MALA BARKA

Project summary

Specific cross-border objectives were: developing and promoting a recognizable tourist product based on the maritime heritage; ensuring a clear recognizability of the tourist product (product branding); developing a network of experts in the border region (destination management and center of excellence); developing a mutual center of excellence and ensuring its sustainability, as well as enabling the spread of the model to remaining cross-border areas; upgrading and enriching existing tourist manifestations; ensuring an continuous protection of cultural and historical material and non-material maritime heritage, with the equipment of the interpretation center; promotion of the material and non-material culture in the border region related to maritime affairs (ships, traditional crafts, customs, traditional food, drinks etc.); strengthening of human resources for the development of a new tourist product based on the maritime heritage. Identity (brand) of cross-border area in the sense of a unique tourist offer was created through mutual activities. Activities were focused on development and promotion of the tourist offer, which connected complementary tourist products on both sides of the border. This resulted in the tourist using the products irregardless of the state borders. Integral cross-border tourist products connected the tourist contents and increased economic, social and cultural cross-border exchange. Tourist subjects promoted two cross-border regions as one integral cross-border destination, by promoting similarities of these regions and complementarity of an mutual tourist offer. Added cross-border value was manifested in the cross-border exchange of experience, knowledge, practice, people and capital. Mutual activities contributed to improvement of mutual policy coordination, which concern economic, environmental and social tourist impacts, resulting in better management of natural, cultural and other resources. Outputs of the project were: the database of maritime, historical and cultural heritage; the study: „Analysis of similar tourist products in the world“; the study: „Traditional vessels in the frontier region and non-material heritage“; a center of excellence and a memorandum of foundation; 4 education workshops about the center of excellence; 3 tourist manifestation plans; 3 promotion centers and foundation memorandums; 4 education workshops about the promotion center; monography; 15 articles about the tourist product in specialized papers; 2 interpretation centers; 30 thematic manifestations; evaluation of the implemented tourist product; internal project promotion plan; 31 assets of project’s promotion.