CHIRON – Cultural Heritage promotion for Identity of Regions: Observatory and Networking for Cultural Tourism

5D033

Social and Cultural Council of Prefecture of Magnesia (EKPOL)
Antonopoulou 181
38221 Volos
Greece

Mr. Dimitrios Apostolou
Tel.:	+3024210719501
Fax:	+3024210719501
Email:	ekpol@hol.gr

3 - Landscape. natural and cultural heritage
3.1 - Cultural heritage

(See here for a priorities and measures overview)

4th Call

Recently cultural tourism has become a promising economic factor and a growing sector of the tourism industry. Destinations with a cultural tourism potential might profit from enhancing the tourism infrastructure in various ways: Cultural tourism contributes to shaping regional identities, it strengthens local economies and it has a positive influence on employment opportunities. All partner regions of the CHIRON project from Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria and Ukraine have a rich cultural heritage and a cultural tourism potential which need further development, promotion and marketing. Moreover, the institutions and infrastructure of the project areas need enhancement to facilitate cultural tourism. Here in particular transnational co-operation and networking which mobilises, links and co-ordinates relevant stakeholders would be helpful.

By protecting and preserving cultural heritage assets and improving tourism services more visitors would be attracted to the areas. In addition, the tourism period should be extended. Based on a common transnational approach the cultural tourism potential of the regional and urban areas involved in the project should be developed and pilot demonstrations on protection and preservation of cultural heritage will be implemented. The project’s main general aims and effects are: - Protection and preservation of cultural heritage assets, - Attraction of more tourists to the areas and extension of the tourism period, - Creation of employment opportunities in the field of cultural tourism, - Improvement to the product “tourism” by combining traditional and alternative forms of tourism, - Identification and assessment of cultural heritage assets, - Preservation, protection and restoration of cultural heritage, - Development and implementation of promotion and location marketing strategies, - Preparation of a strategic spatial plan for the development and promotion of cultural tourism, - Establishment and operation of visitor information centres, - Signing of cultural heritage assets and attractions, - Exchange of experience and networking, development and application of common methodologies, - Participation in tourism exhibitions, - Press and media events; involvement of stakeholders, - Dissemination, publicity and legacy in the form of a permanent network and observatory.

Total budget (EUR):	1.480.760,00 EUR
ERDF:	960.570,00 EUR

Start:	03/2006
End:	08/2008

• Social and Cultural Council of Prefecture of Magnesia (EKPOL) , Volos, Greece
• Municipal Enterprise for Projects, Planning and Development of Municipality of Agria, Agria, Greece
• Local Government of Szentgotthard, Szentgotthárd, Hungary
• Self-Governing Association for the Regional Development of Szentgotthárd and Its?????, Szentgotthárd, Hungary
• Považské múzeum v Žiline , Žilina, Slovakia
• Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego S.A., Bielsko-Biala, Poland
• Association “Tourism, Enterprise and Local Development Centre” in Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biala, Poland
• DKm-Consulting GmbH, Sassnitz, Germany
• Bulgarian Association of Tourism Development Funds, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Carpathian Tourist Board, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine