About
The main priority of the project Carpathian Region as a Tourist Destination, or CARAT, is to support the social and economic development of the region through coordinated development of tourism in individual areas as well as the destination as a whole. The project is part of a cross-border cooperation programme between 4 countries – Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine.
Goals
The main objective of the project is to positively influence the tourism market in order to increase the number of tourists in the cross-border region by creating an informal platform - an international tourism cluster as well as platforms at local levels in individual regions. The project implementation will also serve to support the long-term development of tourism products in the region.
Specific goals
- Develop a platform for cooperation between key local tourism representatives in each area by connecting the public and private sector (sharing experience and know-how even in areas where they already cooperate);
- Develop a destination tourism strategy (destination management plan), including action plans which will be implemented within the area;
- Create a marketing and promotional study and implement it at individual levels by training the key players;
- Initiate the establishment of an informal cross-border tourist cluster by the destinations identified in the strategy, with platforms being created at a local level.
Target groups
- Public space of the city and region;
- Civil associations;
- Important key players in tourism from the private sector;
- Educational institutions specialised in tourism;
- Bodies responsible for developing local and regional policies;
- Tour operators.
New Trends in Destination Management Conference
A conference focused on presenting new trends in destination management with the participation of leading international speakers, who inspired project partners and the public with fashion trends and innovations in tourism. The global objective of the programme and the conference was to intensify and deepen cooperation in the field of sustainable social, environmental and economic development between the Ukrainian regions of Zakarpatia, Ivano-Frankivska and Chernivetska and the eligible programme areas of Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
Programme CARAT is co-financed by the European Union.