The project "Backing Regional Tourism Potential", is financed by the European Union Office in Kosovo, within the framework of IPA II Cross-border Program Kosovo – North Macedonia 2014-2020.

For the Project

Backing Regional Tourism Potential

Overall project objective

The overall objective is to enhance tourism potentials and promote regional values of CB regions and more specifically to work on:

1. Introduction of new tourism opportunities and quality improvement of the products and services and
2. Development of competitive tourism products - promotion/marketing actions to attract more domestic and foreign tourists.

Specific project objectives

SO1. Introduction of new tourism opportunities and quality improvement of the products and services.

SO2. Development of competitive tourism products – promotion/marketing actions to attract more domestic and foreign tourists.

Action will encourage further growth of tourism by influencing tourists to spend more time in CB region, and motivating higher number of tourists to visit the CB region.

Expected project results

R1: 20 new routes and 1 new regional route, identified and established, that are included in a joint data base;

R2: Rural facilities and households along route provide higher quality services, they are known and well presented to potential tourists;

R3: Capacities of existing-potential tour guides upgraded and represent key persons for future regional tourism products' development;

R4: Attracting new tourist visits, the number of visitors is increased, the economy of the region has enhanced business and regional values.

Target groups

Tourist service providers, existing and potential tourist guides, accommodation facilities and owners of rural facilities and households.

Final beneficiaries: Domestic / foreign tourists, rural communities and their inhabitants, Agency for promotion and support of tourism, ULSG – Units of Local Self Government, entrepreneurs / investors, herbal / medical processors, restaurants, caterers’ service providers, craftsmen / handicrafts' makers within the region of Polog and Prizren.

Working package 1.

A1.1. Identification and preparing the IDs of 20 tourist routes for both sides of the CB area and one regional route;

A1.2. GPS marking of the identified tourist paths / routes; Mountaineers marking and sign posting of the newly identified and already GPS marked tourist routes;

A1.3. Preparation of the joint data base contained IDs of tourist routes and scanned GPS coordinates;

Working package 2.

A2.1 Identification and mapping of the rural facilities and households (Short introduction and their GPS coordinates) along the scanned tourist paths / routes.

A2.2. TNA – training need assessment, of the rural facilities and households' representatives for developing of ASP – advisory support program;

A2.3 Development and implementation of ASP - advisory support program

Working package 3.

A3.1 TNA of potential and existing tourist guides for development of training programme for soft skills;

A3.2 Development and implementation of training programme for tourist guides;

A3.3 Development and publishing Manuel for tourist guides and animators;

Working package 4.

A4.1. Design, launch, up-to-date modern website for rural tourism promotion “Discover Šar Mountains' area”;

A4.2. Transferring ownership of the platform and instructing the web administrators for updating and maintenance of the platform;

A4.3. Design and implementation of promotional campaign that will promote the website, paths / routes, cultural and natural heritage and service providers related to the paths / routes.

A4.4. Final event – final press conference;