About the project

Agency for Regional Development and Business Center – Vidin implements the project „Balloon adventure – a new joint tourism product“, which aims to contribute to the development of tourism and to improve the sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources in the cross-border region Romania-Bulgaria.

ARRBC-Vidin implements the project in partnership with the Romanian organization Asociatia Romana pentru Industria Electronica si Software – Oltenia and Agency for Regional Development and Business Center 2000 – Montana. The project is launched in February 2016 and is expected to be completed in February 2018.

The idea of the project is the development of a new cross-border tourist product – based on hot air balloon flying. The newly created tourist attraction will be included in tourist offers throughout the cross-border area. Also a network for the promotion of the new product will be created.

The new tourist product is expected to attract more foreign tourists and to increase the number of overnight stays in the cross-border area, covering 8 districts in Bulgaria and 7 in Romania.

The program territory includes the NUTS level 3 regions located at the border between the two partner countries: Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Silistra, Dobrich for the territory of Bulgaria and the NUTS level 3 regions: Mehedinti, Dolj, , Teleorman, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Constanta for the territory of Romania.

 

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Main objective of the project

Creating a new tourist product with the participation of all stakeholders in the development of tourism in the cross-border region as well as increasing the share of solvent tourists in the region.

Target groups

Representatives of companies and NGOs working in the field of tourism from the cross-border region Romania-Bulgaria; accommodation places; tour operators and travel agents; attraction and theme parks; dining and entertainment; local authorities; tourists; the population of the Romania-Bulgaria cross-border region, which amounts to 4.77 million inhabitants – 3.16 million (66%) in the territory of Romania and 1.61 million (34%) in the territory of Bulgaria.

 

The following activities are foreseen within the project

  • Project management
  • Delivery of hot-air balloons and related equipment
  • Development of marketing strategy for a new cross-border tourism product /hot-air balloons/
  • Balloon promotion of the CBC area  – a key activity within the project where a professional video material will be filmed
  • Workshops with local stakeholders for the creation of a joint CBC tourism offer
  • Information and publicity: DVD movie, web site, brochure and photo album with unique photos shot from the air, leaflets.
  • Balloon flights on ropes in 20 towns –  10 places in Bulgaria and 10 in Romania, during which all interested people will have the opportunity to enjoy the feeling of flying with a balloon
  • Training of balloon ground crew
  • Balloon fiesta – 50 participants will be invited to take part in the balloon fiesta, which will form 10 crews who will raise hot-air balloons within 5 days at Erden Airport, Montana
  • Promotion at tourism fairs in Sofia and Bucharest

 

The results we expect to achieve

New joint tourism product

Increase in number of overnight stays in the cross-border region

Network for the promotion of the construction product