About
The project Carpathian Region as a Tourist Destination, or CARAT, focused on developing a platform for the cooperation of local key players in tourism, by connecting the public and private sectors. Development of a tourism strategy for the destination, creation of a marketing and promotional study, initiation of the establishment of an unofficial cross-border tourist cluster, with the proviso that platforms should also be created at the local level.
The main priority of the project was 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 was part of a cross-border cooperation program between 4 countries – Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine.
Informal platform
The main objective of the project was 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
During the project, we wanted to:
- 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 tourism 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 specialized in tourism
- bodies responsible for developing local and regional policies
- tour operators
