settlements in Ruse region with the greatest tourism potential The ranking of the settlements in Ruse region from the point of view of their potential to maintain sustainable rural tourism through the cultural heritage, which has been carried out under the project methodology as described in the section above, outlines 10 settlements with a maximum number of points.

Figure 4 Table with the 10 selected settlements in Ruse region with the greatest tourism potential Ranking

Settlement

Municipality

1

Ivanovo

Ivanovo

2

Pepelina

Dve Mogili

3

Ryahovo

Slivo Pole

4

Karan Varbovka

Dve Mogili

5

Nisovo

Ivanovo

6

Cherven

Ivanovo

7

Mechka

Ivanovo

8

Nikolovo

Ruse

9

Basarbovo

Ruse

10

Ekzarh Yosif

Borovo

The study on rural tourism potential in Ruse region applies a common approach in filing natural and anthropogenic resources, and their description and assessment for each of the 10 selected settlements (rural communities), as shown in the following two tables below.

Figure 5 Table of the local natural and anthropogenic resources Name of settlement...

Elements of the study Natural resources o Characteristics and attractive sites o Other interesting, unusual or specific sites o Diversity of ecosystems o Geological formations – lakes, rivers, water falls o Protected areas – nature reserves, parks Cultural heritage Immovable cultural heritage (monuments, churches, castles, etc.) o o

Small historical sites

o

Local buildings

o

Historical objects (tools, clothes, furniture,

etc.) o

Traditions (skills, know-how, customs)

Gastronomy (local products, culinary recipes) o

Description

Score

o

Events and festivals

Space and surrounding areas o Landscape o Main sites o Location and ownership of land for potential attractions o Climate Stakeholders and organisations o Public institutions o Stakeholder groups o Tourism businesses o Land owners and other economic operators o Local people Infrastructure o Accommodation facilities , restaurants, available attractions o Accessibility and proximity to cities, airports and other destinations o Transport to the destinations o Other services (e.g. shops) o Available information channels and market opportunities Regulatory and political context o Tourism development strategies on national or local levels. o Legislative framework for SMEs o Political priorities o Regulatory framework for planning and establishing of economic zones o Regulatory framework for protected areas Tourism product demand o Through the available resources o Review of the market segments o Best practices of competitiveness

Figure 6 Table showing the main characteristics and indicators for the assessment of cultural, natural and anthropogenic heritage Characteristics

1.

Attractiveness

2.

Cultural/natural value

3.

4.

5.

6.

Accessibility

Tourist acceptance capacity

Capability to meet tourism needs Preparedness to accept and provide services to tourists

Indicators

popularity combination of beautiful and diverse environment preserved authenticity uniqueness beauty/exotics cognitive/scientific value at global level (incl. UNESCO, Ramsar Convention) at national level at local level overall impression „for reference“ all types of vehicles/buses by car only off-road vehicles only on foot only number of visitors per week, day, hour facilities capacity system acceptance rate maximum number of visitors per sq.m. number of overnight stays compared to the number of beds safety degree of training guaranteed term of operation investment needs availability of tourist infrastructure degree of personnel availability availability/absence of organised tours degree of appropriateness (comfortability and adaptability) for setting up tourism products Total

Score (points) For the Total indicator 5 3 25 4 5 4 4 8 5 2 2 1 5 3 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 4 2 4 3 7 5 3 5

18

11

13

13

20

100

1.2 The potential of Giurgiu county settlements to establish and maintain sustainable rural tourism Figure 7 Map of the Giurgiu County

© 2019 Oficiul de Cadastru si Publicitate Imobiliara Giurgiu • Website creat si intretinut de TNC Solutions6

1.2.1 Overview of the Giurgiu County The surface of Giurgiu county is 3.526 sqkm with 3 cities, one of which is a municipality Giurgiu. There are 51 communes in the county with totally 167 villages.

Giurgiu county is located in the southern part of Romania, on the lower course of the Danube. Its location on the left bank of the Danube facilitates river connections with riparian and Black Sea countries. Giurgiu is bordered by Călăraşi county in the East,

6 https://www.ocpigiurgiu.ro/judetul-giurgiu/

Teleorman county in the West, Ilfov county and North-West Arges county and Dâmboviţa county in the North. The area of the county represents 1.5% of the country's surface.

Within the range of Giurgiu, there are road and railway border crossing points between Giurgiu and Ruse.

Giurgiu ranks among the counties with the lowest number of people living as stable population, 281,422 inhabitants. In Giurgiu, communes hold over two thirds of the stable population, with the rural area accounting for 70.8% of the total. The stable population of its three cities: Giurgiu – 61,400 inhabitants, Bolintin Vale –12,900 inhabitants and Mihăileşti – 7,900 inhabitants. Ethnic information was available for 263,800 people, of whom Romanians were 248,400 (94.1%), Roma of 15,200 (5.8%), and other ethnicities below 1%.

The county is located in the Romanian Plain, where the Argeş, Neajlov and Sabar rivers meet. From North to South, the county exapands on a length of 94 km, and from West to East it measures 79 km. The Danube borders the county on a range of 72 km.

The relief of Giurgiu is made up mainly of plains, more specifically of five main subunits of the Romanian Plain: Burnas, Vlăsia, Găvanu-Burdea, the Titu-Potlogi subsidence Plain and the Danube Meadow. The maximum altitudes reach the North - Western extremity, with values of 140 m - 142 m, on the territory of Vânătorii Mici commune. The minimum altitude is recorded in the South-Eastern extremity: 14.6 m, on the Danube, South of the Greaca village.

Also, on the territory of the county we find, to a significant extent, forests and arable land. In the North side of the county there are petroleum deposits and crude oilfields which are exploited but also sand and gravel which are extracted from the bed of Danube and the other rivers nearby.

Giurgiu has a list of protected natural areas: • Comana Natural Park (24.963 ha) • Oloaga-Gradinari Forest and Padina Tătarului Forest (areas included in the Comana Natural Park) • Cama - Dinu - Păsărica islands (2,400 ha bird and flora type) • Manafu Forest (28 ha) • Teşila Forest (52.5 ha) Giurgiu is a predominantly agricultural county, with approximately 50% of the population being employed in this sector. Its economy consists mainly of agriculture, industry and commerce – distinguished as significant activities.

Moreover, Giurgiu is one of the most important Romanian ports on the Danube. The county's residence is located on the Bucharest-Sofia-Athens and Bucharest-Istanbul routes.

The Danube exit represents an important geostrategic point for Romania because it links the Western Europe with the Near East, something that counts for the high potential regarding the touristic development of the county and a good option in building cooperation bridges with Bulgarian neighbours in the area of Rousse.

1.2.2 Tourist potential of the Giurgiu County – summary The aim of the study which gave the basis of the current strategy was to focus on the touristic potential of Giurgiu area in order to collect and provide information regarding the most important communities as attractive touristic destinations from the point of view of resources, receptiveness and sustainable development.

The specific methodology of the study, agreed between the Bulgarian and Romanian companies, commissioned by the respective project partners, were applied in order to offer a realistic and solid basis for the common approach for both Ruse and Giurgiu areas.

The study of the touristic potential of villages from Giurgiu county put the emphasis on the intangible cultural heritage while highlighting the advantages and opportunities for a tourist perspective in the county.

During the opinion polls conducted in the field among different actors within communities, locals and organizations, the research company in charge increased the awareness and interest among the local people and stakeholders regarding the touristic development of the area they live in. The aim is that people - being better informed and more conscious about the role of sustainable tourism in the development of their localities are more committed to taking action towards protecting and promoting the cultural heritage of their region.

According to the common methodology, the company in charge of the Giurgiu survey has chosen the most culturally significant communities and evaluated them based on key features and indicators. 10 communities were selected which are considered to be attractive for tourist purposes. The elements of the survey are described below.

Cultural heritage Several aspects have been taken into consideration: • • • • • • •

built heritage - monuments, antiquities, fortresses, churches, etc.; small historical places - fountains, chapels, walls etc.; local buildings; historical items - tools, clothes, furnishings, decorations, tapestries etc.; traditions - skills, know-how, customs etc.; gastronomy - local products, recipes, production methods etc.); events and festivals.

The element measures 40% at maximum and it is considered the most solid treasure that communities reckon as identity, the basic element to take into account and rely on when elaborating a tourism plan for the future, historical legacy built since ages ago, of indisputable value at national and international level, architectural or religious items, customs and traditions – a reference we can turn to any time, a complex asset that always attracted all kinds of tourists and a direction to consider for developing responsible tourism strategies.

Natural resources

The aspects that have been investigated are as follow: • • • •

unusual, attractive, representative locations; protected areas - national parks, natural reserves; geological features - forests, lakes, rivers, waterfalls etc.); diversity of ecosystems.

This survey element measures 30% as limit, as they represent another treasure of the territory, parts of inherited relief, always sought by people travelling in order to relax and enjoy the time spent close to nature, and meanwhile a complex asset for preserving ecosystems and keeping the region able to offer protected conditions and land continuity.

Space, surroundings and infrastructure The aspects that have been surveyed are listed below: • • • •

places of accommodation; public facilities - restaurants, shops etc.; access, ways of transportation and connections; marketing and communication channels.

The element measures 20% as limit. We consider these are important survey elements, too, but having in mind that apart from what already exists and is operational, those could be improved and extended by the creative inhabitants and also supported with current and future professional projects.

Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate The survey also sought the existence of: • • • • • • •

public entities; local tourism priorities; operational NGOs; tourism operators; development and protection related legislation; locals’ activities; competitive good practices to develop a tourism product.

This element measures 10% as limit, taking into consideration that the tourism private sector, the NGOs and interest groups, though at the beginning, could improve their activity, the number has chances to increase. Investors are always invited to involve more.

The current achievements are successful on the market and the local policies in terms of tourism, local administration and environment protection are encouraged to be spread within the community.

Having in mind the above stated ranking of the elements, a whole of 100% will consist of 40 (cultural heritage) + 30 (natural resources) + 20 (space, surroundings and infrastructure) + 10 (stakeholders, legal and administrative climate).

As long as the survey took an interest mainly in anthropogenic elements, the final evaluation also received a percentage on this issue, as part of the tourism development general potential (calculated as percentage part of the total limit of 40).

2. Study on the opportunities In this section The study is based on the analysis of information for the selected settlements in Ruse region and Giurgiu county, as pointed out in the previous section of the strategy, with a focus on their strengths and the available opportunities for the small rural communities to develop their own trade mark and regional brand, based on products, services and/or experience that they can offer on the tourist market: • natural resources • historical heritage – tangible and intangible

• local products • local traditions and events – fairs, craft markets, concerts, exhibitions, etc.

• local cuisine • people and organisations experienced in tourism products supply • accommodation facilities • other specificities

2.1 Strengths and opportunities of the settlements in Ruse regions 2.1.1 Ivanovo The village of Ivanovo is the administrative centre of Ivanovo Municipality located in the Northwest Ruse region, and compared to the other municipalities in the region, it has the highest potential for tourism development due to its unique combination of natural, cultural and historical resources.

Ivanovo municipality has a favourable geographical location. Proximity to the Danube and Romania (where the tourists mostly come from) provides for the development of tourism. Ruse - Sofia highway, Ruse - Sofia railway and the nearby highway Ruse - Razgrad Shumen - Varna provide for the easy access to Ivanovo. The total length of the roads on the territory of the municipality is 190.6 km, 86.9 km of which are within the national road network and 103.7 km within the municipal road network.

Two important tourist areas are located near Ivanovo: • The bank of the Danube at the villages of Pirgovo and Mechka offers opportunities for short recreation activities, water sports, fishing, cultural and historical routes, an ornithological area, the Stalpishte area (old name Dikilitash – “standing stones”, because of the two bid stone poles), as well as a potential for rural tourism and biking; • Lom river basin- includes the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” and various cultural and historical sites in the villages of Krasen, Bozhichen, Ivanovo, Koshov, Cherven, Nisovo, Tabachka and Svalenk - suitable for short and long tourist activities – “green schools”, rural tourism, hunting, ornithological tourism, climbing, speleology, biking, walking tours.

The municipality's territory is mostly a lowland area which is favourable for the development of agriculture and does not prevent the access to the transport corridors. The moderate continental climate is another favourable prerequisite for tourism.

The river network is relatively dense. The rivers Rusenski Lom, Mali Lom and Cherni Lom (rivers with restricted economic importance) flow through canyons and form unique forms that are attractive for tourists to watch. The territory of Ivanovo municipality is rich in plant and animal species, which is also highly appreciated by the tourists.

The protected areas in the municipality are of extreme advantage for tourism, however, impose certain restrictions for visiting: under the Habitats Directive - Batin island

and the rivers within the Lom basin (in Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities); under the Birds Directive - fish-breeding farms in Mechka and along the rivers within the Lom basin. The Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” is a unique part of the Bulgarian environment, a place of high aesthetic value, beautiful riverside terraces, meanders, high vertical rocks, areas of biodiversity, caves, rock formations, historical monuments of national and international importance. The flora is represented by more than 877 species (23% of the Bulgarian flora), about 150 of which are unique for Bulgaria and the Balkans. The fauna is extremely diverse – the area is the habitat of 19 out the total 35 bat species on the planet.

The equally rich diversity of anthropogenic resources adds up to the natural heritage that attracts tourists: • one of the most famous Bulgarian tourist sites - Ivanovo Rock Churches (forming the rock monastery ”St. Archangel Michael”) built around the 12th century is one of the 9 Bulgarian landmarks in the UNESTO world heritage sites; • the Archaeological Reserve "Medieval Town of Cherven" is one of the most significant military, cultural and ecclesiastical centres of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom; • remains from the Roman castle ”Trimamium” and a Roman road in Stalpishte near the village of Mechka.

The tangible cultural heritage includes 29 sites - rock churches, monuments, necropoli.

With the churches in Shtraklevo, Tabachka and the old village of Ivanovo, the area has a potential for developing pilgrimage tourism.

The long list of natural and anthropogenic resources should be expanded with the sights in the nearby settlements. They are located at such a distance that the tourists based in Ivanovo could visit them within 1-day tours: • • • •

village of Svalenik - 1 archeological and 6 architectural monuments; village of Koshov - 5 archeological and 12 architectural monuments; village of Cherven - 9 archeological and 16 architectural monuments; village of Krasen - memorials.

The interest of the tourists is mostly attracted by the ethnographic exhibitions arranged in the community cultural centres (chitalishta) in Svalenik, Nisovo, Tabachka, Trastenik and Ivanovo, and also by the cultural events “The children along the basin of the river Lom - celebration under the monastery”, organised in near the Ivanovo rock churches, as well as the Festival of the Mushroom in Krasen village, “From the basin of Lom to the Danube together”, the international symposium for modern art “Lomea”, the fishing contest in Stalpishte area, the national writing contest “Svetlostrui”. The activities of the Community Cultural Centre (Chitalishte) “Hristo Botev” in the village of Ivanovo can also contribute to the development of rural tourism in the region through its group for authentic folklore and Christmas rituals.

Recently, the folk group for customs and rituals in the village of Koshov has gained popularity with its masquerade game “Dzhamal”, which is included as intangible national cultural heritage in the “Living human treasures - Bulgaria” (a part of the UNESCO pilot project).

The provision of quality tourist services in Ivanovo is facilitated by the Tourist Information Centre. Three accommodation and eating facilities in the village of Ivanovo are listed in the National Tourist Register and another 18 in the other settlements within Ivanovo municipality that basically fall in a lower category, except for the “Seven Generations” Winery.

The figure below shows a summary of the strengths and opportunities for rural tourism development through the natural and cultural heritage.

Figure 8 Ivanovo – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism

Strengths Rich cultural and historical heritage of national and global scale Preserved nature, unique flora and fauna Favourable geographical location, mild climate, moderate temperatures Close to the target markets (Romania) Easily accessible - by road and railroad Low prices of tourist services Availability of accommodation and eating facilities Close to Ruse (opportunity for combining different types of tourism)

2.1.2 Pepelina

Opportunities Opportunity for diversification of the tourism products Ongoing interest in cultural, eco- and rural tourism Positive image of the region as a tourist destination Manifold cultural calendar Availability of financial opportunities for infrastructure and tourism development Opportunities to improve the skills of the personnel in tourism sector Potential to attract investments in tourism Opportunities for international tourism development – short distance to/from Bucharest international airport (80 km) Possibility to combine rural tourism with other types of tourism: shopping (18 km to Ruse and 80 km to Bucharest), maritime (200 km to Varna)

The village of Pepelina, one of the 12 settlements in Dve Mogili municipality, is 7 km away from the municipal centre Dve Mogili, 15 km from Ivanovo and 35 km from the regional city of Ruse. The village is located in the picturesque canyon of Cherni Lom river within the Nature park “Rusenski Lom”. Its climate is moderate continental – hot summers and cold winters, with a big temperature span, heavy and short rains in the summer, possible snowfalls between November and April.

The most significant water source is the Danube river, however, the Rusenski Lom river tributaries also have a some economic value. In the village of Ostritsa near Pepelina there is a protected area named “Bupleurum uechtritzianum field”. The territory of Pepelina village is famous with its diversity of plants and animal species that are typical for the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”.

The most popular tourist sight of Pepelina is the nearby cave “Orlova Chuka”, discovered in 1941. The cave keeps traces of prehistoric people and bears. It is the habitat of several bat species, one of which is unique for Europe.

Since the end of the 1950s the cave become easier accessible by the building of a staircase and an entrance. The cave is under ongoing exploration, however, 3 km of it are open to visit. Admission to the cave is arranged in small groups of up to 15 people, who are always accompanied by a guide. The part of the cave that is open for visitors contains several halls and interesting rock formations. One of the halls has an excellent acoustics and it is sometimes used for concerts.

Pepelina is within a close distance to the Ivanovo Rock Churches, the Medieval Town of Cherven and the Monastery “St. Marina” in the village of Karan Varbovka, built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The name of the monastery refers to a legend telling about spring water which helped a blind child to see again. Today, because of the numerous tourists, the water is piped to a tap outside the church. A lot of people gather around the monastery on 17 July, which is the Day of St. Marina.

There are two accommodation facilities around the village of Pepelina listed in the National Tourist Register – one in the village itself and another one in the village of Batishnitsa. Near the cave “Orlova Chuka” there is the hut “Orlova Chuka” owed by Dve Mogili municipality. The hut can be reached on asphalt road and has its own parking place.

There are also other accommodation facilities such as “Kashtata s lipite” („The house with the lindens“) and the Art Villa “Orlova Chuka” which can be found in the booking websites.

Figure 9 Pepelina – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Favourable geographical location Available natural resources favourable for the development of tourism – climate, forests Cave “Orlova Chuka” 2 km from the village Available protected areas as a prerequisite for ecotourism and cognitive tourism Clean air, soil and water Available water basins – rivers and dams Folklore traditions and preserved activities of amateur performers

Conditions for development of rural tourism and ecotourism, as well as in a combination with hobby tourism – hunting and fishing Available opportunities for financing a project for rural tourism development Available tourist information nearby (in Ruse and Ivanovo)

centres

Possibility for opening a new tourist information centre Possibility for organising events the whole year round

traditional

Possibility for advertising tourism product

the

local

Active activities of community cultural centres

2.1.3 Ryahovo The village of Ryahovo in Slivo Pole municipality, is situated on the bank of the river Danube, 30 km away from the the regional centre of Ruse. The settlement was established during the reign of the Roman emperor Vespapian as a fortress that was a part of Danube limes.

The transport infrastructure in the village consists only of roads, however, there are possibilities for the development of river transport as well. The road network in the municipality spreads on 85.42 km, 20.6 km of which is a Republican Class II road, 16 km – Republican Class III road, and 48.82 – municipal road. The Class II road Ruse – Silistra passes through the municipality and more than 70 buses stop every day in the municipal centre of Slivo Pole.

The village of Ryahovo has a port built more than 60 years ago, which after relevant renovation could help the development of inland water tourism. A grain storage facility with a capacity of 30 000 tonnes is mounted nearby. Not far from the village there is a firth for the wintering of floating pump stations, which expansion could allow for anchoring of small ships and barges.

The terrain of the municipality is rather flat, located at about 56 metres above sea level. The climate is moderate continental. The Danube terrace, incl. the municipality terrain, is open to the north-east winds, causing cold winters and hot summers. Underground water goes through the territory of the municipality which is a prerequisite for the construction of deep wells for drinking water, supplying Ruse, a part of Razgrad, Targovishte and Shumen.

Ryahovo’s location on the bank of the Danube determines its biggest advantage.

There are two protected areas on the territory of Slivo Pole municipality: •

•

“Kalimok – Brashlen” – it covers Ryahovo and other nearby villages of Babovo, Brashlen and Golyamo Vranovo, as well as the town of Tutrakan and some villages in Tutrakan municipality plus a few islands. The protected area is established with the purpose to preserve the wetland and the natural marsh flora. It is the habitat of 200 plant species, 60 fish species, 20 reptile species, 40 mammal species, 230 bird species and thousands of invertebrates. Several endangered bird species live here; “Aleko Telika” - covers the eastern part of Aleko island and a group of small neighbouring islands near the village of Sandrovo, which are the habitat of a number of endangered plant and animal species.

The territory of Slivo Pole municipality also covers the protected area under “Natura 2000”, Marten - Ryahovo, with total area of 1 172.74 ha.

Near Ryahovo goes the 16-kilometre eco-route “Brashlensko Blato” (The Brashen's Marsh). The whole length of the eco-route is either asphalted or cemented and passable even in rainy weather. Going along the route tourists can enjoy the unique flora and fauna of the region. The route leads to the Danube embankment and an exotic fishermen village, from where one can take a boat to the Mishka island, and reaches further to the Ryahovo beach, and finally, to the Thracian tomb near Babovo with a view to the whole marsh. The route is suitable for trekking and biking.

The anthropogenic resources of interest for tourism are: •

• • • •

Ancient Fortress “Apiaria” - on the height known as "Kaleto" or "Hissarya", which is first mentioned as far back as the 1st century. A part of the fortress has been destroyed by the Danube and the construction of Brashlen's irrigation system. Now, there are no preserved wall above the surface, however, some remains can be seen at low tide during summer; Roman tomb-mausoleum in Babovo - used until the 4th century, then abandoned, and later on, robbed.

“Kosharata” mound near the village of Kosharna - archeological excavations site Ethnographic exhibition in the village of Borisovo Church “St George” - a memorial.

The community cultural centres' activities contribute to the preservation of the traditions and customs of several ethnic groups. There are traditional culinary exhibitions of food cooked in old Bulgarian recipes, as well as food that is specific for the different ethnic groups - Tatar, Turkish, Bulgarian-Mohammedan. There are active folk groups. Every month there are concerts and other events dedicated to religious holidays or related to the traditions of the ethnic groups. The Fish Festival, held every year in the village of Brashlen in August, gathers more and more people who come from all over the country.

The people have established a local action group named “Tutrakan-Slivo Pole” which supports projects focused on the implementation of the Strategy for community-led local development, financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The municipality also participates in the Local Fishermen Action Group “Glavinitsa Tutrakan - Slivo Pole” and has the potential to attract funding for aquacultures and fishing, as well as for alternative activities in support of tourism, while supporting the active use of local resources in order to achieve long-term results.

10 km away from Ryahovo tourists can find the Tourist Information Centre in Brashlen and a tourist base for an “ecoschool”, created by the Local Fishermen Action Group “Glavinitsa - Tutrakan - Slivo Pole”. There is one family hotel listed in the National Tourist Register.

Figure 10 Ryahovo – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Picturesque location on the bank of the river Danube

Possibilities for both individual and group rural tourism and ecotourism

Close to the regional centre of Ruse - 30 km Close to Romania - 90 km form Bucharest and the international airport Available beach, fish market and fish restaurant on the bank of the river Rich biodiversity, wetland Cultural and historical heritage

Interest in the alternative forms of tourism Opportunities for developing the potential related to the river - a fisherman's wharf, a beach Positive image of the region as a tourist destination A cultural calendar rich in events with the participation of the local population Regional strategies for local development of the Local Fishermen Action Group “Glavinitsa - Tutrakan - Slivo Pole” - an opportunity for the development of tourist infrastructure and services Opportunities for new tourist services

Fishing traditions

Opportunities for tourism products for a short-term stay of tourists from Romania

Low prices of tourist services

Improvement of personnel qualifications

Easily accessible places of tourist interest in the nearby settlements

Potential to attract foreign investments in tourism

2.1.4 Karan Varbovka The village of Karan Varbovka is one of the 12 villages within Dve Mogili municipality. Karan Varbovka has the same climate, topographic and transport characteristics as the village of Pepelina. The distance between the two villages is 10 km.

The location of the village covers the protected area “Ayazmoto” which spreads on 3 484 acres of forest with unique flora and fauna combined with mineral water.

The monastery “St Marina” (50 km from Ruse) known since the First Bulgarian Kingdom has been attracting tourist with its legend for the healing water. The only mineral spring in Ruse region can be found here. The monastery is regularly visited by tourists, however, most of all people gather on the Day of St Marina on 17 July.

The tangible cultural heritage consists of memorials and the temple “Vavedenie Bogorodichno”.

The “Ayazmoto” area hosts the folklore festival of arts “Zhiva Voda” every year.

There are no accommodation facilities in Karan Varbovka that are listed in the National Tourist Tegister, however, the booking websites have included the Guest House “Aqua Vitae” with an accommodation capacity for 8 people.

Figure 11 Karan Varbovka – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism

Strengths

Opportunities

Excellent natural resources for the development of tourism – climate, forests

Opportunities for the development of rural tourism in combination with hobby tourism – hunting and fishing

Cultural heritage of great popularity

Available funding sources for projects in the field of tourism

Location in a nature park – favourable for ecotourism and cognitive tourism

Opportunity to open a Tourist Information Centre

Preserved folklore traditions

Opportunity for future promotion of the regional tourism product

Interest of both Bulgarians and foreigners in purchasing properties Clean air, water and soil The only mineral spring in the region 2.1.5 Nisovo Nisovo is at a distance of 22 km from Ruse, at a turn from the main road RuseVarna, which leads to Nisovo through the village of Shtraklevo.

The historians think that the first inhabitants had come from the towns in the mountain 150-200 years ago in search of better and safer living conditions and established contacts with the old local population in the location – the hurtsoi people.

The village of Nisovo is situated in the picturesque basin of Lom river, the valley of Rusenski Lom, Beli Lom, Cherni Lom and Mali Lom, that is one of the most significant natural resources for tourism activities in Ruse region. The climate is moderate continental and the river network is relatively dense. The forests and waters on the territory of the village are habitats of a wide variety of species. In experts' opinion there are bird species around Nisovo which can rarely be seen elsewhere in the country, i.e. golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), black stork (Ciconia nigra), etc.

The location of the village within the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” provides it with all advantages of the blended natural and anthropogenic resources for ecotourism and rural tourism. The park's path marking system allows for close observation of the biodiversity. The “Gramovets” path stretches on 12 km, staring from the archeological reserve “Rock Churches of Ivanovo” and passing through a riparian forest ends at the confluence of the rivers Beli Lom and Cherni Lom, which flow into Rusenski Lom river. The “Dendro-route” is a 6 km route staring from Nisovo and revealing the plant species to the tourists in the park.

Another 6 km ecopath leads to the venerable elm near Nisovo. The routes are easy to walk and well-marked, so the tourists do not need a guide. The Nature Park Administration has also been making an extreme path near Nisovo which leads to the Great Rock Monastery of Nisovo. Apart from trekking, the village is also suitable for the people who like fishing (fishponds, the rivers Beli and Mali Lom).

The anthropogenic resources of the village include 9 archeological and 6 architectural monuments, two of which are: •

•

•

the Great Rock Monastery of Nisovo “St Constantine and Elena” – built in the 9th century, which is 7 km away from the village, on the bank of Mali Lom river. The monastery is considered to be the biggest in the basin of the river Lom, unfortunately, the access to it is difficult; Ancient fortress “Sechena Skala” - surrounded by Beli Lom river from three sides; the hill where it is located is know as Kale Adzhamka. The visible fortification has the form of a quadrilateral . Karel Shkorpil discovered three round towers at the bulwarks. Today, the fortification is covered by dense vegetation and the remains are barely seen; old cemetery with remains of grave stones - dated around 18-19 century and know as the “horse cemetery”. Karel Shkorpil and contemporary ethnologists and archeologists studied the preserved crosses, however, the media made highly popular prof. Nikolay Ovcharov's finding (later rejected) that these were knight templar graves.

The activities of the Community Cultural Centre “Geo Milev” are focused on the preservation of the old customs, e.g. the carol-singers in winter and the young women ritual at St Lazar's Day in spring. Also, the local people and all visitors of Nisovo can participate in the municipality events such as the “The children along the basin of the river Lom celebration under the monastery”, organised in the area of the Ivanovo rock churches, and “From the basin of Lom to the Danube together” in the area of Stalpishte.

The nearest Tourist Information Centre is in the municipal centre of Ivanovo.

The family hotel “The Black Stork” with a capacity to accommodate 15 people is listed in National Tourist Register, and the booking websites also show the guest house “Nisovo” with a capasity for 6 people.

Figure 12 Nisovo – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism

Strengths

Opportunities

Close to Ruse

Potential for ecotourism and rural tourism

Close to Romania Located in the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” Available natural resources, incl. the “Batakliyata” area

Potential for development of individual tourism or tourism for small groups

Available historical monuments

Opportunity for diversification of the tourism products

Short distance to other settlements with natural and anthropogenic resources - Ivanovo, Cherven, Koshov

Opportunity to attract foreign investment

Available ecopaths

Opportunity for funding projects in the area of tourism

Low prices of tourist services A Tourist Information Centre nearby

2.1.6 Cherven The village of Cherven is located in Ivanovo municipality, at the foot of the fortified medieval settlement of Cherven - a strategic military and administrative centre of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. It is also within in the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”. The tourism potential of Cherven is determined by the combination of natural and anthropogenic resources.

The territory of the village is mainly undulating, which is a prerequisite for interesting views to the natural sights. The climate is moderate continental. Cherni Lom river curves through the village and divides it in two neighbourhoods. The economic value of the river is restricted, however, it is suitable for fishing.

The municipality encompasses protected areas under the Habitats Directive - Batin island (Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities), the basin of the Lom river (Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities); under the Birds Directive - fish-breeding farms in Mechka and along the basin of the Lom river.

The incredible advantages of the environment of the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” are added up by the Archeological Reserve “Mediaeval Town of Cherven”, situated amongst the rock meanders of Cherni Lom river, at a distance of about 30 km from Ruse, which attracts the interest of many tourists and visited both by Bulgarians and foreigners, among which many Romanians. There were three big monasteries near Cherven, however, there are only few remains of them today.

The short distance from Cherven to the rock churches in Ivanovo and the rock monastery in Basarbovo is suitable for one-day trips, which is extremely advantageous for the development of rural tourism in Cherven, based on the incredible cultural heritage of the region.

According to different scientific sources of information there are 16 architectural monuments in the village of Cherven - churches, monasteries, memorials.

The Medieval Festival “Cherven” traditionally takes place in May every year and the idea behind it is to restore the life-style, crafts and the medieval warfare of the people from the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The festival gathers participants from all over Bulgaria. Its authentic medieval atmosphere attracts the interest of many tourists.

Also, the visitors of Cherven can take part in all events organised by Ivanovo municipality “The children along the basin of the river Lom - celebration under the monastery” in Ivanovo, the Festival of the Mushroom in Krasen, etc.

The nearest Tourist Information Centre is in the municipal centre of Ivanovo.

There is one snack-bar registered in the National Tourist Register, however, according to the booking websites tourists can also find the guest houses “Pertova”, “Nedina Kashta”, “Intriga”.

Figure 13 Cherven – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Located in the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”

Possibilities for rural tourism and ecotourism, as well as for individual or groups tourism

Rich cultural heritage, preserved traditions Preserved monuments Opportunities for short one-day routes to other historical sights Close to Ruse Close to Romania

Opportunity for diversification of the tourism products Ongoing interest in cultural, eco- and rural tourism Positive image of the region as a tourist destination Opportunity to include various events in the cultural calendar

Availability of funds for the development of tourist infrastructure Opportunity to improve the skills of the personnel in the tourism sector Opportunities to attract foreign investors

2.1.7 Mechka The village of Mechka, Ivanovo municipality, has an excellent location near the Danube. It is at a short distance from the main road Ruse-Sofia and not far from the border point with Romania. Historical data show that the surrounding area of Mechka was inhabited 2 500 BC ago and during the centuries there were important settlements and fortresses of Illyrians , Thracians , Romans, Byzantines , Slavs and Bulgarians.

The afforested bank of the river Danube is suitable to various recreational activities in the village or in the Stalpishte area - water sports, bird-watching and photo-safari, boating, fishing.

The rich natural resources are expanded with the historical heritage sites – remains from the old fortress “Trimamium”, a part of the Lower Danube fortification system of the Roman Empire. In 2005 the scientists discovered a unique 6-line sign which is kept today at the Regional Museum of History in Ruse. An interesting site to visit are the remains of the Roman Military Castle “Ursu” in Stalpishte area, and the ruins of an ancient Roman road.

The municipality encompasses protected areas under the Habitats Directive - Batin island (Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities), the basin of the Lom river (Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities); under the Birds Directive - fish-breeding farms in Mechka and along the basin of the Lom river.

The fishponds “Mechka” and the nearby islands are typical for the basin of Danube variety of important bird and animal habitats. The habitats of 7 mammals, 3 amphibians and reptiles, 12 fish species and 6 invertebrates are subject to protection.

The protected area “Dekilitash” in Stalpishte area near the village of Mechka is at a distance of only 30-40 from the Danube. “Dekilitash” is a formation that consists of two stones with different sizes, that probably date back to the mesozoic era. The stones are mentioned in a number of legends and folk tales for Krali Marko.

Another advantage of the village of Mechka is the fact that tourists can combine recreational activities along the Danube with visits to the rock churches in Ivanovo or the Mediaeval Town of Cherven, which are located at a short distance allowing for one- or twoday trips.

The village also provides opportunity for visits to memorials of soldiers who died in the Russian-Turkish War, the Balkan War and the Second World War. The activities of the local community cultural centre and the amateur performance groups are related to many festivals, two of which are held in Stalpishte area and attract

tourists most of all - “From the basin of Lom to the Danube together” and the fishing contest.

Tourists can obtain information about Mechka in the Tourist Information Centres in Ruse and Ivanovo.

In the National Tourist Register we can find the “Seven Generations” Winery which is very popular for its combination of a hotel, restaurant, spa centre and wine tasting of their own wines. In Stalpishte area, right on the bank of the river, there are bungalows that can accommodate visitors and provide them with comfortable places for picnics.

Figure 14 Mechka – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths Favourable geographical location near the Danube Close to Ruse Close to Romania Easy access by road Close to the natural and anthropogenic resources of the area - opportunity for short tourist routes

Opportunities Potential for ecotourism and rural tourism Opportunities for individual tourism Opportunity for visits of big tourist groups Ongoing interest in cultural and rural tourism, revival of the interest in bird-watching and photo-safari.

Positive image of the region as a tourist destination Opportunity to include various events in the cultural calendar Available sources of funding for infrastructure and tourism development Opportunity to expand and diversify the tourist services Potential to attract foreign investors

2.1.8 Nikolovo The village of Nikolovo is in Ruse municipality, at a distance of 6-7 km from the regional centre of Ruse. The present village is formed by the merger of Gagalya and Lipnik villages.

One of main advantages of the municipality is its strategic transport-related and geographical location. Key role is played by the Pan-European transport corridors No 9 and No 7 near Nikolovo.

The Ruse-Nikolovo road is in a good condition and maintained by the municipality.

Every 16-30 min there is a connecting bus line from Ruse to Nikolovo. The local council has

taken a decision to build a bike lane from Ruse to the Forest Park “Lipnik”, which will pass

by Nikolovo.

Close to Nikolovo one can find the main tourist attraction of the village - the picturesque area Forest park “Lipnik” (old name “Teketo”), which provides plenty of opportunities for recreational activities: fishing, boating, and trekking. The site is considered to be the biggest linden tree area in the country. The paths along the park can be used both for walking and biking. The park is also famous with its big lake. A part of the lake is covered by water-lilies. Another attraction is the spring, which healing waters are a plot of number of legends. The lake is very popular among the fishermen. Also, the lake hosts many national and international water sports contests. On 2 August the Forest Park “Lipnik” is the scene of the traditional festival dedicated to St Ilia.

The key tourist advantage of Nikolovo is the mixture of forest environment suitable for walks and picnics, the lake - for water sports and fishing, and the short distance to Ruse.

There are 5 accommodation facilities listed in the National Tourist Register, with a capacity to accommodate 51 people, as well as 13 places to eat.

Figure 15 Nikolovo – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Favourable geographical location

Opportunities for short-term or longterm recreational activities in the nature, while being close to the European architecture of Ruse

Availability of the Forest Park “Lipnik” Close to Ruse Close to Romania Close to 2 Pan-European transport corridors

Potential for diversification of the tourism products

Close to the cultural and historical heritage sites in Ivanovo municipality

Positive image of the region as a tourist destination

Close to the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom”

Available financial opportunities for infrastructure and tourism development

Low prices of tourist services Favourable natural resources for short recreational activities Available infrastructure for water sports - a rowing venue

Opportunity to improve the qualifications of the personnel in the tourism sector

2.1.9 Basarbovo The village of Basarbovo is surrounded by hills making its climate milder than in the city. It is at a distance of only 8-9 km from Ruse. According to the available data the village

has been inhabited since the Thracian time and it was visited by pilgrims before the building of the Rock Monastery of Basarbovo - the only operating rock monastery in Bulgaria and one of the most important anthropogenic resources of Ruse region.

Basarbovo can be easily accessed by road, it is located close to the two PanEuropean transport corridors - corridor No 7 Rein-Main-Danube and No9 HelsinkiAlexandroupolis, which cross each other in the region.

The Rock Monastery of Basarbovo is situated near the Rusenski Lom river. Its history is centuries old, starting from the 8th century. Today, the monastery is famous for its architectural, cultural and religious value, and also seen as a potential for pilgrimage tourism. In the 17th century the monastery was the home of Dimitar Basrbovski - an Orthodox saint considered to be the patron of Bucharest, whose relics are exhibited to worship in the Patriarchal Church “St St Constantine and Elena” in Bucharest. The monastery was first studied in 1912 by Karel Shkorpil, whose discoveries were published in his book “Description of the remains along the Rusenski Lom river” in 1914.

A tourist pilgrimage track of 57 km, also accessible by bike, off-road vehicles or on foot, starts from the village of Basarbovo and includes the rock monasteries and the historical sites in the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” and within the basin of the river Lom - the church in Krasen village, the museum exhibition in Shtraklevo, the rock churches of Ivanovo, the ecopath “Gramovets”, the venerable elm near Nisovo, the monasteries in the canyon of Mali Lom liver near Nisovo, the Medieval Town of Cherven, the cave “Orlova Chuka”, the monastery “St Marina” in Karan Varbovka.

The Community Cultural Centre in Basarbovo is an integrated centre for amateur performance groups and clubs, which have the potential to increase tourist interest in the region.

There are 2 accommodation facilities listed in the National Tourist Register - motel “Hancheto” (The Little Inn) and the tourist hut “Alpinist”.

Figure 16 Basarbovo – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Favourable geographical location

Tourists from Romania interested in the monastery

Availability of the only operating Rock Monastery “St Dimitar Basrbovski”

Close to Romania

Opportunities for short-term or longterm recreational activities in the nature, while being close to the European architecture of Ruse

Close to 2 Pan-European transport corridors

Potential for diversification of the tourism products

Close to the cultural and historical heritage sites in Ivanovo municipality

Positive image of the region as a tourist destination

Close to Ruse

Close to the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” Mild climate Low prices of tourist services Favourable natural resources for short recreational activities

Available financial opportunities for infrastructure and tourism development Opportunity to improve the qualifications of the personnel in the tourism sector

2.1.10 Ekzarh Yosif The village of Ekzarh Yosif is located in Borovo municipality, 30 km from Ruse. The village can be reached by taking a turn from the main road Ruse-Sofia and Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo-Podkova - a section of the Pan-European transport corridor No 9. The distance from Ekzarh Yosif to the municipal centre of Borovo is 43 km. 5 roads of 45.2 km from the national transport network cross the territory of the municipality.

The village is relatively close to the Danube river, Yantra river and Banksi Lom river.

Not far from Ekzarh Yosif village tourists can find the protected area “Doychov Ostrov”, the fishponds at the village of Mechka and the ornithological areas on the islands of Batin and Bezimenen (Nameless) - with more than 198 bird species, 60 of which are included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The village church “St Archangel Michael” constitutes a remarkable cultural heritage - the only Christian temple in the region, built above the ground, without a firman permission, and not dug under the ground. The churches of Gorno Ablanovo, Obretenik, Batin and Brestovitsa villages are also located within short distances.

Ekzar Yosif village has an ethnographic exhibition in the open air and a zoo.

Not far from Ekzarh Yosif tourists can find the “Batin” island on the Danube - a protected area under “Natura 2000” in compliance with the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. The protected area covers the entire island “Batin”, the nearby island “Doychov Ostrov” and the whole bank of the Danube from all sides of the island, as well as a large area in the direction of Ruse.

The village traditionally organises the Apple Festival with the participation of a number of amateur and professional folk groups, thus, promoting the region. The area is known for growing 22 apple varieties of the total 44 varieties grown all over Bulgaria.

The Visitors' Centre in Borovo municipality provides information on the available routes and tourist services.

Figure 17 Ekzarh Yosif – strengths and opportunities for rural tourism Strengths

Opportunities

Preserved environment and authentic atmosphere Favourable location, easy access, proximity to a main road Nearby protected area Close to Ruse Close to Romania Unique Apple Festival Tourist attractions - ethnographic exhibition in the open air and a zoo

Tourism potential resulting from the combination of ethnographic and natural resources Opportunities for individual and group tourism Funding opportunities for infrastructure and tourism projects Opportunity for food production related to the traditionally grown crops

Low prices of tourist services

2.1.11 Study on Ruse region opportunities – summary Global rural tourism trend According to the analysis on the website of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Netherlands Enterprises Agency7, European travellers seek to include elements of rural tourism when they plan their trips. They look for more experience rather than simply visiting places of interest, they like to communicate with the local people and to find out about the local culture. Therefore, more and more tourist agencies offer packages that include visits to small communities, where tourists can not only acquaint with the the local people, but also play an active role, e.g. participate in workshops on local crafts or take part in the harvesting.

These are good news for Ruse region, as it can satisfy the contemporary tourists' interests by offering interesting rural communities with preserved traditions. According to the quoted analysis, tourist agencies highly appreciate the opportunity to combine rural tourism with the knowledge on the local cultural and natural heritage - something that can be offered by any of the selected settlements in Ruse region.

According the analysis paper “State-of-the art and opportunities for rural tourism development in Bulgaria�8 of the senior assistant d-r Teodora Rizova from the New Bulgarian University, rural tourism is a continuously growing trend in Europe. The World Tourist Organisation estimates the annual growth of tourism to about 6%, compared to the 2% growth of tourism as whole. In many South and East European countries the growth rate exceeds 20%, which is due to transformations in rural areas and agriculture resulting from the EU accession of these countries.

7

CBI https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/tourism/rural-tourism/rural-tourism-europe

8

http://ebox.nbu.bg/pa2016/18Rizova.pdf

The share of cultural tourism grows on a global level, which is due, one the hand, to the more and more accessible information on different history-oriented topics, and on the other hand - to the increase of the short city and weekend vacations for visiting cultural events. This is the conclusion drawn in the paper “Common policy for the protection, development and capitalisation of fishing community's heritage”9. The expansion of low-cost flights making the destinations accessible for more tourists also contribute to the development of this type of tourism. Cultural tourism is often combined with other types of traditional or specialised tourism, which provides for greater opportunity of attracting more tourists.

Unique natural resources The key advantage of the region is its close location to the Danube. Two of the selected villages - Ryahovo and Mechka - are located right on the bank of the Danube, and the rest of the villages are very close to the river. This creates favourable conditions for combining different types of tourism (e.g. cultural tourism and water sports).

Some of the 10 reviewed settlements in Ruse region are located in the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” - the villages of Ivanovo, Pepelina, Karan Varbovka, Nisovo and Cherven; another part of the settlements are as close as to make one-day trips to the Park possible.

The Rusenski Lom river and its tributaries join several types of protected territories: the Rusenski Lom Nature Park, the protected areas in the basin of river Lom within the "Natura 2000" network, a place of ornithological significance and an butterflies and bats habitats which are of importance for Bulgaria and Europe. The Park characterises with diverse and fascinating landscape - rivers, meadows, rocks and a forest, as well as a rich ornithological fauna.

A recent survey (September 2018) among 276 respondents, cited in the Rural Balkans blog, points out that within the Danube tourist region, the Nature Park “Rusenski Lom” is ranked on the third position with regards to the places to visit in the next year: Biosphere Reserve “Srebarna” near Silistra (35%), Belogradchik Rocks (29%) and nature Park “Rusenski Lom” (21%). All three nature sites are located close to tourist centres which offer various cultural events.

Protected areas are available in close proximity to each of the studied settlements in Ruse region. This is a guarantee for close communication with preserved nature, which appears to be one of the fading tourist experiences.

The clean air, soil and waters, as well as the relatively dense river network with its picturesque canyons, create incredible circumstances for rural tourism and ecotourism (and a combination of the two).

9

Regional Historical Museum of Ruse - a partner in the Project “Memory and future. Stories about the Danube civilization“, managed by the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (applicant), the non-profit Association “Paralel-Silistra”, the Association “Akches” Călărași and the Local Initiative Fishing Group of Călărași.

Unique anthropogenic resources Ruse region has an ample amount of anthropogenic resources of tourist interest: the Rock Churches of Ivanovo - a UNESCO world heritage site; the cave “Orlova Chuka” - habitat of rare bat species; the only operating rock monastery in Bulgaria in the village of Basarbovo; the Medieval Town of Cherven, etc.

Preserved and/or revived traditions All studied villages have managed to preserve their traditions (folk arts, foods, productions, festivals, etc.) due to the activities of the community cultural centres and local people's initiatives - the Medieval Festival in Cherven, the Apple Festival in Ekzarh Yosif, the Fish Festival in Brashlen near Ryahovo, etc.

Accessibility All studied settlements are within short distances from the main transport corridors Bucharest-Ruse-Sofia or Bucharest-Ruse-Varna. Moreover, the distance between the villages is relatively short.

Proximity to the Romanian tourist market The two million capital of Romania, Bucharest, is 70 km away from Ruse, which makes Ruse region an attractive place for Romanian tourists who are interested in the natural resources, cultural and historical heritage, and the preserved religious temples.

The integration of tourist routes with sites from both countries situated in the Ruse-Giurgiu region, as proposed in this strategy, has an unexploited potential.

Low prices of tourist services The visitors of Ruse region expect lower prices of the tourist services because of its remoteness from the traditional resorts, insufficient popularity (still mentioned as “a region with tourism potential to be developed”), the lower category of the accommodation and eating facilities. Thus, tourists are willing to extend their stay, as they get lower prices per day (provided that they get the required quality for the services).

2.2 Strengths and opportunities of the settlements in Giurgiu county 2.2.1 Comana Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 35% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 8, of which to be mentioned: • • •

The Comana Monastery The“Gellu Naum” Memorial House The “Neajlov Delta” Hermitage

The number of traditions still held in the community – 3 The number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts persons – 6, to be mentioned: •

Crafts Village and Paper Mill

The number of local events still held in the community – 5, of which to be mentioned: •

Peony Festival, held annually, in May-June

Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 25% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community, on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3, of which to be mentioned: • • •

Comana Natural Park, including the Thorn Reserve Neajlov Delta Bird watching point

Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 15% Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 5, of which to be mentioned: • • •

Comana House Complex, including a miniature “Orient Express” train Comana Adventure Park “Horse Kingdom” – horse riding base

Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 5 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative

transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods – 3 There are accommodation facilities in the community on a 5 km range from the community – 4 Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 8% Number of local entrepreneurs – 15 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 10 Interest on development and protection legislation Locals’ activities focused on responsible tourism TOTAL SCORE: 83% is ready for tourism development with 87,50% consistent cultural heritage

2.2.2 Herasti Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 18% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3, of which to be mentioned: •

“Udriste Nasturel” Mansion

The number of traditions still held in the community – 3, to be mentioned: •

Folkloric Art Museum

The number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts persons – 1 The number of local events still held in the community – 1, of which to be mentioned: •

Peony Festival, held annually, in May-June

Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 10% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community, on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 2 Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 9%

Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 4 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 1 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods – 2 Accommodation facilities available in the community on a 5 km range from the community – 1 The stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 5% Number of local entrepreneurs – 5 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 2 Interest on development and protection legislation; Locals’ activities focused on responsible tourism TOTAL SCORE: 42% is ready for tourism development with 45 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.3 Izvoarele Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 30% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3, of which to be mentioned: •

“Cover of the Mother of God” Hermitage

The number of traditions still held in the community – 3 The number of the community’s customs – 3 Craftsmanship & crafts persons – 5 The number of local events still held in the community – 3 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 22% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 2, of which to be mentioned: • •

Izvoarele Natural Reserve with Fishing bays Manafu Forest

Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 15% Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 12 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 3 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. We took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods – 2 Accommodation facilities available in the community on a 5 km distance –1 Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 7% Number of local entrepreneurs – 14 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 4 Interest on development and protection legislation Locals’ activities focused on responsible tourism TOTAL SCORE: 74% is ready for tourism development with 75% consistent cultural heritage

2.2.4 Draganescu Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 38% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 12, of which to be mentioned: •

The Church painted by Priest Arsenie Boca

The number of traditions still held in the community – 2 The number of the community’s customs – 1 As craftsmanship/crafts persons there were identified – 1 The number of local events still held in the community – 2 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 27% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 12 Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX)

Evaluation: 9 % Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 2 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 1 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods.

Accommodation facilities available in the community on a 5 km range from the community - none The stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 4% Number of local entrepreneurs – 4 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 3 Low level of local development facilities, but priorities to be considered in connection with Mihailesti’ policies TOTAL SCORE: 78% is ready for tourism development with 95 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.5 Letca Noua Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 28% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3, of which to be mentioned: •

The Nunnery Monastery painted by great painter Gheorghe Tattarescu, holding the Miracle Icon of St. Mary

The number of traditions still held in the community –2 The number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts persons – 0 The number of local events still held in the community – 1 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 0 % Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – none

Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 6 % Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 2 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 2 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods.

Accommodation facilities available in the community on a 5 km range from the community – none Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 3% Number of local entrepreneurs – 3 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 0 TOTAL SCORE: 37 % is ready for tourism development with 70 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.6 Gostinu Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 32% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 1 The number of traditions still held in the community – 4 The number of the community’s customs – 3 Craftsmanship & famous crafts people – 3 The number of local events still held in the community – 2, of which to be mentioned: •

County Festival “Handicraft Get Together” (“Sezatoarea”) – Romanian Traditions and Customs

Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 15% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 2 Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX)

Evaluation: 9% Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 3 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 1 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods Accommodation facilities available in the community or on a 5 km range from the community – 1 Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 6% Number of local entrepreneurs – 2 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 4 Locals’ activities – a good base for responsible tourism development TOTAL SCORE: 62% is ready for tourism development with 80 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.7 Oinacu Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 30% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3 Number of traditions still held in the community – 5 Number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts people – 1 Number of local events still held in the community - 2, of which to be mentioned: •

County Festival “Handicraft Get Together” (“Sezatoarea”) – Romanian Traditions and Customs

Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 12% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 1 Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 9%

Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 2 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 1 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods.

Accommodation facilities available in the community or on a 5 km range from the community – none Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 6% Number of local entrepreneurs – 5 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized –2 Locals’ activities – a good base for responsible tourism development TOTAL SCORE: 57% is ready for tourism development with 75 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.8 Clejani Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 36% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 9 Number of traditions still held in the community – 3 Number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts people – 7, among which: • •

The oldest genuine folklore singer Famous Clejani Folk Music Band

Number of local events still held in the community – 4 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 12% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community or on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 1 Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 12%

Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 5 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 2 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. The survey took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods – 2 Accommodation facilities available in the community or on a 5 km range from the community – none Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 8% Number of local entrepreneurs – 5 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 6 Locals’ activities – a good base for responsible tourism development TOTAL SCORE: 68% is ready for tourism development with 90 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.9 Slobozia Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 29% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 4, of which to be mentioned: •

“St. John the Russian” Monastery

Number of traditions still held in the community – 3 Number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts people – 1 Number of local events still held in the community – 4 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 27% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community, on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 2, of which to be mentioned: •

The Natural Reserve “Camadinu Island” on Danube river

Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 14%

Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 2 Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 1 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. We took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods Accommodation facilities available in the community or on a 5 km range from the community – 1 Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 7% Number of local entrepreneurs – 5 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 4 Locals’ activities – potential for ecological tourism development TOTAL SCORE: 77% is ready for tourism development with 72,5 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.10 Balanoaia Cultural heritage (40%=MAX) Evaluation: 28% Number of historic buildings, community sites and monuments to be found in the community and on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 7 Number of traditions still held in the community – 3 Number of the community’s customs – 2 Craftsmanship & crafts people – 1 Number of local events still held in the community – 4 Natural resources (30%=MAX) Evaluation: 29% Number of natural heritage sites that are in proximity of the community, on a range of 10 km from the center of the community – 3, of which to be mentioned: • •

Balanoaia Forest “Hanul Cosminului” (Inn) – fishing and rest resort

Space, surroundings and infrastructure (20%=MAX) Evaluation: 18%

Number of attractions found in the community or on a 10 km range from the center of the community – 5, of which to be mentioned: •

“Stejarul” (The Oak Tree) Leisure Centre

Number of public facilities (restaurants, shops, bars) found in the community – 2 The destination is easily accessible by transportation. We took into account the state of the roads, the existence of a train station, the possibility of using alternative transport such as bicycles. Considered easily accessible as it can be easily accessed by at least 2 different transportation methods.

Accommodation facilities available in the community or on a 5 km range from the community – 2 Stakeholders, legal and administrative climate (10%=MAX) Evaluation: 9% Number of local entrepreneurs – 5 Number of local products developed by locals that can be commercialized – 3 Locals’ activities – potential for ecological tourism development Interest on local tourism development TOTAL SCORE: 84% is ready for tourism development with 70 % consistent cultural heritage

2.2.11 Study on Giurgiu county opportunities – summary In the Giurgiu county the survey identified significant cultural heritage and also important natural resources that are useful elements to be included within rural touristic programs in order to attract visitors.

The elements which are to be included in the tourist circuits – historical sites, valuable monuments with a unique touch – are evidences for the territory’s complex history.

The selected villages are situated near the Danube river, with increased tourism possibilities and chanced for economic development.

Preserving and promoting the national identity through craftsmen keeps the skills and traditions alive, through Romanian art, by attending local festivals or through the cultural centers and public institutions to display artefacts, handicrafts and old and modern work of arts.

In order to attract a significant number of visitors to the area, the selected communities from the Giurgiu county dispose with many cultural assets.

From the geographical point of view, the Giurgiu county is the best located among all other South Romanian areas to border Danube that allows to become integrated in a Bulgarian-Romanian tourist project.

With the Danube river bordering the county on a range of 72 km, there is the chance for developing sustainable economic activities in a long-run.

If responsible tourism management applied, the cultural assets available in underdeveloped villages or communes could boost the local community development by attracting visitors.

People employed in the agricultural sector could be advised to work on producing specific foods or other genuine local products which could become attractions for visitors – thus, the local employment opportunities will increase and become a direction for local responsible tourism development.

When being aware about the tourist prospective, people are receptive and willing to host visitors.

Nature oriented activities and sports could also become a significant point of development, with the multiple forms of relief – plains, fields, forests, paths and spots near water.

There are chances for the religious tourism to be developed in a long-run.

The county’s traditions, customs and forms of art also have good perspectives.

The local gastronomic products and craftmanship fields should be taken into consideration while developing a comprehensive sustainable touristic strategy.

3. Risks and threats analysis

In this section

This section contains analysis of the risks and threats to sustainable tourism development in the Ruse-Giurgiu region. It is focused on the weaknesses, barriers, obstacles and other negative aspects (of the external and/or internal environment) that can threaten the future development of rural tourism in the region, as well as the creation of integrated tourism products.

This part of the strategic document considers the following characteristics (non-exhaustive list): • • • •

destroyed natural and historical heritage; depopulated settlements with too few people who could provide tourist services or be interested in doing business; transport infrastructure; lack of local policies in support of crossborder tourism, etc.

The analysis not only points our the problems and threats, but also seeks to identify ways to mitigate them and to contribute to the transformation of the local communities into tourist destinations.

3.1 Risks and threats to rural tourism development in the settlements of Ruse region Bulgaria's image as a mass tourism destination Bulgaria continues to maintain the negative image of a cheap destination which is more often visited in times of crisis, and the country is also apparently unable to respond to the growing demand of a better quality, authenticity, attractiveness and diversity of tourist services and environment. This conclusion is drawn in the Strategy for Development, Enhancement and Innovation of an Integrated Cultural Heritage Tourism Product: Route "Roman Frontier within the Cross-border Region Romania-Bulgaria"10 (a document developed by the Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube” and the Constanta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Agriculture, 2017) based on a long-term study on the tourism costs. The country is still not competitive enough on the tourist services market.

The country is also considered a destination for mass maritime tourism, and with limited popularity of the alternative forms of tourism, although there are favourable conditions for their practicing. According to the cited document, negative trends in tourism development can be identified in the cross-border region as well.

Unrecognizability of the region as a tourist destination Regardless of its incredible natural and historical heritage, Ruse region is not recognizable as a tourist destination. This fact can be assessed in different ways: from the one hand, the lesser the tourists, the smaller the risk of destruction of the natural and historical resources; on the other hand, the same fact is a prerequisite for a decreased economic activity, lower income, fewer jobs, less funds for the preservation of the available resources. Planning and implementation of promotional campaigns targeted at the rural tourism in the region should take into account both aspects. Attracting tourist interest can be carried out by presentations at forums on tourism, involvement of experts and renowned public figures, production of interesting and modern films and their circulation through the relevant channels in order to reach to an appropriate audience and raise their curiosity about this region. Efforts for joint cross-border promotion of Ruse and Giurgiu regions could also give good results.

Indeed, the unrecognizability is a topic that concerns not only Ruse region but also the entire “Danube” tourist area (one of the nine zones in the country according to the National Concept for Tourism Zoning in Bulgaria of Ministry of Tourism11, 2015, as shown in the figure below). The Danube tourist area with Ruse as its centre, is the largest area in Bulgaria covering 67 municipalities.

10 11

http://danubelimes-robg.eu

http://www.tourism.government.bg/bg/kategorii/strategicheski-dokumenti/koncepciyaza-turistichesko-rayonirane-na-bulgariya

Figure 18 National Concept for Tourism Zoning in Bulgaria – scope of zones, management centres

However, the document specifies that regardless of its big size (24% of the territory and 19% of country's population), the Danube tourist region has the capacity to accommodate only 9 000 tourists (2,9%), 311 000 overnight visitors (5,3%), 534 000 overnight stays (2,5%) and less than 20 million BGN income from overnight stays (2,2%). Tourism concentration indicators are extremely low - the density of the accommodation facilities (0,3 or 26 times less than the country average) and tourist intensity (0,4 or 23 times less than the country average).

The data on the concentration for the entire “Danube” region correspond to the conclusions drawn in the course of the project study, especially for Ruse region, and namely: the total occupation of all accommodation facilities in Ruse region was 30,6% as of July 2018, thus, being sufficiently lower than the country average - 61,8% as of July 2018.

The concept for tourism zoning in Bulgaria concludes: “Data confirms the merits of questioning the existence of a Danube tourist region, as well as the absence of such a region in some of the older schemes of tourism zoning in Bulgaria”.

During the consultations with the stakeholders on the development of the concept for the zoning it become clear that the Danube tourist region has been subject to criticism related to its boundaries - it's been characterises as too extended, with difficult communication between its parts, availability of “non-tourist habitats”, inclusion of municipalities which do not identify themselves with the Danube river.

The presented information shows that even the experts are not completely certain that the Danube region is recognised as a tourist destination. Even if we assume that this is not fully applicable to the Ruse region and that its recognizability is more distinct compared to a lot of other municipalities and regions, the lack of Danube tourist region’s clear image as a tourist destination (e.g. compared to the tourist region “The rose valley“ or the Varna Black Sea coast) will have a negative impact on Ruse region as well.

In this context, to make the Danube tourist region recognisable requires public and private stakeholders' efforts, and will probably take a lot of time. The first step was made in January 2019 with the establishment of the Management Organisation of Danube Tourist Region and the election of its management bodies.

Specialisation of the Danube tourist region The above Concept contains justified specialisation of the Bulgarian tourist regions according to the applied methodology. One main specialisation is defined for each region a combination of two types of tourism which determine the uniqueness of the regions; and an expanded specialisation which adds up to 4 additional types of tourism. The document also provides a sample classification of the types of tourism according to their significance for the region.

With regards to the current strategy we should underline that rural tourism has not been identified as a type of tourism that provides for the main and the extended specialisation of the Danube tourist region, incl. Ruse region. The main specialisation of the region is the cultural and cruise tourism, and the expanded specialisation is prioritised as follows: cultural and historical tourism, river cruise tourism, adventure and ecotourism, urban entertaining and shopping tourism, wine and culinary tourism, religious and pilgrimage tourism.

At first sight, the concept of the current project for sustaining rural tourism in Ruse-Giurgiu region contradicts to the specified specialisation of the Danube tourist region as a conclusion of the conducted study and the documentary presentation of the political will. However, this contradiction is based only on general observations; therefore, we should consider the issue of specialisation in more details from different points of view.

Firstly, the identification of tourist specialisation is a difficult task, which in theory takes into account the available resources and the specific tourist demand. Bulgaria has a diversity of natural and anthropogenic resources, some of which exploited for decades and others developed recently. Each region has a range of opportunities for nearly all types of tourism. However, the practice is different from theory - there is a lack of information that is sufficient in volume, with full geographic coverage and segmented by type of tourism as to allow for drowning the most precise and adequate conclusions.

Secondly, the definition of the types of tourism does not separate them but rather shows the synergy between them, which is fully in line with the concept of the current project for sustaining rural tourism in Ruse-Giurgiu area through its cultural heritage.

The Concept for tourism zoning in Bulgaria contains a classification (based on three key criteria - motivation to undertake a trip, type of tourist activity and environment for its practising), which lead to the conclusion that identified ecotourism specialisation of the

Danube tourist region does not exclude the development of eco-rural tourism, but on the contrary: •

•

ecotourism (a sub-type of adventure and ecotourism) - responsible travelling to preserved natural complexes with the main purpose to observe and study wild life (incl. in protected areas); eco-rural tourism (a sub-type of rural tourism) - travelling to rural regions with the main purpose of staying in clean environment, consume bio products, communicate with nature and local communities.

In such a case, the question is whether, bearing in mind the conditionality of the tourist specialisation, it could play any role for the tourism development of the regions. The answer is positive due to the following: • • •

Specialisation contributes to the identification of independent identity of the regions - the things that make a region different from the others.

Specialisation is aimed at achieving diversity in product development; Specialisation provides a useful starting point for the future development of the regional marketing strategies.

The last but not least, the political document “Concept for tourism zoning in Bulgaria” introduces the idea that the specialisation is of non-binding character as it does not put limitations to the regions and their municipalities, related to the development of tourism, in the direction they wish to do so. This refers to a great extent to the Danube tourist region being the largest with unique specificities in some of its parts.

The role of this strategy, developed under the project, is to define a specialisation that corresponds to the specific natural and anthropogenic resources of Ruse region and Giurgiu county, while focusing on its cross-border context.

Remoteness from the big Bulgarian resorts Ruse region is relatively far from the Bulgarian maritime resorts which is very attractive for many tourists. The nearest resort is Varna, at a distance of 200 km, only half of which is a highway. The nearest mountain resorts are in Stara Planina, at a distance of about 150 km and no highway to them. It is more difficult for the region to attract tourists compared to the regions that are closer to the maritime and mountain resorts, but not impossible at all – it’s only necessary to put more communication efforts and undertake more promotional measures.

It is recommended that the region introduces new integrated tourism products (or build up on the existing ones). An example for this is the development of a combined route on both sides of the border for individual tourists, e.g. Comana (Giurgiu) and Basarbovo or Ivanovo (Ruse). Another option are the organised short visits for tourist groups having their vacation on the Bulgarian or Romanian Black Sea coasts.

Economic downturn of North Bulgaria Ruse region's location in an economically less developed part of Bulgaria is a negative factor, however, it could be interpreted from another point of a view. Firstly, the funding sources are targeted as a priority to less developed regions. Moreover, tourists think

that in such regions they can get cheaper services and, consequently, stay longer (if they find the quality services they look for, of course).

Management issues With regards to the management, the most eloquent example is Ivanovo municipality, which compared to the other municipalities within Ruse region, has the biggest potential to develop diverse tourist resources based on the combination of the natural and anthropogenic heritage. The most attractive to the tourists are the rock churches near the municipal centre of Ivanovo, one of which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The point is that Ivanovo municipality does not manage the heritage but owns the infrastructure, thus, the Regional Historical Museum in Ruse does not have any rights on this infrastructure. This is one of the explanations for the operation of only one rock monastery and the lack of access to the rest of the rock churches in the area.

According to the Strategy for Development, Enhancement and Innovation of an Integrated Cultural Heritage Tourism Product: Route "Roman Frontier Within the Crossborder Region Romania-Bulgaria" (Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube� and the Constanta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Agriculture) referred above, the weak coordination between the entities managing the cultural and historical tourism is a common feature for the entire cross-border region.

In this context, most appropriate would be to put efforts for joining the institutions in functioning forms where they could share their common interests with regards to the management of the cultural and historical heritage and the infrastructure. Synergy in tourism can be achieved through joint projects of municipalities and institutions.

Proximity to Ruse The short distance from Ruse has a negative impact on the rural communities, as many tourist would prefer to find accommodation in the nearby city that offers a number of hotels and restaurants. On the other hand, this factor can become an advantage, if there are routes combining the resources of the city with those of the small communities.

Moreover, the rural communities in the region are also close to the border point between Bulgaria and Romania, to the Romanian capital and to the international airport in Bucharest, all of which comprise a bunch of underdeveloped advantages.

Insufficient tourist infrastructure The analysis of the resources in the 10 selected villages of Ruse region shows that tourist infrastructure (facilities for recreational activities, information centres and a marking system) is not sufficient to respond to the demand volume and to meet the quality criteria. For example, the tourist information centres are definitely not enough and tourists have to visit either the information centre in Ruse or in Ivanovo before heading to the chosen natural or cultural site in the other settlements, or to look for online sources of information, which does not provide them with the necessary advise. Most of the selected villages do not offer any places where tourists could buy simple souvenirs, not to mention local craft or food products.

Risk of environmental pollution The increased recognisability of the region as a tourist destination and the increased number tourists result in a growing risk of environmental pollution. Currently, this looks like a hypothesis, bearing in mind the relatively small number of tourists and accommodations, however, when it becomes a fact, it will be too late to undertake any safeguards. The safeguards would be to be more effective if applied at an early stage.

Examples of such safeguards are the limitation of car access in the tourist areas and the promotion of sustainable ways to move, i.e. by public transport (bus, train), biking or walking, or a combination of the two. A good example for this is the citizens' group RuseGO organised through the social media groups for biking and trekking in the region, combining such tours with moving by train, bus or carpooling.

Sustainable mobility faces several obstacles: public transport does not meet the contemporary requirements (slow, inconvenient routes and time-schedule); lack of coordination between the modes of transport to allow for their combination for short trips; lack of information. There are also barriers arising from not understanding the sense of sustainable mobility and the lack of practices to achieve it. At this stage, it is not possible to offer sustainable mobility through river transport due to its unavailability.

Lack of river transport for tourist purposes Although the Danube river is the biggest tourist advantage of the region, it is not exploited through the opportunities offered by the river transport. Apart from one utterly insufficient exception in Ruse (the boat “Ruschuk”), it is neither possible to find regular navigating tours along the river or to the riverside villages, nor to move from the Bulgarian to the Romanian side of the Danube.

Strong competition of other neighbouring countries A lot of municipalities from other neighbouring countries like Serbia, Turkey and Greece, advertise rural tourism opportunities by carrying out active, and apparently, expensive promotional campaigns. Their competition is a serious threat which can be overcome by interesting and innovative marketing ideas. A competitive advantage could be achieved by the establishment of integrated tourist routes that include sites both in Bulgaria and Romania, which are rarely offered on the tourist market and could attract visitors' interest by the fact that they will visit two countries at the same time.

Other weaknesses and threats • • • • • •

Difficult access to some of the tourist sites - rock churches, remains of fortresses, islands on the Danube, etc.

Ongoing depopulation of the region - there are no people to provide tourist services.

Poor condition of the road network Lack of attractions to provide for getting experiences, especially permanent attractions outside the cultural calendar of events.

Insufficient number of tourist agencies interested in organising visits to the region Lack of financial resources for promotion

• •

• • •

Totally insufficient information in Romanian language although the Romanian tourists are the most perspective for Ruse region Lack of creative industries to produce interesting souvenirs (jewellery, clothes, foods) in the spirit of local traditions - risk of offering uniform souvenirs that can be found everywhere.

Lack of financial resources for the establishment of accommodation and eating facilities that meet tourist demand Lack of resources to accommodate big organised groups of tourists Potential recession

3.2 Risks and threats to rural tourism development in the settlements of Giurgiu county

The population in the localities of the county accounts low numbers.

The number of accommodation and public facilities are insufficient and still underdeveloped for the touristic offer.

There are shortcomings in the naval traffic; cruises for sightseeing are not provided.

The are is not known as a place of tourism, incl. rural tourism (with two thirds of the population living in the rural areas).

Approximately 50% of the local residents are employed in agriculture, a sector in which the weather is a determinant.

The chances for locals to attend training courses in the field of tourism services could be threatened by low performances in managing local, national or international projects.

The planning for the localities can be delayed by group interests and difficulties in investments and funding regarding the restoration work for preserving and safeguarding the monuments.

The region is close to the capital Bucharest – from the tourist point of view, it means that people are interested to visit the capital rather than enjoying the advantages of the rural tourism in the Giurgiu county.

Currently Romania has not introduced an official concept regarding zones for the purposes of the regional tourist marketing.

4. Development objectives In this section Identification of objectives to be adopted by the local stakeholders and organisations as their own objectives, and to be achieved through the joint efforts of all parties involved.

Setting the objectives of this strategy is a result of a study conducted through: • a review of the natural and anthropogenic resources within the entire scope of the region, which covers Ruse region and Giurgiu country; • an assessment of Ruse and Giurgiu region settlements' potential to develop rural tourism by binding it with the natural and cultural heritage; • the selection of 20 settlements (10 on the Bulgarian side and 10 on the Romanian side of the region) for a comprehensive analysis and drawing conclusions and recommendations that are common for the region; • an analysis of the strengths and opportunities of the 10 selected settlements in Ruse region to develop rural tourism through benefiting from the advantages of the natural and cultural heritage; • an analysis of the strengths and opportunities of the 10 selected settlements in Giurgiu county to develop rural tourism through benefiting from the advantages of the natural and cultural heritage; • an analysis of the individuals and organisations in both Ruse and Giurgiu regions who are interested in the economic development of the region as a whole, and in particular, in the development of rural tourism through the cultural heritage advantages; • an analysis of the weaknesses and threats which could put obstacles to rural tourism in Ruse region, with a focus on the 10 selected settlements; • an analysis of the weaknesses and threats which could put obstacles to rural tourism in Giurgiu county, with a focus on the 10 selected settlements; • suggestions on how to overcome the weaknesses and mitigate the risks.

MAIN OBJECTIVE Maintaining a sustainable rural tourism in Giurgiu-Ruse region through its cultural heritage and ethos The main objective is defined based on the understanding that rural tourism means responsible travelling and staying for recreational purposes on territories with preserved nature and authentic tangible and intangible heritage. Rural tourism contributes to the improvement of local community's well-being, provides for respect to the local culture, protects environment against the negative effects of tourism which are typical for the big resorts12.

Tourists are accommodated in houses and villas in the rural areas, practice activities that are typical for the daily routine of the local people in the relevant season, incl. activities in the open air. The tourists themselves are personally and closely involved in the creation of the tourism products by focusing more on the experience rather than on the observation. More often rural tourism is not practiced in an isolated form, as it is implemented in an environment that allows for combining visits to natural and historical sights, local cultural events, amateur sport activities, hobby tourism, biking or trekking.

The overbuilding in the cities, the prevention of the contemporary individual from communicating with nature, the dynamic life that leads to stress and illness, all push people to look for relaxation in clean environment, far from the noisy and overcrowded places. This concept for a vacation excludes the big resorts, therefore, it is oriented towards positive emotions, awareness of places and people through experience and personal participation in activities. This is a global trend that is not just a fashion, but a necessity for the contemporary human being.

This trend is the natural foundation on which the growing popularity of rural tourism in combination with the eco- and cultural tourism to be built up.

The preserved natural and historical heritage of Ruse-Giurgiu cross-border region, as well as the fact that (except for their centres) both administrative territories are mainly rural, provide for the formulation of the main objective for maintaining a sustainable rural tourism.

In order to achieve the main objective the region can benefit under the Priority Area 3 of the Danube Region Strategy (EUSDR) "To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts", which is coordinated jointly by Bulgaria and Romania. EUSDR offers a number of tools in support of the joint efforts for sustainable tourism through environmental protection and preservation of cultural heritage. This measure requires the gaining of a maximum benefit from the achievement of the objectives, which is determined by the coordinated efforts of all stakeholders. The implementation of projects which cross-border impact is increased by their transnational effects will reflect directly on the economic prosperity of the region.

12

Maria Grozeva's definition in “Conditions and opportunities for tourism development in the rural areas of the Severozapaden Planning Region�, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 2017

In developing this strategy setting the objectives of the priority area for the next period have still been under consideration, thus, they are presented here in a draft form: •

•

• • • •

• •

to promote the Danube region as an important European destination and further development and reinforcement of the Danube brand for the entire Danube region; to support the introduction of a harmonised monitoring system targeted at the sustainable tourism and the cultural/natural heritage, which can provide comparable data in the Danube region; to promote the Danube river as a transnational cultural and nature route; to encourage the innovative forms of tourism and culture, introduced by the SMEs and public-private partnerships; to develop sustainable forms of tourism, incl. “green” tourism products and sustainable mobility solutions in the Danube region; to encourage the development of qualified workforce, education and skills in the area of tourism and culture in order to provide sustainable jobs in the region; to draft a “Blue Book” on the the Danube cultural identity; to provide sustainable storage and modern interpretation of the cultural and natural heritage.

Strategic objective 1 To develop Ruse-Giurgiu region as a recognisable rural tourism destination The prior analysis of the rural tourism potential of the villages within Ruse-Giurgiu cross-border region, as well as the review of the strategic and planning documents for the joint development the entire cross-border region or parts of it, leads to the conclusion that, on the first place, the region should become recognisable as a tourist destination.

Regardless of the preserved nature and the availability of unique cultural monuments, the region is still barely known as a place for short or long vacations, and even less as a rural tourism destination. This finding applies both to the Bulgarian tourists' awareness of the Ruse region and the Romanian tourists' awareness of the Giurgiu county, as well as to the mutual awareness. Not having achieved this, it is less expected to make RuseGiurgiu region popular among third country visitors.

The strategic objective of developing a recognisable destination is a top priority in a mid-term aspect, as its achievement determines the accomplishment of the rest of the objectives, the attraction of investments and the overall development of regional tourism as an economic sector.

The recognition of Ruse-Giurgiu tourist destination is a framework condition, i.e. an operation system which covers the functioning of all other elements of the tourism industry.

Recognisable tourist destination cannot be achieved simply by a wide application of promotional methods, although they are not be ignored; it requires awareness raising of both domestic and international tourists in responsible attitude to the available resources, as well as influencing the formation of a system of values where nature, cultural heritage and preserved traditions are a priority.

Strategic objective 2 To improve the quality of Ruse-Giurgiu region's tourism products If the first strategic objective “To develop Ruse-Giurgiu region as a recognisable rural tourism destination” is, broadly speaking, faced outwards, i.e. to the tourists and visitors from other regions of Romania and Bulgaria, European and other countries, and related to the extent they are aware of the tourism opportunities of Ruse-Giurgiu region, then the second strategic objective shall be focused inwards, i.e. to the human resources and facilities of the region itself. The objectives are interrelated and complementary.

At the Mexico Meeting in 2012 the countries from G20 for the first time unanimously recognised the importance of tourism as a driver for labour market development and economic growth, as well as committed to work towards facilitating travelling for tourism purposes13. One European Commission’s priority objectives with regards to the Europe's recognition as a leading tourist destination is the diversification of the tourism product and the improvement of the tourist services that have been offered. This includes improvement of the relationship between SMEs, the interaction between public authorities and private entities, as well as the establishment and promotion of tourism opportunities which take into account people's needs (e.g. the needs of people with disabilities or elderly people).

Tourism products quality is also identified as priority in the Communication from the Commission - Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe14. Tourism in EU faces a number of challenges: increasing competition of other destination - this by itself requires better quality of the products; demographic changes resulting in increased number of elderly tourists - reflects on the demand of differentiated tourism products of the highest quality.

In all strategic documents quality is also considered from the sustainable development perspective, which requires specific commitments for protecting the air, water and soil by taking into account the negative impact of human activities on the climate change related to the overconsumption of water and energy.

All these aspects and trends lay the basis for the formulation of the second objective.

13

Strategy on Sustainable Tourism Development in Bulgaria for the period 2014-2030, http://www.tourism.government.bg/bg/kategorii/strategicheski-dokumenti 14

COM/2010/0352 final

5. Investment priorities In this section We have identified the investment priorities within the framework of each strategic objective which can contribute to the sustainable development of rural tourism in RuseGiurgiu region.

They are addressed to: • •

•

the public institutions – authorities on national, regional and local level; private entities - companies, NGOs, educational institutions, with a focus on local development, which can contribute through their products and services, vocational training, capacity building or other approaches; public-private partnerships.

5.1 Investment priorities under Strategic objective 1 Strategic objective 1 To develop Ruse-Giurgiu region as a recognisable rural tourism destination

Investment priority 1.1 Destination specialisation Investment priority 1.2 Development and promotion of an integrated cross-border tourism product

Investment priority 1.1 Destination specialisation The new concept for tourism zoning of Bulgaria, as well as the existing concept of Romania , consider the specialisation related to tourism in the wider context of the larger regions which integrate a number of administrative units. They do not define specialisation in the more narrow scope of the administrative region/county or municipality, nor do they consider it in a cross-border context (where applicable and appropriate).

15

According to the different approaches, tourist regions are identified on the basis of similar geographic characteristics and climate conditions, administrative borders, common historical development and traditions; however, these are too general to cover the specificities of the smaller regions, and moreover, do not go beyond the national borders.

The sense of specialisations in such national strategic documents is serve only a starting point for the development of regional strategies and other planning documents, and not as fixed frameworks which limit the development and marketing of other types of tourism. The Concept for Tourism Zoning in Bulgaria clearly states that: “The suggested main and expanded specialisation shall not be officially regulated, i.e. it does not limit the

15

According to the preliminary expert information Romania is to adopt a new document for tourism zoning.

desire of the regions and their belonging municipalities to develop tourism in one direction or another.”

Small territories can have another main or expanded specialisation defined, identified on the basis of an analysis of their strengths and opportunities. Moreover, the territory can be located in neighbouring countries but its parts to have more similar characteristics than the remote areas within one and the same region.

The identification of cultural and historical tourism as a priority for tourism development in both the Bulgarian and Romanian regional and local strategic documents targeted at the studied region, as well as the availability of a range of strengths and opportunities for rural tourism development, provide grounds to define rural tourism as a complementary tourist specialisation of Ruse-Giurgiu region. It would be more precise to name the specialisation “rural tourism through the cultural heritage”, as this definition reflects the synergy between the different types of region's tourism potential.

The Bulgarian side of Ruse-Giurgiu region falls within the scope of the Danube tourist region which main specialisation is cultural and cruise tourism expanded by the following types: cultural and historical tourism, river cruise tourism, adventure and ecotourism, urban entertaining and shopping tourism, wine and culinary tourism, religious and pilgrimage tourism.

The Romanian part of Ruse-Giurgiu region is closer to one of the six habitats with a potential for tourism development, which do not cover the whole territory of the country (Romania National Tourism Master plan 2007-2026). These habitats have been identified as a priority for tourism development based on the available tourism resources and attractions, accessibility analysis and the state of the infrastructure. They are called “clusters”. Giurgiu county is close to Bucharest habitat which specialisation, defined by the plan, includes the following types of tourism: cultural tourism, MICE16 and entertainment. Currently Romania does not have officially approved regions for the purposes of regional tourism marketing.

The country is presented in promotional materials of the Romanian Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism with its historical areas that are relatively clearly distinguished.

Giurgiu county, together with 10 other counties and the capital city of Bucharest, is located in Muntenia - a region which is presented as a melting pot of historical and natural attractions, a number of museums, theatres and exhibition halls in the capital city of Bucharest, castles and monasteries. Statistics show that this big region provides accommodation for 50 000 people and the number of overnight stays is over 4 mln. per year17, where, apparently, the biggest share belongs to the capital city.

16

An acronym from the English “Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions“; a term from the tourism industry which refers to an income-generating specialised niche within the group tourism related to the planning, accommodation and facilitation of conferences, seminars and other events.

17

Analysis of other countries' best practices in tourism zoning, 2015, Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism, http://www.tourism.government.bg/sites/tourism.government.bg/files/uploads/raionirane/p2.pdf

In the context of the presented facts and the analysis presented in the above sections, the introduction of rural tourism specialisation does not contradict to the priority types of tourism, but rather has a complementary role contributing to the diversity of tourism supply and providing opportunity for a more complete utilisation of the region's resources.

Investment priority 1.2 Development and promotion of an integrated cross-border tourism product Regardless of the availability of unique natural and anthropogenic resources as described in the sections above, Ruse-Giurgiu region still remains unrecognised as a tourist destination both by the domestic and foreign tourists. The advantages are highlighted in a number of studies, however, they have still been presented as a potential, i.e. there is a possibility for favourable development, which has not been a fact yet. The region is accepted as a territory to go thought on the the way to Bucharest (for the Bulgarian tourists), to Veliko Tarnovo (for the tourists from all over the world who arrive by the cruise ships anchoring in Ruse), to Greece and Turkey (for the Romanian tourist going on vacation).

Attracting the attention to the region which offers a proper short or long rest due to its unique combination of rural tourism with cultural and historical tourism, is a venture that requires targeted efforts and investments. The difficulty comes from the necessity of increased awareness and also of a change in the attitude of both the users and tourist service provides to implement responsible tourism.

In this regard, Ruse-Giurgiu destination which offers rural tourism based on the cultural heritage, should be understood as a new and (nearly) unknown destinations to the users and tourism professionals. Its promotion should start from zero and be built up with innovative approaches that provide information and create values of perception. A strong advantage is determined by the introduction of an integrated cross-border tourism product which combines the advantages of both the Bulgarian and the Romanian parts of the region.

As this approach is not very popular, it will turn to be competitive among and extended scope of tourism supply.

5.2 Investment priorities under Strategic objective 2 Strategic objective 2 To improve the quality of Ruse-Giurgiu region's tourism products

Investment priority 2.1 Raising the interest in rural tourism investments Investment priority 2.2 Human resources development in the area of rural tourism

Investment priority 2.1 Raising the interest in rural tourism investments

The analysis in the above sections of this strategy points out that the tourist infrastructure in Ruse-Giurgiu region understood as accommodation facilities and their capacity, facilities providing opportunities for short rest, information points and the marking system for directions and sites, are not sufficient even according to the current extent of the demand. The problem could expand if the measures under Strategic Objective 1 “To increase the recognisability of the destination” are applied and the tourist flow to the region is increased, i.e. the success of some measures automatically incurs other problems due to the impossibility to respond to the demand and quality requirements.

Although the information by digital means, i.e. platforms, websites and social media, plays a more crucial role for directing tourists' interests, the tourist information centres have still been significantly contributing to consulting the tourists. However, these centres are totally insufficient, as well as the places for buying local products - souvenirs, food and beverages, clothes, jewellery.

In general, the region lags behind the average economic development both in Bulgaria and in Romania, and the identified problems in the tourist infrastructure are to a large extent a reflection of this fact.

In turning the direction of the current trend of lack of investment interest in the tourist infrastructure, public authorities on all levels play a crucial role by improving the road and information infrastructure through the provision of incentives to the investors.

The last but the fastest and most flexible with regards to their interest in the local tourist infrastructure are the small economic entities and the families - they must be sure that it makes sense to invest in rural tourism in the region and to offer accommodation and eating facilities, and other services. It is their economic activity that creates the authentic character of rural tourism, subject to the current strategic planning.

Last but not least, this investment priority also includes the promotion of creative industries which provide the experience looked for by the contemporary tourists. They provide tourists with the opportunity to develop their individual creative capabilities through active participation in trainings or events related to the local identity. Creative industries help the tourist to become a co-author with the local people in the creation of products. There is even a term “creative tourism” which is defined as a form and logical continuation of cultural tourism but with a wider scope and more in-debt cognitive effect18.

Creative industries are mobile, they can offer services everywhere, even in makeshift conditions, and typically need small investment in specialised infrastructure. On the one hand, they provide for the preservation of traditions and creation of jobs, and on the other hand - for the authenticity of the tourist experience. Last but not least, creative industries provide for part-time and permanent employment of the local population through specific jobs that cannot be created by any other economic sector.

18

“The role of creative industries in forming the identity of the tourist site”, 2018, Assistant Professor d-r Velina Kazandzhieva, Economic University, Varna

Integrating rural tourism that is based on cultural heritage with the creative industries provides for the establishment of a unique means of raising the competitiveness of Ruse-Giurgiu destination. Tourist services in the region bind directly with its identity, while the experience is more authentic and memorable. The achievement of this symbiosis requires, on the first place, the political will of the public authorities to introduce incentives for the creative industries and to bind their activities with local tourism objectives; special targeted actions of the business support organisations are required. The symbiosis also depends on the initiative of the economic entities which are basically microand small enterprises, as well as on their capability to work in a partnership.

Investment priority 2.2 Human resources development in the area of rural tourism Human resources capacity is a key quality assurance factor in tourism. Ruse-Giurgiu region demonstrates a permanent deficit of qualified employees in tourism, which is a direct consequence from the depopulation of the settlements and the ageing of the labour force.

The relevant institutions implementing tourism-related policies are short of staff, thus, the funding of their work cannot respond to the various activities that need to be carried out.

The skills for tourist processes management are unsatisfactory, and when we speak about integrated cross-border tourism, such skills are actually absent.

A key role in the area of cultural tourism is played by the regional museums.

However, the quoted document of the Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube� and the Constanta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Agriculture highlights that regional museums often do not have the necessary financial and human resources at hand to respond to the increasing needs of tourists for a more attractive, diverse and memorable presentation of culture and history. The limited number of employees in the museums needs ongoing improvement of their capacity to attract visitors.

The negative demographic trend has a substantial impact on rural tourism as a type of tourism which does not generate the necessary income to attract young and educated people. As a consequence, the tourist services quality gets poor and does not adequately meet the demand. The poor quality of the hotel and restaurant services which is connected with the lack of professional skills, limited communication skills due to various reasons, including lack of foreign languages knowledge, is repelling to the tourists and has a detrimental impact on the attractiveness of the destination. In a highly competitive environment of tourism supply, and in times, when information is easily and quickly spread via digital channels, worsening of the quality automatically results in a decrease of the tourist flow.

5.3 Measures, recommendations and stakeholders under the strategic objectives

5.3.1 Measures under Strategic objective 1 Strategic objective 1 To develop Ruse-Giurgiu region as a recognisable rural tourism destination

Investment priority 1.1 Destination specialisation Investment priority 1.2 Development and promotion of an integrated cross-border tourism product

Measures 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Development and ongoing implementation of awareness raising campaigns Establishment of Ruse-Giurgiu tourism brand Interactions with research institutions and universities Interactions with the tourism industry Development of specific routes starting from places with rural tourism Development of integrated cross-border routes Cooperation with existing routes Application of the Danube Strategy tools for attracting tourist interest to the region

1. campaigns

Development and ongoing implementation of awareness raising

The measure is targeted at both domestic (Bulgarian or Romanian) and external tourists, where it is important for the latter to have a common image of Ruse-Giurgiu destination created.

One of the steps to achieve this is to develop digital platforms with information on the local natural, cultural and historical heritage, as well as on the possibilities for rural tourism. Suitable approaches also include presentations at exhibitions and other events held in Bulgaria, Romania or other European countries, as well as in the social networks, websites and blogs.

This measure can be applied by the regional and local authorities, associations of municipalities, institutions implementing tourism-related policies, marketing companies.

2.

Establishment of Ruse-Giurgiu tourism brand

This measure requires targeted efforts of the regional and local authorities from both sides of the Danube, supported by experts and specialised agencies. The aim is to create a visual image of the region, which is associated by the potential visitors with positive connotations (preserved nature, unique experience, delicious food, hospitality, etc.). Regional brand requires proper management characterised by consistent and coordinated activities on all levels, long-term political commitment, regular monitoring, impact assessment and adjustment of activities. As the brand maintenance is not a single act but rather a long-term process, it also requires regular analysis of the tourism potential, incl. the changes of the facilities, infrastructure, human resources, as well as the new trends in tourism.

The measure can be applied by the local and regional public authorities with the participation of marketing agencies.

3.

Interactions with research institutions and universities The introduction of innovative approaches for the positioning of Ruse-Giurgiu destination as a place for rural tourism, based on the cultural heritage, requires closer business contacts between the institutions involved with the national and local tourismrelated policies, as well as with research/university centres which are to offer expertise in the filed of tourism marketing.

The partner research/university centres can offer innovative measures both for the promotion of the destination and its management, coordination, human resources development, etc.

The measure can be applied by the authorities implementing tourism-related policies, and by the research/university centres.

4.

Interactions with the tourism industry This measure is means attention towards the tourist agencies, which should be subject to regular special events (promotional tours). Tourist agencies are expected not only to serve as an information channel for the end-users and for attracting them to the region, but also to provide feedback on: the trends in tourism, the changing preferences and expectations of the tourists, the contemporary requirements to the tourism products, the impressive promotional forms, the best practices in other countries, etc.

The measure can be applied by the institutions operating in the area of tourism, private owners of accommodation and eating facilities, tourist agencies, as well as through attracting the regional media.

5.

Development of specific routes starting from places with rural tourism

Currently the starting points of the routes for visiting the cultural and historical heritage sites are located in the cities - in our case, Ruse or Giurgiu, which means that tourist are accommodated in the city hotels. This can justified with the more difficult organisation of visits for small groups, which have to be accommodated in different places, however, this leads to a further withdrawal from rural tourism. The routes under this measure should be considered in relation to the specificities of rural tourism, namely, the fact that tourist groups are to be collected from different villages (for example people who like fishing are accommodated in Ryahovo and Mechka) to be taken to the cultural and historical sites in the region (e.g. for pilgrimage tourism to the monasteries in Comana and “St Marina� monastery in Karan Varbovka), and then returned to the village communities.

The measure can be applied by the tourist agencies with the participation of the private owners of accommodation and eating facilities.

6.

Development of integrated cross-border routes Integrated routes include sites in both countries within one visit. In practice, this means tourists will be accommodated either in Bulgaria or Romania and visit cultural heritage sites in both countries.

As the distance between the sites is short, integrated 1-day routes are completely feasible.

They can be thematic and combined with other forms of tourism, e.g. rural tourism can be combined with hobby/fishing tourism. It in turn, can be combined with ecotourism accommodation in rural community and biking tours or trekking in the neighbouring country.

Another possible option is to combine rural tourism in one of the countries with wine tastings in the other. The last but no least, it is also possible to combine rural tourism with visits to the city sights in Ruse and Giurgiu.

During the development of this strategy, there have been only few tourist options which include sites both in Bulgaria and Romania, and none of them includes rural tourism.

The measure can be applied by a public-private partnership, where the authorities have the political will and take action for the development of cross-border tourism (e.g. measure to shorten the time for crossing the Danube Bridge), however, its implementation is related to the activities of the tourist agencies with the involvement of the private hotel and restaurant owners.

7.

Cooperation with existing routes

Positioning rural tourism in Ruse-Giurgiu region among existing, i.e. recognisable and familiar to a wide audience routes, contributes to the faster promotion of the destination. The best way to achieve this is through the “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe� Programme - for almost 40 years it has been certifying routes, each of which crossing the territory of three countries.

Currently, there are three routes crossing the territory of Bulgaria, and seven routes crossing the territory of Romania. The common cultural routes crossing both countries are: Iter Vitis Route, ATRIUM - Architecture of the Totalitarian Regimes of the 20th century, Roman Emperors and Danure Wine Route. The recognition of Ruse-Giurgiu region as a part of these cultural routes means its enrolment in a single brand, which is connected with positive attitudes. In practice, this means promoting Ruse-Giurgiu region (and in particular, the opportunities for rural tourism) through strong marketing tools that have already been developed for the purposes of cultural routes certification.

Cooperation with existing routes is also a way to combine rural tourism with other types of tourism - hobby tourism, wine tourism, pilgrimage tourism, etc.

The measure can be implemented by public authorities on different levels and cultural institutes.

8. the region

Application of the Danube Strategy tools for attracting tourist interest to

The Priority Area 3 of EUSDR "To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts" provides for tools through which the region can benefit to promote its tourism

opportunities. This can be achieved through the coordinated efforts of the stakeholders in Bulgaria and Romania with other authorities and organisations from the countries in the Danube river basin.

The new objectives of the priority area which are related to this strategic objective are: establishing the Danube region as an important European destination and further development and reinforcement of the Danube brand for the entire Danube region; establishing the Danube river as a transnational cultural and natural route for travelling; creation of a ‘Blue Book’ on Danube cultural identity; ensuring the sustainable preservation and contemporary interpretation of the cultural heritage and natural values.

5.3.2 Measures under Strategic objective 2 Strategic objective 2 To improve the quality of Ruse-Giurgiu region's tourism products

Investment priority 2.1 Raising the interest in rural tourism investments Investment priority 2.2 Human resources development in the area of rural tourism

Measures 1. Opening of accommodation and eating facilities in the villages 2. Development of new tourism products through preserved traditions and

customs 3. Development of creative industries 4. Establishment of a regional tourism cluster 5.

6.

7.

8.

Exchange of experience in rural tourism

Partnerships with educational institutions Improvement of the road infrastructure in the region

Promotion of sustainable mobility activities in the region 9. Improvement of the provision of information in the area of tourism 10. Application of the Danube Strategy tools for raising the tourism products quality

1.

Opening of accommodation and eating facilities in the villages

Opening of new accommodation and eating facilities that comply with the contemporary standards, as well as the ongoing renovation of the existing facilities, is mainly subject to private entrepreneurs' initiative, and namely, families' initiative.

Currently, only a small number of them undertake such activities due to the low income from rural tourism, which is rather complementary than a main source of income to the family-owned businesses. The encouragement of their efforts requires the implementation of measures such as: tax incentives related to personnel recruitment; easy access to cash

flow; provision of permanent methodological and technical support to the businesses (mentoring, information, a booking system, etc.).

It should be provided for special action of the public authorities which promotes youth entrepreneurship in the area of rural tourism.

In certain cases accommodation facilities could be established by means of publicprivate partnerships - a good example of this is the Tourist Information Centre combined with a recreational facility in the protected area “Kalimok-Brashlen”, built by the Local Fishermen Action Group “Glavinitsa-Tutrakan-Slivo Pole”.

The measure can be implemented by private entrepreneurs with the financial and technical support of the public authorities and business support organisations.

2.

Development of new tourism products through preserved traditions and

customs This measure relates, first of all, to actions of long-term nature targeted at the preservation of local identity, that have to be mentioned here, although they are not subject of this strategy - study of the traditions, understanding of their modern interpretation and/or the contemporary way of their presentation to the audience, creation of non-traditional scenes, attraction of new audience, support to the amateur groups and the activities of the local cultural centres.

The measure requires ongoing financial, methodological and technical support to the local community centres, cultural performance groups and events that promote the preserved traditions and customs. There is a need of new activities that would guarantee a more active exchange between the amateur and professional creative groups, as well as between the Bulgarian and Romanian cultural institutes.

The measure specifically relates to the organisation of tourist visits to local events, festivals and exhibitions included in the folklore and religious calendar of events, and the specific feasts (typically connected with the cycle of nature and the harvest). The measure results from the global trends in the area of tourism and experience, as identified in the sections above - it is already not enough to visit a certain site, but rather to actively participate in an event. It is also necessary for the local events to be included in a wider network of cultural events, e.g. of the countries within the Danube basin.

In order to provide for the implementation of the measure, the forms of cultural heritage and identity have to be registered by being observed and studied, as well as documented for exchange purposes. Rural tourism development cannot be implemented without a valorisation process, where the cultural practices and the knowledge that have been passed on the generations, are recognised as values by a wider community. Considering this, it is necessary to establish and maintain permanent contacts between the local stakeholders (family-owned companies, cultural centres, mayor's offices) and the cultural and research centres - museums, universities, and protected areas' administrations.

The measure can be applied by any public-private partnership, where the authorities have a political will and take action (by supporting the preservation of local

traditions), while the implementation is related to the activities of the tourist agencies, creative groups, cultural institutes, private owners of accommodation and eating facilities, NGOs operating in the area of culture.

3.

Development of creative industries

The participation of creative industries in local tourism development is still desirable.

It is necessary to understand creative industry's contribution to the local identity and the provision of authentic tourist experience. Actions are needed to collect, classify and disclose information, e.g. mapping of local creative industries and promotion of their products.

Positive effect will be achieved by the introduction of preferences for the cultural industries, which contribute to the development of local tourism and result in lower costs for premises, transport, raw materials and/or recruitment of personnel. There is a need of support for networking activities, as well as for synchronisation and complementarity, however, it is essential for the Ruse-Giurgiu region networking activities to be carried out in a cross-border context.

The proactive policy of public authorities on all levels plays an essential role for the application of this measure. Promoting the contacts and partnerships among the economic entities in tourism and creative industry operators falls within the scope of activities of the chambers of commerce and industry and business support organisations.

4.

Establishment of a regional tourism cluster

The measure requires that political authorities and economic entities from both sides of the Danube demonstrate a sense of belonging to the same community with a common interest in the development of local economy, namely, tourism.

The implementation of the measure depends fully on the active role of the authorities which apply policies, as well as on the chambers of commerce and business support organisations' initiative.

5.

Exchange of experience in rural tourism

This measure can be viewed as a sub-measure of the previous one, as it requires active exchange of information between the entities involved in the development of tourism sector in Ruse-Giurgiu region. The measure includes distribution of brochures, setting up groups in the social media, actual exchange of groups to study the experience of tourism sector in the neighbouring country or joint trips to other destinations.

Moreover, the active exchange of information and experience is a prerequisite for the implementation of integrated tourist routes in Ruse-Giurgiu region.

The implementation of the measure depends fully on the role of the authorities which apply policies, as well as on the chambers of commerce and business support organisations' initiative.

6.

Partnerships with educational institutions

This measure requires the establishment of business relationships between the institutions which apply tourism-related policies, and educational institutions (universities, vocational school, vocational education centres), in order to implement programmes targeted at acquiring vocational skills and knowledge of the people employed in tourism sector. The programmes should be both comprehensive and increasing the knowledge in the historical and natural heritage of the region, as well as industry-specific with regards to the hospitality and animation.

Special emphasis should be put on the language competences, as due to the specific character of the cross-border region, it is essential to have Romanian language studied in Bulgaria and vice versa.

The aims of the integrated cross-border tourism put even higher requirements to the professional capacity of the people who are employed in the sector, e.g. it is not enough for the Bulgarian guide to be aware of the cultural and historical heritage only of the Bulgarian region, he/she should have the same knowledge for the Romanian heritage as well. Therefore, it is important to apply common educational programmes for the people employed in tourism sector on both sides of the Danube - language skills, communication with the visitors, hotel services, safety measures, environmental management of the accommodation and eating facilities, cooking skills, animation skills, etc.

The application of the measure should include regular review of the training needs, so that the programmes achieve the intended effect for acquiring adequate knowledge and skills. It is mandatory to have innovative forms applied, corresponding to the employment rate, age and general level of education, e.g. distance learning.

The measure can be implemented by the public authorities, educational institutions and business support organisations.

7.

Improvement of the road infrastructure in the region

The analysis shows the necessity of investments to improve the quality of the road network - both republican and local roads - which is used to reach to the selected villages in Ruse-Giurgiu region.

The measure can be implemented both by the national (national road infrastructure agencies) and regional public authorities.

8.

Promotion of sustainable mobility activities in the region

During the development of this strategy nearly nobody used public transport (bus, train) to reach to the village communities in Ruse-Giurgiu region, i.e. nearly 100% of the tourists visit the region by car, thus, increasing the risk for the ecological balance.

This issue has two essential aspects: 1) well-established habits to move by car; 2) lack of good enough options to move by public transport (convenient time-schedules, quickness, accessible information). Initial steps with regards to the first issue have already been undertaken aimed at the transformation of attitudes: implementation of a number of

awareness raising activities on the concept of sustainable tourism, establishment of Ruse region tourist destination (covering the territories of Svishtov, Ruse, Tutrakan and Silistra) within the destinations network on 9 Danube countries “Danube Pearls”, which has also adopted its own sustainable mobility management plan, and training of the information centre's staff. There should be ongoing efforts in this direction focused on the potential tourists of different ages, however, a priority should be given to the young people.

The second aspect requires incentives for the provision of convenient timeschedules of the pubic transport to be used by the tourists to reach to the villages in the region. Although insufficient, this has been done to a certain extent within each country. It is more complex to make cross-border travelling possible through sustainable means of transport, however, this can be achieved by more cross-border bus lines and the promotion of river transport between Ruse and Giurgiu. So far, the attempts for sustainable crossborder mobility have either lasted for a very short period or remained only as intentions for example, a common bus line Ruse-Giurgiu or a common train line (one of the key conceptual projects in the master plan of Ruse-Giurgiu Euroregion).

The ultimate aim is the coordination of the means of transport and the intermodality, which should allow the tourists go on the other side of the river by combining different means of transport, escaping long waiting periods.

The measure can be implemented by the public authorities and all NGOs, and/or educational institutions dealing with environmental issues and mobility problems.

9.

Improvement of the provision of information in the area of tourism

This measure is a part of a range of initiatives providing for the increased tourism products quality. It does not fall within the scope of the measures targeted at the recognisability of the destination, as the measure relates to the services for tourist who have already been attracted by the region. The measure requires a number of interrelated activities: •

•

•

expansion of the tourist information centres network, incl. through small information points established in other sites (e.g. in the accommodation facilities) with available premises and staff (public-private partnership) or though co-centres operating in certain days and hours; development (printing) of information materials for the sights in the region in both Romanian and Bulgarian languages. The information materials will be distributed by the tourist information centres, accommodation and eating facilities, shops, transport operators; the tourist information centres should have materials also for the tourist sights at the opposite side of the river, which requires ongoing exchange of information between the information centres.

The measure can be implemented by the local public authorities (managing the tourist information centres) and the private entrepreneurs in tourism.

10. quality

Application of the Danube Strategy tools for raising the tourism products

The new objectives of the Priority Area 3 of EUSDR "To promote culture and tourism, people to people contacts" offer tools for the improvement of tourism products quality: to promote the innovative forms of tourism and culture developed by the SMEs and public-private partnerships; to develop sustainable forms of tourism, including green tourism products and sustainable mobility solutions in the Danube region; to promote qualified labour force, education and skills development in the area of tourism and culture in order to create sustainable jobs in the region; to provide sustainable storage and contemporary interpretation of cultural and natural heritage.

The measure can be implemented by the public authorities on all levels and the business support organisations.

5.4 Consistency with the objectives and priorities of other strategic and programming documents for the region The objectives and priorities of this strategy for Ruse-Giurgiu region have been harmonised with a number of other strategic and programming documents applicable to the Danube region as whole, separately for Bulgaria and Romania, the cross-border region between the countries, and namely - Ruse-Giurgiu region.

Some of these are listed below, however, the list is not exhaustive: European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) Boosting international tourism in Europe. European Commission communication (COM(2010) 352 final): Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination — a new political framework for tourism in Europe Strategy on Sustainable Tourism Development in Bulgaria for the period 2014-2030 Action Plan for the period 2017-2020 to the updated National Strategy on Sustainable Tourism Development in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2030.

Concept for tourism zoning in Bulgaria Assessment Criteria for National Tourism Development Strategies - Romania Romania National Tourism Master Plan 2007 – 2026 Common strategy for sustainable territorial development of the cross-border area Romania-Bulgaria (under an international project with the participation of the Business Support Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises - Ruse) ERGO master plan of Euroregion Ruse-Giurgiu – operational solutions and masterplanning for integrated management of the development opportunities (under a project of Ruse and Giurgiu municipalities).

Investment Profile of Euroregion Ruse-Giurgiu (under a project of Ruse and Giurgiu municipalities).

Strategy for Development, Enhancement and Innovation of an Integrated Cultural Heritage Tourism Product: Route "Roman Frontier Within the Cross-border Region RomaniaBulgaria" (under a project of the Association of Danube River Municipalities “”Danube” and the Constanta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Agriculture) Integrated Marketing and Promotion Startegy of a Joint Cultural and Historical Product: Route "Roman Frontier Within the Cross-border Region Romania-Bulgaria" (under a project of the Association of Danube River Municipalities “Danube” and the Constanta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Agriculture) Transdanube.Pearls - Network for Sustainable Mobility along the Danube.

Sustainable regional tourism and mobility plan of Ruse Region (under the project “Transdanube.Pearls” with the participation of Club "Sustainable Development of Civil Society" as a Bulgarian partner)

A common policy for preservation, development and use of the fishing communities heritage (under the “Memofish” project of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with NGO „Paralel – Silistra“, Ruse Regional Museum of History the author of the document, Acces Association – Calarasi and Fishing Local Action Group Association “Dunarea Calaraseana”) “Culture matters - cross-border cooperation for cultural heritage management” (under the “Memofish” project of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with NGO „Paralel – Silistra - the author of the document“, Ruse Regional Museum of History, Acces Association – Calarasi and Fishing Local Action Group Association “Dunarea Calaraseana”)

6. A common road map for rural tourism development in Ruse-Giurgiu region.

Recommendations and responsibilities MAIN OBJECTIVE: Maintaining a sustainable rural tourism in Giurgiu-Ruse region through its cultural heritage and ethos

Strategic objective 1 To develop Ruse-Giurgiu region as a recognisable rural tourism destination

Investment priorities

Measures

Stakeholders

Implementation period Short-term plan 2019-2020

Investment priority 1.1 Destination specialisation

Investment priority 1.2 Development and promotion of an integrated crossborder tourism product

Development and ongoing implementation of awareness raising campaigns

Long-term plan 2019-2022

ď ?

Regional and local public authorities Associations of municipalities Public and private institutions in the area of tourism

Recommendations

It is necessary to have the activities from both sides of the Danube coordinated, which could be achieved by a common cross-border consultative tourism council on a regional level

Marketing agencies Establishment of RuseGiurgiu tourism brand

Regional and local public authorities Marketing agencies

ď ?

It is recommended that the authorities work both with local and foreign marketing agencies

Interactions with research institutions and universities

National and regional public authorities

Interactions with the tourism industry

Public and private institutions in the area of tourism



Universities should take part as partners in policy making and tools design processes



The initiative stays primarily with the public institutions, which should attract the private entities

Research centres

Tourist agencies Regional media Development of specific routes starting from places with rural tourism

Tourist agencies

Development of integrated cross-border routes

Regional and local public authorities



It is recommended for the routes to fully comply with the specificities of rural tourism



The first integrated routes could be subsidised (e.g. under projects) in order to have their potential highlighted



Coordination between the stakeholders is required



Strong transnational partnerships are necessary

Owners of accommodation and eating facilities

Tourist agencies Owners of accommodation and eating facilities

Cooperation with existing routes

Regional and local public authorities Cultural institutes

Application of the Danube Strategy tools for attracting tourist interest to the region

National, regional, local authorities Organisations operating in the area of tourism

and/or business support organisations Stretegic objective 2 To improve the quality of Ruse-Giurgiu region's tourism products Investment priorities

Measures

Stakeholders

Implementation period Short-term plan 2019-2020

Investment priority 2.1 Raising the interest in rural tourism investments

Opening of accommodation and eating facilities in the villages

Private entrepreneurs

Development of new tourism products through preserved traditions and customs

Creative industries

Human resources development in the area of rural tourism

Long-term plan 2019-2022



Special actions for promotion by the public authorities and business support organisations are required



Although the initiative is mainly of the private entities, it is also necessary for the public authorities to undertake incentive actions

Owners of accommodation and eating facilities Cultural institutes

Investment priority 2.2

Recommendations

NGOs in the area of culture Development of creative industries

Small and medium-sized enterprises



Targeted policy of public authorities on all levels, as well as the activity of the business support organisations, are essential

Establishment of a regional tourism cluster

Regional and local public authorities



Coordination of authorities' actions is required

Chambers of commerce and industry and other business support organisations Exchange of experience in Regional and local rural tourism public authorities



It is recommended for the authorities to launch an exchange of experience process, which should be further coordinated by the business support organisations

Chambers of commerce and industry and other business support organisations Partnerships with educational institutions

Regional and local public authorities



It is advisable all educationrelated initiatives to be preceded by a regular needs assessment



Investments in the quality of the road network are required

Chambers of commerce and industry and other business support organisations Educational institutions Improvement of the road infrastructure in the region

Public authorities

Promotion of sustainable mobility activities in the region

Public authorities Institutions in the area of mobility and environment Other NGOs



Coordination of public institutions' actions is required

Improvement of the provision of information in the area of tourism

Local public authorities

Application of the Danube Strategy tools for raising the tourism products quality

National, regional, local authorities

ď ?

It is advisable to elaborate a time-table of successive actions, agreed by the public institutions of both countries

Private entrepreneurs in tourism

ď ?

Strong transnational partnerships are necessary

Organisations operating in the area of tourism and/or business support organisations

*Note: The short-term plan only marks the beginning of the included measures. Their implementation is not restricted within a one-year period.