Client: PAN Parks
Foundation through the Rila National Park Directorate
Project duration and location - The project covered
all twelve (12) municipalities surrounding the territory of the Rila National
Park – Belitsa, Belovo, Blagoevgrad, Dolna Banya, Dupnitsa, Kostenets,
Razlog, Rila, Samokov, Sapareva Banya, Simitli and Yakoruda.
Project objectives
To provide
for economic development of the municipalities around Rila National Park,
and to create opportunities for employment and increase the income of
the local people;
To increase
public awareness and local community’s interest in sustainable tourism
development;
To develop
eco-tourism initiatives around the park as a means to provide for natural
resource protection and “wise use” as an alternative of the
unsustainable use of nature.
Project main activities:
Study, summarize
and analyze the existing natural, cultural, historic and human resources
for sustainable tourism development around the Rila National Park as well
as the sustainable tourism practices and experience with the help of all
local stakeholders (hotel management, guides, specialized tourism services
providers, etc.);
Conduct a
wide-reaching information and public awareness raising campaign in all
municipalities around the park and at a national level;
Develop a
Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy (STDS) in consensus with all
stakeholders and a five year action plan to implement this strategy;
Form a Local
PAN Parks group of business partners of Rila National Park as well
as a “modus operandi” for its operation;
Undertake
the implementation of the STDS by:
- Providing basic training and one-on-one consultations
to entrepreneurs from municipalities around the park in support of implementation
of sustainable tourism practices;
- Creating models/examples to be followed.
Develop a
standard and documentation for assessment and certification of tourist
services and providers around Rila NP. It is based on the national requirements
and the principals and criteria of the PAN Parks Foundation;
Selection
of the first services and business partners
(eco-tourism services providers), conduct assessments and coordinate their
certification with PAN Parks Foundation.
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