The serious research potential of the experts working in the Dobrudjan Agriculture and Business School and the International Management Institute in association with specialists from the International University College, was at the base of developing of a Strategy for economic development and a Plan for development of alternative tourism for two municipalities in the North-Eastern region of planning - municipalities of Kaolinovo and Suvorovo. The business climate in the region suggests creation of small and middle enterprises and development of family businesses to overcome the high levels of unemployment. The lack of any big industrial powers, the well-preserved customs in the small villages and the various landscapes suggest good prerequisites for development of the niche of the alternative tourism. To achieve that, all the efforts of the municipal administration, the public sector and active citizens must be united.     

Planning of the local economic development of the Municipality of Suvorovo

The project started in the beginning of January 2007 and included several main steps: research and building up local capacity in the Municipality of Suvorovo for planning the economic development in the field of eco tourism, hunting and fishing tourism, cultural and historical tourism, cognitive and rural tourism, etc.; research and analysis of the economic potential; preparation of a communicational strategy and advertisement materials for attracting investors' interest. The pre-organized work meetings with the local public and representatives from the municipal administration were carried out in the spirit of discussion and partnership, successfully depicting the main problems, ambitions and potential opportunities in the region of Suvorovo. One of the main disadvantages, shared by everyone, was the lack of qualified officers and entrepreneurs who can develop a successful business in the field of alternative tourism. The participants were greatly interested in the seminars where prominent teachers and tutors from the International University College presented topics like "Policies and Instruments for Regional Development", Rural Tourism - a myth or an opportunity for Bulgarian Economy", "Team Work", "Entrepreneur Skills", etc. Probably everyone of the 90 participants, that were involved in the education course, knew that in their grandmothers' cellars in the village there was some well-preserved jar of tasty jam, but there were few people, who knew how to sell that jar and to turn it into a real attraction.
The next important phase of the project was the in-depth research of all the aspects of the economic development of the Municipality of Suvorovo. The research of the experts included analysis of the investment capacity, the processes and the trends for development of the alternative tourism in the region, the opportunities for provision of new job vacancies. After a summary of the results, a thorough detailed picture was created. It determined the advantages and the disadvantages, the problems, the resources and the achievements. As a result, two main documents, designed in the project, were created - a Strategy for development of alternative tourism in the Municipality of Suvorovo and a Plan for its realization. The suggestions, that were made in the abovementioned documents, were also discussed on various levels - with the municipal and the district administration, with NGOs in the region, and last but not least, with representatives from the business. After a careful coordination the Strategy was officially accepted by the Municipality of Suvorovo.
The project team had one more task - to develop a Communicational strategy and a Plan for informing the Municipality. The created informational brochures, a movie, presentations and advertisement stalls, were an excellent business card of the region which best represents all its advantages and potential.

The project was done by the Dobrudjan Agriculture and Business School Association in cooperation with experts from the International University College.

The services in planning of local economic development of the Municipality of Suvorovo were financed in the framework of Active Services on the Labour Market Programme, Planning of Local Economic Development.


Period of realization: January - June 2007


 
Planning of the local economic development of the Municipality of Kaolinovo

The main task of the project was to set up a clear and accurate vision for the development of eco and rural tourism as an important alternative for stimulating employment and economic development of the region. The preliminary preparation of the team showed that the capacity of the Municipality of Kaolinovo is big, but it has to be explored, summarized and developed in a Strategy for development as well as a Plan for its realization.
The main tasks we had to take into consideration included some important meetings with representatives of the local public - the municipal administration, NGOs, the business and the active citizens - along with an informational campaign which would increase the level of interest for the project.
In order to make the research more efficient, 3 groups were formed. They consisted of 7-9 experts and they covered one subsection - Infrastructure connected with Tourism, Human Resources Quality and Marketing. After a careful evaluation of the weak sides we put the main emphasis on several training courses - "Development of tourist infrastructure and organization of tourist process", Main principles in developing a business plan", "Development of human resources - a key to a successful entrepreneurship", "Marketing of tourist products - advantages and disadvantages, perspectives for development" - in which 60 people from the local public took part. The next step - collecting information for available objects for eco and rural tourism - was of great importance. To do so, we used so me of the most modern research methods for determining of the trends in focus-groups. We also looked into the local normative order and the ways for its improvement.
The prepared Strategy for development of eco and rural tourism and the Plan for its realization were discussed numerous times in detail before they were both finalized. Two main trends were identified, in which, all the efforts of the local authorities and the public should be concentrated, in order to improve drastically the value of the tourist product - setting up of a local eco-school for children and students and an ethnographic eco-park "Kjutchuk Deliorman". The successful development should be backed up with two more documents - a Communicational strategy and a Marketing plan of the Municipality of Kaolinovo - which will promote the region as an unknown, but very beautiful and calm tourist destination for family or cognitive tourism.
 
The project was done by the Dobrudjan Agriculture and Business School Association in cooperation with experts from the International University College.

The services in planning of local economic development of the Municipality of Suvorovo were financed in the framework of Active Services on the Labour Market Programme, Planning of Local Economic Development.


Period of realization: January - June 2007