Operation objective

To develop integrated and distinctive tourism products based on competitive and marketable attractions that contribute to diversification of the national tourist product and territorial spread of tourism.

Operation rationale

This operation is focused on developing tourist attractions. The operation is addressing the discrepancy between the rich and diverse resource potential and the lack of developed attractions adapted to the contemporary market requirements and integrated in a way to ensure significant demand and economic viability.

The operation seeks to improve, renovate and expand natural and cultural heritage sites and/or clusters and associated public owned infrastructure, encouraging the development of specialized tourism products such as cultural, eco-, health (spa) tourism and/or diversifying the offers of traditional mass tourism.

An essential element of this operation will be toseek and prioritise  larger projects to be supported, i.e. projects that will develop strategically located, high-impact tourism products based on cultural and natural heritage or clusters of smaller scale sites.

The operation will particularly welcome projects that are supported by real marketing and can demonstrate they can attract new, especially foreign, tourists and income  groups.

Further the focus of the operation will be on tourism attractions, understood as tourism sites that act as a magnet to visitors and constitute a comprehensive tourism product or experience. Infrastructural projects which involve a significant level of  investment – only a minority part of which relates directly to the attraction itself – will be disqualified.

List of indicative activities to be supported

• Development of nature, cultural and historic attractions, e.g. construction, renovation, conservation, restoration, exhibition, equipment, introduction of interpretation and animation techniques and programmes, etc.;
• Development of tourism related infrastructure when and if needed for the use of attractions (walking and wellness paths, hiking, riding and bicycling trails, picnic places, signposting, visitor centers, non-profit making children, leisure and sport facilities, car parks, pavement, landscaping, lavatories, lighting, small waste collection facilities etc.), incl. facilities and amenities for disabled and elderly visitors;
• Reconstruction and renovation/upgrading of publicly owned mountain chalets complementing tourism product development in remote areas, shelters and safety facilities;
• Complementary small scale technical infrastructure in the area of the attractions when and if needed for the use of attractions, such as access roads, utilities, amenities serving tourist attractions and visitor needs required to ensure the integrated development of tourism products;
• Complementary training of staff required for the operation of supported attractions and facilities;
• Complementary small scale non-infrastructural activities, explicitly related to the supported attractions (organization of events in the area of attractions, marketing, promotional and publicity activities, etc.);

Projects should entail a combination of some of the above activities that are complementary and are integrated on the basis of a sound development logic and are contributing to development and marketing of tourism products based on natural and cultural heritage (especially although not exclusively cultural, eco- and spa tourism), i.e. no single activities or set of miscellaneous unrelated activities will be supported.

Beneficiaries

Municipalities, associations of municipalities; Ministry of Culture (specific beneficiary), local, regional and national tourism associations, registered in the National Tourism Register, public bodies, managing cultural monuments of national importance.

Last modified: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:43 PM