BEST PRACTICE

Projects that received PA3 Letters of Recommendation

2.  Vukovar Film Festival – Danube Region Film Festival

Project partners: HAVC (Croatian audio-visual centre), Croatian Ministry of Tourism, City of Zagreb (Croatia), City of Vukovar (Croatia), Vukovar – Srijem County (Croatia), HT Hrvatske Telekomunikacije (Croatian Telecommunications), American Express (Croatia), Iliočki Podrumi (Croatia), TZ Ilok (Croatia), Borovo (Croatia).

Overall objective is to develop a suitable film culture in the region, especially amongst young people and to increase economic, cultural and educational contribution that Vukovar Film Festival brings to the region and tourism in Vukovar through its activities. VFF also offers an opportunity for community involvement and cohesion.  As one of the region’s most important cultural events, we consistently strive to set the standard for excellence in film programming.  Films are selected on the basis of quality and originality and the preference is given to premieres.

3.  DANUrB (Danube Urban Brand) regional network building through tourism and education to strengthen the “Danube” cultural identity and solidarity

Lead partners: BME Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Planning and Design (Hungary), BME Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology and Communication (Hungary)

Project partners: Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava – Faculty of Architecture, Association of Tourism Consultants (Hungary), Municipality of Budapest – Department of Urban Development, BFTK Nonprofit Ltd (Budapest Festival Center, official tourism branding company of the municipality of Budapest), Belgrad University – Faculty of Architecture (Serbia), Academy of Fine Arts Vienna – Institute of Art and Architecture (Austria), Széchenyi István University in Győr – Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Department of Urban Planning and Architectural History, Department of Architectural Design (Hungary)

Project description:

The project aims to connect the urbanized areas along the Danube into comprehensive tourism destinations, fostering cultural ties and institutional/municipal collaboration. The project creates a new cultural network along the Danube, presenting a strategy to increase the tourism potentials of the cities involved. The project aims to define regions which can act together as a tourist destination and as a cultural cluster, analysing cities from Regensburg to Galati.

4.  Donau Lounge – literature and culture from the Danube region at international book fairs

Lead partners: Danube Cultural Cluster/Collegium Hungaricum Vienna, Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Romanian Cultural Institute, National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA), European Danube Academy Ulm

Project partners: Federation of Austrian Booksellers (Main organizer of BUCH WIEN), Representation of the European Commission in Austria, EUNIC Austria, Bookfest – Bucharest International Book Fest, International Publisher’s Forum Lviv (Main organizer of the Book Forum Lviv), OleksandraKoval

Project description:

The Danube Cultural Cluster association, founded on the initiative of the Balassi Institute – Collegium Hungaricum Vienna, has expanded its most successful international literary project: the Donau Lounge. The Donau Lounge represents itself with its own stand/stage and programs at international book fairs in the area.

This unique literary program first came out at the 2012 BUCH WIEN – Vienna International Book Fair. Since then, within the framework of a wide international cooperation, the Donau Lounge has become a genuine regional program along the Danube. One of its principal aims is to establish a sincere and likeable cultural and literary platform for the nations along the Danube, in which the force of the cultural cohesion is represented by the river Danube itself.

Besides showcasing a selection of recent publications, organizers of the Donau Lounge feature the discussion of themes and topics that are of great importance to the area: Such as the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War or the 25th anniversary of the collapse of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe.

START – Danube Region Project Fund

Selected projects under 2nd START Call – EUSDR Priority Area 3

1. Cross-border ecotourism in the Danube Region (DanubeEcotourism)
Lead Partner:  Association for he development of Social&Wellness Tourism (Romania)

2. Make Your Day! – Contemporary Fine Artist exchange and networking (MYD)
Lead Partner:  Culture and Green Zona Association of Szigetvár

Selected projects under 1st START Call – EUSDR Priority Area 3

1. Middle and Lower Danube Cycling Routes (DANUBE CYCLING)

Project duration: 01.04.2015 – 32.03.2016
Lead Partner: Danube Competence Center (Serbia)
Project Partners: Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (Bulgaria), Cycling Romania (Romania),Cyclists’ Union (Croatia), Velo‐Ruse (Bulgaria), Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (Bulgaria)
Total project budget: 43.160,00
START contribution amount: 38.500,00 (89,20%)

Project Description:
The main objective of this project is to introduce and support joint and standardised infrastructural development and new operational activities in Middle and Lower Danube region aimed at promoting cycling tourism as a form of sustainable tourist development. The project creates and supports national and regional networks of stakeholders along the route, establishing recommendations to improve national policy frameworks that issue the legal and regulatory instruments for safe and efficient bicycle use, and designs action plans aimed at developing and promoting cycling products along the route.

Expected results of the START project activities:
The project Danube Cycling promotes cycling tourism, paves the way for follow‐up projects through the introduction of guidelines and involvement of suitable stakeholders and provides an opportunity for all partners to exchange know‐how.

2.  Authentic Danube ‐ delivering tourism excellence for visitors and industry (AUTHENTIC DANUBE)

Project duration: 01.04.2015 – 31.12.2015
Lead Partner: Authentic Bulgaria Association (Bulgaria)
Project Partners: Municipality of Knjazevac (Serbia), Municipality of Belogradchik (Bulgaria), European Wilderness Society (Austria)
Total project budget: 44.127,00
START contribution amount: 38.000,00 (86,12%)

Project Description:

The project framework is based on the existing Authentic Bulgaria Quality Mark which supports smaller tourism service providers develop better tourism products and attract high‐value sustainability‐sensitive customers. Key issues are related to strengthening the competitiveness of micro, small and medium tourism service providers by enhancing their access to global markets with the help of a certification scheme.
The pilot project will focus on the development and testing of a certification scheme for small hospitality sector representatives and for wineries with capacity to host visitors. It will undertake research and use customer feedback to educate members on new trends in tourism development and will help establish a network of certified partners to raise awareness of the Authentic Danube Quality Mark across the region and amongst selected international markets.

Expected results of the START project activities:

On the one hand, the project is expected to bring about induced cooperation between stakeholders which, in turn, is bound to improve professionalism towards consistently delivering the best to visitors. The improved quality of service will result in enhanced experiences and greater satisfaction.
In the meantime, this pilot phase will strengthen cooperation between partners from the Middle and Lower Danube and the upper stream of the river, which will inevitably play a crucial role in balancing the overall tourism development on a region‐wide level.

Selected projects under Technical Assistance Facility for Danube Region Projects

– EUSDR Priority Area 3

TAF-DRP 3rd Call (2015)

1. PLANET KINDERGARTEN (Planet K)

Lead Partner:ECOFOCUS, creative association (Slovenia)

2. Rehabilitation and Exploitation Framework of Natural Area Danube-Belin Island – Pavel Arm, Seaca Commune, Teleorman County (REFNAD)

Lead Partner:Teleorman County Council (Romania)

3. Danube nautical tourism excellence – Improve nautical tourism on Danube through planning and networking (DANTE)

Lead Partner:Regional Development Agency ” Branicevo-Podunavlje” Ltd. (Serbia)

4. Yu Go Danube

Lead Partner:KOFEIN DIZAJN d.o.o. (Slovenia)

TAF-DRP 2nd Call (2014)

AUTHENTIC DANUBE – Positioning the Danube region as a tourism destination with a rich portfolio of high-quality authentic experiences

Lead Partner: Authentic Bulgaria Association (Bulgaria)

Project description: Establishing a financially viable regional structure to manage the Authentic Danube Quality Mark; Establishing a network of certified partners to raise awareness of the Authentic Danube Quality Mark within the country and amongst selected international markets; Developing and implement a quality assessment scheme for accommodation and other tourism providers through the Quality Mark; Improving business opportunities for members through the assessment programme, its continuous improvement focus, education, training and consulting services

TAF-DRP 1st Call (2013)

Danube Culture Dialogue

Lead Partner: Kollegium Hungaricum – Danube Cultural Cluster – Verein für die engere kulturelle Zusammenarbeit der Donauländer

Project description: In a public interest this project aims at developing a new structure of cooperation. Our idea is to create a platform for culture consisting of (public) funding organisations responsible for strategic cultural planning in a permanent dialogue with the cultural scene – artists, cultural managers, project owners and their NGOs. Activities cover joint cultural planning, alignment of policies, development of a culture platform and a small project fund, promotion.