THE PROJECT
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The rationale behind the creation of the project
The cross-border region of Central Macedonia and the Republic of North Macedonia features a great diversity of cultural and natural heritage and significant tourism resources. Through making the most of this heritage and these resources, there would be a strong potential for economic development and the creation of employment opportunities. The outlook as well as the realistic possibility of making use of this potential, in an area where a holistic approach to the available tourist product is absent and where, at the same time, there are high rates of unemployment, formed the basis of this project.
Which agencies cooperate in order to implement NETOURAL?
Four bodies, two from each country, created a dynamic corporate structure, with the commitment to develop and implement an innovative model for the design, management and promotion of thematic tourism products.
These bodies are:
- Anaptixiaki [Development] Kilkis (Anki) – S.A. O.T.A. [Local Government Organisations] (Coordinating
partner) - The Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers
- The Municipality of Konče
- The Stromnica Tourist Association
What are the objectives of the project activities?
- To develop actions to create specialized and original tourist experiences and services.
- To diversify transnational and cross-border tourism opportunities by creating and promoting market- oriented transnational thematic tourism products.
- To promote alternative forms of tourism in the cross-border area with an emphasis on wellness and gastronomy tourism.
- To increase mobility and promote accessibility from one region/country to another.
- To build on and improve the skills and abilities of professionals and workers in the tourism sector as well as to develop innovation by SMEs with the aim of improving their competitiveness and creating new jobs.
- To promote innovation and the adoption of new IT technologies in the tourism sector by introducing common ICT tools and by implementing non-conventional innovative forms of experiential marketing and promotion (Blogger Experiences).
- To strengthen cooperation for sustainable tourism that will bolster competitiveness, sustainability and diversification of the tourism product.
What will NETOURAL do?
- It will create a range of ready-to-market experiential tourism packages, which will include tourism itineraries with a focus on wellness and culinary tourism.
- It will create attractive tourist information points and permanent tourism exhibition space.
- It will develop tourism marketing plans and strategic brand development (place branding).
- It will produce a user-friendly Methodological Handbook for the management of sustainable tourism.
- It will organize visits of travel bloggers, publicizing their experiences on social networks.
- It will create printed and electronic promotion material of the area (brochures, videos).
- It will organize interdisciplinary training and consultation workshops (“Experiential Labs”).
- It will hold local tourism fairs as well and participate in the “Philoxenia 2023” tourism fair.
Who will benefit from NETOURAL’s actions?
The implementation of the project will benefit a wide range of stakeholders involved in or directly or indirectly affected by tourism development in the cross-border area such as: tourism chain businesses, national, regional and local bodies, NGOs and associations, opinion leaders, citizens.
The implementation of NETOURAL is important because….
- It will create strong and long term links between public authorities, business actors, associations and NGOs, developing valuable synergies to develop the tourism sector in the cross-border area
- It will improve the attractiveness of the tourist product, by mapping and organizing themed tourist routes.
- It will encourage the development of tourism throughout the year, diversifying the product and strengthening the demand.
- It will develop new types of business models that will allow the diversification of business activities in line with the potential of the area and the wishes of tourists / visitors.
- It will strengthen networking between businesses involved in the tourism chain, facilitating the transformation of new ideas into viable businesses.
- It will increase the number of self-employed and SMEs producing products and services that can be used for tourism development and add value to the cross-border area.
- It will provide improved knowledge and skills, including the exchange of experience and good practice, innovation and capacity building for workers and entrepreneurs.
