About the Project

The Greece-Bulgaria cross-border (CB) area tourist industry faces challenges such as the lack of international tourist destinations (emblematic destinations) and the lack of integrated tourist destinations suitable for different tourist groups (e.g. athletes, elderly, etc). Many EU funded projects have been implemented to valorize and increase interest in most cultural and natural POI’s in the cross-border region (CBR). Both Ministries of tourism have interest in combining and unifying available resources into a point of singularity which will give access to potential tourists to previously developed resources and tools. A joint project which will develop a common platform and information unification tool has been determined as the logical next step in attracting new visitors and stimulating current and previous visitors to learn about other available POI’s, tools, services and sources tailored to their individual interests and needs. New solutions planned under this project for the CBR include:

  • Consolidating previously collected information and developed products and services under previous projects.
  • Aggressively marketing POI’s and attractions through new and innovative geo-targeting methods.
  • New ICT tools which allow potential tourists to remotely experience what the CBR has to offer.
  • Bringing together the most interested and influential partners in the field of tourism relating to the CBR.
  • Maximizing international visibility of the CBR through mass campaigns in social media and search engines.

The Greece-Bulgaria CB area is characterized by largely unexploited, rich cultural and natural heritage resources which include:

  • cultural assets covering over 3000 years of history, among which16 important Monuments and Monumental Groupings designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site (Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki);
  • 40.000 hectares of protected natural areas designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site (Pirin National Park)
    The use of cultural and natural heritage for tourist promotion purposes has been a longstanding strategic priority for the CB area but has been addressed in prior programming periods only partially and in a fragmented manner (i.e. in relation to the promotion of very localized eco-tourist activity) with very low effectiveness. In recent years, overall tourist activity has increased in the CB area – mainly due to exogenous factors – creating an impetus and an important development opportunity. This impetus needs to be capitalized on
    This joint integrated intervention aims to boost the touristic experience via sophisticated ICT tools at the cross border area. It is an ICT project based upon the idea of Social Media Marketing in order to promote cross border area as territorially and thematically integrated tourist destination, while empowers area’s entrepreneurship potential and improve territorial competitiveness.

By linking ICT and Social Media to local assets, the project to transpose Social Media innovation into a better interpretation of natural and cultural heritage and to capitalize community – based interactions and social media content – sharing at a globalized and competitive tourist industry.

• Establishment of one cluster of associations of tourism sector in the CB area;

• Knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices;

• Joint development and pilot testing of innovative techniques in the area of natural and cultural heritage preservation, including training;

• Web promotion of natural and cultural assets of cross-border significance• Cross-border exchanges of art and archaeological exhibitions.
Main target groups are foreign tourists (China, Russia, Germany, UK, USA) interested in history and culture and/or nature (including outdoor sports and R&R).
Beneficiaries are:

  • Primarily the local (CBR) economy as it is heavily dependent on foreign visitors
  • Ministry of Tourism, Bulgaria
  • Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, Greece;
  • Municipality of Sandanski, Bulgaria;
  • SWU “Neofit Rilski” – Faculty of Economics, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria;
  • Thessaloniki Hotels Association, Greece;
  • Spa and tourist enterprise of Municipality of Alexandroupolis, Greece