The cultural heritage of two nations presented on one stage

The specific objective of the project is to promote cooperation between regional actors in the field of intangible cultural heritage tourism in the Blagoevgrad region of Bulgaria and the South-Eastern region of North Macedonia. The main objectives of the project are to establish a joint network for the exchange of good practices in the management of intangible cultural heritage tourism; to organize joint cultural events to promote the cultural identity of the region; to create initiatives for the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage tourism and to involve young people in participating in them, in order to raise their awareness of issues related to the sustainable use and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of the region.

The cross-border region of Bulgaria and North Macedonia is known for its unique cultural and historical assets (i.e. churches and monasteries, festivals, carnivals, crafts, authentic ethnic ambiances, diverse and preserved traditions and local folklore). These funds provide excellent opportunities for the sustainable development of various forms of tourism and could play a crucial role in promoting the current tourism offer of the region.

The Blagoevgrad District of Bulgaria and the South-Eastern Region of North Macedonia have a rich intangible cultural heritage, as well as a unique cultural identity. Both regions carry the spirit of their rich past, unique traditions and customs. The existence of these and many other traditions and customs make the Blagoevgrad District of Bulgaria and the South-Eastern Region of North Macedonia regions with enormous potential for the development of sustainable intangible cultural heritage tourism.
The implementation of this project will improve the quality of the organization of cultural events in the Cross-Border Region and will allow the organization and promotion of new cultural events. This will increase the tourist attractiveness of the Blagoevgrad District of Bulgaria and the South-Eastern Region of North Macedonia. The number of visits and overnight stays in the target area will also increase, as a result of the achieved greater attractiveness. The organization of joint cultural events will increase the interest of tourists, offering them the opportunity to feel the spirit of the living cultural heritage of two peoples on one stage. For the development of this type of tourism, sustainable and efficient cooperation between regional actors in the field of sustainable tourism will be established.

As a result of the successful implementation of the activities envisaged in the project, guest visits and tourist interest in the target region will increase as a result of better promotion of various cultural events and a better promoted unique cultural identity. This will contribute to the intensification of cross-border cooperation between people and institutions in the region in order to jointly address common challenges in the field of better utilization of cultural heritage and use of untapped potential for the development of sustainable tourism in the cross-border area Bulgaria – North Macedonia.