11.12.2021.

Successful I-TOUR cross-border project connects 400,000 citizens from Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki

Current trends in tourism require an authentic experience that goes beyond one border and one country. Improving the overall development of the cross-border regions Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki through enhanced and sustainable use of their tourism potential is the project "Increasing tourism opportunities through the use of existing resources - I-TOUR". Project implemented within the Interreg IPA-CBC program for cross-border cooperation with Greece and financially supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Local Self-Government. I-TOUR mapped all tourism potentials for the first time, benefiting at least 400,000 citizens in Pelagonija, Florina and the Thessaloniki region, of whom at least 30,000 live in rural areas.

- It is important to emphasize that Macedonian cities, especially Bitola and the Pelagonija region have potential for tourism that should be used in the interest of citizens. This project is really for the benefit of this region, because in the tourism sector, the project beneficiaries included at least 100 service providers, 10 tour operators, 15 local self-government units, 50 civil society organizations, 3 cultural preservation institutions and 5 protected areas. This project for cross-border cooperation between Greece and Northern Macedonia in the period 2014-2020, supported by the EU, strengthened the territorial cohesion by improving the living standards and employment opportunities of the local population, respecting the environment, and by using natural resources for upgrade of the tourist product. The cross-border adventure offer already contributes up to 65% of the tourist budget in the local economy. The total budget of the Program for the period 2014-2020 is 45,470,066.00 euros, said the Minister of Local Self-Government Goran Milevski at the final conference of the project.

 

He added that for us as a country through the Ministry of Local Self-Government, except with Greece and other countries through which cross-border programs are implemented, such as Albania in which we are a leader and a partner country with Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, projects for tourism so that it can be developed through new innovative solutions and easily accessible to tourists from the region and Europe.

 

I-TOUR maps all tourism potentials and promotes cross-border tourism products in Northern Macedonia and Greece, through three products for cross-border adventure tourism. The cross-border regions of Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki have an abundance of natural, anthropological and cultural goods, which remain relatively unknown to domestic and foreign tourists.

 

- With the tourist product that we promote for the first time in our region, 17 European tour operators from countries such as Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Malta and others visited. Representatives of foreign countries and tour operators had the opportunity

to get acquainted with the beauties we offer, and also to contribute to the development of tourism products and to propose their adaptation according to the needs of their customers. All of them expressed their optimism about future cooperation and organization of visits by foreign tourists, which is actually the main goal of this project - increasing employment in tourism, said Gogo Vidimce, director of the Center for Development of Pelagonija planning region.

 

He added that the project contributed to improving the overall development of the cross-border regions Pelagonija - Florina - Thessaloniki with accentuated and sustainable use of tourism potential, hoping that such activities will continue in the future. Only in that way will incoming and alternative tourism take the primacy they deserve, and thus all the hidden wealth we have will reach the eyes of Europe and the world