Description
Description (EN): Tourism is closely linked to the environment. The natural environment and climate conditions are very important in determining the viability and attractiveness of a region as a tourist destination. Tourist developments tend to be based near attractive or unique features of the environment, enabling visitors to gain easier access to interesting natural or man-made environments. In recent years, the focus has shifted toward the part that tourism can play in reducing environmental pollution and demands on resource use.A 2013 TripAdvisor.com survey of 1,300 targeted U.S. travelers shows that nearly two-thirds “often” or “always” consider the environment when choosing hotels, transportation and meals.
The Travel Foundation and Forum for the Future from 2012 concluded that today’s consumers expect travel companies to build sustainability into their product offer, a majority of 70% believing that all tourism related stakeholders should be commited to preserving the natural environment, while 75% of consumers want a more responsible holiday and 66% would like to identify a ‘greener’ holiday easily.
Tourists are demanding the greening of tourism. More than a third of travellers are found to favor environmentally-friendly tourism and be willing to pay between 2 and 40% more for this experience. Traditional mass tourism has reached a stage of steady growth. In contrast, ecotourism, nature, heritage, cultural and “soft adventure” tourism are taking the lead and are predicted to grow rapidly over the next two decades. It is estimated that global spending on ecotourism is increasing at a higher rate than the industry-wide average growth.
To match these expectations, and seeing that ‘green’ credentials become increasingly important as environmental issues move to the forefront of customers’ minds, in the framework of a 2017 declared by the United Nations the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development”, Baneasa town hall, Agigea commune hall, Shabla municipality and Berkovitsa municipality, as representatives of four different natural protected areas with the greatest potential for sustainable tourism as much as it can be, decided to unify and initiate JOYRIDE project.
Constanta County is renowned for its outstanding natural landscapes with 26 natural reserves, of which neither more nor less than seven are located within the area of Baneasa town: Bugeac and Oltina Lakes – zoological and botanical natural reservations, forests: Girl`s Canaraua, Esechioi, Cetate, Bratca - botanical and faunistic natural reservations, Limestone walls – geological natural reservation. Coastal dunes of Agigea represent a floristic reserve, the only one sandy dunes from the Romanian coastline, a remarkable natural work of art, along the natural protected area Agigea Lake with its zoological reservation. In the same time, at some 3 km from Shabla there is the Shabla Lake, declared a protected area in 1979, two natural coastal lakes in Shabla and Ezerets being connected by an artificial canal, both separated from the sea by a strip of sand, 30-50 m wide, together with Durankulak Lake creating the most significant wetlands in Bulgaria. Gornata Koria reserve along with three different protected sites such as Samarite, Shabovitsa and Uruchnik make Berkovitsa area a distinct one in the entire Bulgarian landscape.
JOYRIDE project addresses the challenge established for both sides of the border districts, that is the protection of exposing natural areas to high risks presumed by intensive tourism and any other economic activities, on the background of a financial pressure and lack of natural resources management.
With an indicative budget 490.000 €, JOYRIDE`s overall objective is sustainable tourism development through optimal use of environmental resources, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural resources, biodiversity becoming by itself the foundation for economic development and social welfare of the local communities.
Project partners of the JOYRIDE initiative, enlist their communities in the international trend according to which sustainable tourism and sustainable tourism investments can help create job opportunities, especially for poorer segments of the population, allowing for quick entry into the workforce especially for youth and women. On the background of a nature-based tourism, protecting and expanding the possibilities for the future, by the proximity to nature and through a rational use of tourist resources, the changes expected by implementing JOYRIDE project, target, on the one hand, the expanding of the interest for the knowledge of nature and application of ecological thinking, and on the other hand increasing of the level of the people working in tourism and maximizing of the proportion of tourism spending that is retained in local communities through promoting a “buy local” movement.
JOYRIDE will ensure the achievement of Programme`s PA2 both output indicators, by delivering an integrated Tourism Network providing services for more than 70.000 inhabitants just within the partner areas, and by setting up Network`s Common Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Marketing Plans with their respective Action Plan for each project partner area.
The achievement of JOYRIDE`s objectives will be approached through an integrated vision, beginning with the assessment of the sustainable tourism potential of every project partner`s area, going forward with unifying in a working network the Tourist Info-Centers from project`s areas and delivering a common Tourism Strategy of the Network, continuing with the engagement of local tourism economic agents into eco-tourism and quality certification and enrolling tourism journalists, bloggers and tour operators into discovering the cross-border nature`s unique landscapes, proceeding with the uncovering of new tourist trails and bringing back to life of old ones by their development, and succeeding by promoting the cohabitation between men and nature. JOYRIDE project`s cross-border accomplishment is demanded by the fact that the same biodiversity shapes the partner areas, tourism initiative having positive or negative impacts on both sides of the borders, depending on how it is planned, developed and managed.
By implementing JOYRIDE initiative, project partners will create a Tourist Info Network (TIN) through connecting in a single working system all four existing and functioning Tourist Info Centers from Baneasa town, Agigea commune, Shabla and Berkovitsa municipalities, covering an area of 2066 km² and 70800 inhabitants. The establishment of a Tourism-Information Network as a set of multipurpose marketing, information and advice system established across different destinations could provide easier access to tourism and tourism related services, as well as to local communities` customs.
Read more Achievements (EN): The project has been finalized on 13.03.2020.
The following results have been achieved:
1. 8 press conferences organized:
- on 12.03.2019 in Baneasa (20 participants);
- on 20.09.2019 in Baneasa (20 participants);
- on 07.02.2020 in Shabla (21 participants);
- on 14.02.2020 in Agigea (20 participants);
- on 21.02.2020 in Berkovitsa (30 participants);
- on 25.02.2020 in Baneasa (21 participants);
- on 27.02.2020 in Shabla (15 participants);
- on 09.03.2020 in Berkovitsa (28 participants).
2. Common Assessment of the sustainable tourism potential completed on 28.06.2019 and translated in Bulgarian and English language.
3. Strategy for sustainable tourism completed on 10.12.2019, as well as the Marketing Plans completed on 23.01.2020. Both documents were translated in Bulgarian and English language.
4. 3 study visits were organized:
- in the period 17-21.12.2018 in Agigea&Baneasa, 17 participants;
- in the period 22-24.01.2019 in Berkovitsa, 21 participants;
- in the period 29-31.01.2019 in Shabla, 19 participants.
5. JOYRIDE Network created. The Cooperation Agreement was signed by the legal representatives of all PP and the coordinators of Tourist Information Centers on 12.03.2019. Also, in the same day it was signed the Cooperation Agreement of the Technical Secretariat of the JOYRIDE Network Project.
6. 13 Tourist Trails completed and accepted by the project beneficiaries:
- 3 tourist trails - LB: Touristic trail from Baneasa area and Canaraua Fetii forest and natural reservation landscapes to St. Apostol Andrei cave and Monastery and Tropaeum Traiani monument and fortress; touristic trail from Baneasa natural reservation area, towards lake Oltina and Bratca forest mixt reservations areas and leading to lake Bugeac and Esechioi mixt natural reservations; Enogastronomic tourist trails connecting the vineyards from Baneasa, Ostrov, Oltina, Aliman areas;
- 3 tourist trails - B2: natural landscapes in the Marine dunes with their protected botanical areas; tourist trail connecting Agigea and Cumpana communes and the marble Roman Sundial in an ancient Roman rural area; tourist trails around the Agigea lake zoological reservation;
- 4 tourist trails - B3: natural areas around protected “Durankulak lake” and archaeological sites on the big island; natural areas around protected “Shabla lake” with historical data and legends; natural areas, historical data and legends around Shabla tuzla, history of the lighthouse and fortress Karia; natural areas, underwater archaeology and the legend of pirates around the village of Tyulenovo;
- 3 tourist trails - B4: Mountain route – touristic trail starting from Tourist Info Center, leading to peak “Kom”, passing through a deviation for “Blue pool”; mountain route – touristic trail, starting from Tourist Info Center, leading to “Haidushki waterfalls”; touristic trail, starting from Tourist Info Center, passing through house-museum “Ivan Vazov”, leading to “Kale fortress”.
7. 2 Eco-Ranger Camps organized: in Agigea&Baneasa in the period 17-20.11.2019 and in Berkovitsa in the period 26-29.11.2019. Eco-Ranger Forum in Shabla organized in the period 09-11.12.2019.
8. Instructive workshop regarding certification ISO14001–environment management organized by all project beneficiaries:
- LB: 13-14.02.2020 in Baneasa, 20 participants;
- B2 – 07.02.2020 and 10.02.2020 in Agigea, 20 participants;
- B3 – 06.02.2020 in Shabla, 12 participants;
- B4 – 27.02.2020 in Berkovitsa, 9 participants.
9. Instructive workshop regarding certification in eco-tourism organized by all project beneficiaries:
- LB: 11-12.02.2020 in Baneasa, 20 participants;
- B2 – 05-06.02.2020 in Agigea, 20 participants;
- B3 – 07.02.2020 in Shabla, 12 participants;
- B4 – 27.02.2020 in Berkovitsa, 9 participants.
10. JOYRIDE Tourist Guidebook completed by LB, being developed and translated in English and Bulgarian language and distributed among project beneficiaries.
11. Tourist Map completed by the LB and translated in English and Bulgarian language and distributed among project beneficiaries (including electronic map on CD).
12. Web page www.baneasa-joyride.ro created, as well as social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/Baneasa-Joyride-100373714910913/?modal=admin_todo_tour
https://twitter.com/BaneasaJ
https://www.instagram.com/baneasajoyride/
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Website: https://interregrobg.eu
Expected Results (EN): R2.1 - Number of tourist overnights in the CBC region
Expected Outputs (EN): Romania welcomed 8.4 million international arrivals in 2014, an increase of 5.3% on 2013. Of these, 1.9 million international visitors stayed overnight in commercial accommodation (up 11.5% on 2013), recording a total of 3.8 million overnights (up 8.4%). Bulgaria welcomed a total of 7.3 million international tourists (excluding transit passengers) in 2014, an increase of 6% over the previous year. Other European Union countries are the most important source markets for Bulgaria, with a share of 60.6 % in 2014, with Greece, Romania and Germany among the main countries of origin.
All project partner area benefit of lodging accommodations that are in accordance with the texture and spirit of a location surrounded by natural landscapes such as forests, lakes, caves, and nature reserves : small buildings using nature friendly construction materials, opting for nature friendly utilities, trying to integrate within the nature, and not disconnecting nature`s path.
The purpose of JOYRIDE project is to develop a cross-border sustainable tourism network, but only having a balanced increase of overnight tourists, without putting any pressure on the environment and permitting a mushrooming of hotels and restaurants just outside of the nature reserve`s boundaries.
JOYRIDE`s link to the programme`s result indicator “Number of tourists overnights in the CBC region”, is given by the fact that the project targets the development of tourism, as sustainable tourism, but planning it in full respect of the natural heritage surroundings. For JOYRIDE project and its promoters, any development of sustainable tourism can and will be delivered only drafting Strategies regarding the protection of the natural environment together with Development and Promotion of tourism.
Both Romania and Bulgaria have the same average share of population taking part in tourism trips for personal purposes of 27%, about the same number of bed places (around 320.000) and the number of nights spent by residents and non-residents in tourist accommodation establishments is also roughy the same (22 million).
Tourism development in rich natural areas with forests, lakes, caves, wetlands, can have important implications for their protection. On the one hand, tourism has the potential to bring about economic benefits that support nature conservation and the local/national economy, but on the other, uncontrolled and poorly managed tourism can have severe consequences for the nature’s integrity, as well as having social and cultural impacts.
JOYRIDE project partners are aware, that in order to develop a successful and sustainable tourism in their areas, there is a common need for: effective tourism planning within and outside their locations; good public administration of tourism that considers the natural heritage, in the context of a destination; involvement and participation of stakeholders and especially collaboration between the public sector, private sector and local communities in relation to planning for sustainable tourism; effective and innovative networking and communication tools that add value to their areas.
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