Strengthening of Municipalities Through Tourism - The Danube Competence Center as an example of international cooperation, economic development and networking in the frame of the Danube Strategy Daniela Schily Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)GmbH Ulm, July 8 th, 2012 11.07.2012 Seite 1
Why tourism? 1. Stimulation of the market Income: 4% of European GDP come directly from tourism 11% of European GDP come indirectly from tourism Employment: About 9 Mio people are directly employed in tourism Youth: Most of first working places are in the field of tourism Gender: Mostly women are working in the field of tourism 11.07.2012 Seite 2
Why tourism? 2. stimulation of regional exchange -Tourism unites countries, stabilizes relations - Attracts investment - Nothing better for political marketing than culture, tourism, sports (Susanne Kastner) 11.07.2012 Seite 3
Why tourism? 3. (Responsible!) tourism as the least invasive industry for the environment - Green products - Soft mobility - Renewable energy 11.07.2012 Seite 4
Mittlere The und Danube Untere Donau one tourist destination? Length: 2888 km, 2000 kilometers still without a brand Countries: 10.6 countries have not or have just started to develop their Danube area Joint potential of the region: river cruising, city breaks, active tourism (hiking, cycling, fishing, hunting, bird watching, watersports), wine tourism, culture-routes Cruising on the Danube generates an impressive number of up to 300 000 passengers travelling from April to November between Passau and Budapest.! 11.07.2012 Seite Page 5
If you want to have what you don t have, you have to do what you haven t done before! 11.07.2012 Seite Page 6
The Danube Competence Centre (DCC) Tourism platform of countries, communities and individuals along the Danube and a new model on regional cooperation 11.07.2012 Seite Page 7
The Danube competence center (DCC) facts and figures Founded in early 2010, head office in Belgrade Goal: Branding the middle and lower Danube as a tourist destination, developing a diverse and sustainable tourist program across national boundaries 58 member organizations from Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova + Slovakia, Austria and Germany. Public, private and NGO sector Endorsement, partnership, but no membership of ministries in the region The German Development Agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is implementing the grant of the German Federal Ministry for economical cooperation and development (BMZ) in this project. 11.07.2012 Seite Page 8
DCC activities: Development of sustainable cross border products Joint promotion and marketing Know-how transfer Capacity building PPP Projects Advocating and networking on regional and international level 11.07.2012 Seite Page 9
Example 1 (cross border products): Development of the Danube Bicycle Route between Budapest and the Black Sea Establishment of a working group with local and international experts Feasibility of possible routes Mapping of the tourism infrastructure, USPs with GPS Production of bicycle map from Budapest to the Black sea Signposting of the route between Hungary, Croatia and Serbia Joint promotion and marketing on European market. www.donau-info.org 11.07.2012 Seite Page 10
Example 2: Joint Marketing 11.07.2012 Seite Page 11
Example 3: Know how transfer, capacity building in the Danube Delta 11.07.2012 Seite Page 12
Example 4: PPP and private sector 11.07.2012 Seite Page 13
Cultural routes in the Middle and Lower Danube Region Project funded by the European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry in the framework of Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) The Project promotes cultural tourism through two Cultural Routes in the Middle and Lower Danube region (Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania) the Roman Emperors Route and the Danube Wine Route. The project activities are focused on developing integrated communication and marketing strategy and action plan for the two routes; networking with stakeholders along the route; creating impulse for new trans-national and private-private/private-public partnerships; and offering international visibility of existing and newly developed products for the cultural tourists. Project will also cover presentation of the Routes on ITB 2013 as well as two tailored tours for selected outgoing tour operators from main source markets. 11.07.2012 Seite Page 14
Cultural routes in the Middle and Lower Danube Region 11.07.2012 Seite Page 15
Danube Holiday Portal Bringing together the tourist highlights in the Danube region with matching tourist offers: (1) facilitating networking between stakeholders and tourists; (2) promoting regional and cross border offers; (3) pointing out special attractions through interactive maps and blogs; (4) identifying new ideas of the travel industry of the Danube region; and (5) inspiring SMEs of the tourism industry in the Danube region to create tourist products. 11.07.2012 Seite Page 16
Danube Holiday Portal 11.07.2012 Seite Page 17
Danube Holiday Portal 11.07.2012 Seite Page 18
Thank you for your attention see you again on the Danube 11.07.2012 Seite Page 19