Preservation of spiritual sanctuaries – sustainable tourism potential in Strumica and Kyustendil

The project focused on the problem of diversification of the local tourism product, where cultural heritage is considered the most valuable. Concentrated efforts were made to rediscover sites with religious specificities, which are always interesting for tourists (foreign and local), but also complement very well the other existing tourist attractions in the region. Since the target group of the project is tourists, they face difficulties in gaining access to such places. Thus, the project focused on the socialization of several locations in Kyustendil and Strumica, establishing connections and access paths between some of them and other tourist destinations (an eco-trail connecting the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with the Skakavica Waterfall).

The new approach is to connect existing ones with new destinations, to make them all more attractive, and thus – to support the local economy through more visitors to the region. Using methods of reconstruction and socialization, together with information activities, the overall goal of the project was to offer tourists a new attractive experience. Increasing the tourist attractiveness of the cross-border area will have a long-lasting effect on the local population. Since the regions of Kyustendil and Strumica have similar specifics, the needs are almost identical – how to use historical and natural resources to stimulate the local economy and especially tourism. Thus, the partners chose to achieve the set goals through a joint project using methods that do not have a negative impact on nature.