VISIT ME!!! A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF CROSS-BORDER CITIES THROUGH TOURISTIC SIGHTS

The project with the title "Visit me!!! A New Perspective of Cross-Border Cities through Touristic Sights” will be realized as a partnership between the municipalities of Reșița and Veliko Gradiște. Despite there is not enough touristic promotion of the two cities, the two partner cities could become an interesting and tender touristic destination as a result of their united efforts. We are in the situation of not being able to provide enough information regarding the touristic offers about the cross-border cities to the tourists that visit us, such as useful information about landmarks, accommodation, dining out, etc. In the same time, there is no Study regarding the means to develop the tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and cultural heritage in the area. For this reason, the lack of useful information causes loss for both cities. The tourist attractions are not marked, so those who visit them are not able to access extra detailed information. Furthermore, there are no tourism-specialized personnel to promote and to attract possible tourists and to make them become loyal so they would return back. Based on this identified need, the project suggests a complex approach, not only to increase the number of tourists in the cross-border area, but also to promote and make accessible the tourist attractions of the both cities. The project suggests the identification of the most representative touristic attractions/ monuments present in both cross-border cities, as well as marking them easier to access for tourists, through indicators. In order to identify the means to promote tourism in the two cities, we will realize a multilingual ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area`` which will identify new ways of promoting tourist attractions/monuments from Resita and Veliko Gradiste. In this way, through the new Study the authorities involved in tourism development from the two partner cities will have new directions established in order to promote tourism, through the new indicators and informative materials it will be easier for the tourists and the visitors of Reșița and Veliko Gradiște to identify the tourist attractions, so their interest will be increased by interacting with the indicators and other promotional materials realized through this project. Our aim is to make the ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area`` also serve as a support for the development of the touristic offers of both cities, so as a result, we will include in it a section about hotels, restaurants and boarding houses which will enable the tourists and the visitors to get a complete and complex variety of spending their leisure time. We intend to also organize a qualification course regarding tourist and a course of English language for tourism purposes, which will increase the quality of the services provided for the tourists. Also, we will not only promote the project itself, but also its outcome, through an innovative campaign in the local/regional/national mass media, and by organizing some exchanges of good practice and of promoting common initiatives. Not least, we intend to create a new cross-border cooperation structure – a NGO with the aim to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in tourist field. The overall objective of this project deals with: developing the local tourism economy based on the improvement of the quality of tourism services in Reșița and Veliko Gradiște, a sustainable use of the natural and historical heritage, the creation of the capacities and skills for high quality tourism services, the design of innovative products in cross border networks and partnerships, the improvement of accessibility and sustainability of the tourist infrastructures. Due to the implementation of this project, we intend to not only increase the number of tourist arrivals and the flows of visitors in the eligible areas, but also to increase new “touristic products” created as a result of the project's actions in the field of promotion and information on integrated touristic networks. We also intend to establish a NGO aiming to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in tourist field. The main outputs obtained as a result of implementing the project, are the following: - A new cross border cooperation structures/ initiatives supported in the field of tourism - A NGO established with the aim to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in tourist field; - A new study related to the implementation of new tourist services I order to promote the natural and cultural resources in the CB region - ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area``; - Participants attending training initiatives (84 persons) - 56 persons trained in the tourist services field and 28 persons trained in English language for tourism purposes; - Joint actions and communication instruments created –tourist sights - guiding indicators and large scale maps in Resita and touristic guiding indicators, electronic display panels and info touch points in Veliko Gradiste, a film which promote the touristic attraction of both cities; - Partnerships for the exchange of good practices and the promotion of joint initiatives established - we will organize 2 exchanges of good practice and promotion of joint initiatives in Reșița and Veliko Gradiște and an International Tourist and Environmental Film Festival in Veliko Gradiste . The project will promote tourism through mass-media and marketing campaign in the Romania – Republic of Serbia cross-border region. From the above outputs will benefit: - approximatively 20,000 persons representing the flow of visitors in the area of Resita and Veliko Gradiste for all forms of tourism activities and cross border networks and number of tourists arrivals in Resita and Veliko Gradiste; - 20 promoters of touristic services and of the improvement of accessibility and sustainability of tourist infrastructures in the cross-border region of Resita and Veliko Gradiste; - 84 persons which will be trained in the tourist services field and English language for tourism purposes; - 70 persons that will attend to the two exchanges of good practices and the promotion of joint initiatives established in Resita and Veliko Gradiste; - 100 persons that will attend at the International Tourist and Environmental Film Festival in Veliko Gradiste . - 50 persons that will attend to the two press conferences (one of the official launch of the project and one at the final evaluation of the project) organized at Resita and Veliko Gradiste. For the proper implementation of this project we start with the premise that the consolidation of the cross-border identity of the region as a touristic destination is realized by the promotion of various high standard touristic attractions which are present in this region. Both the tourists and the visitors of Reșița and Veliko Gradiște can enjoy the tourist attractions only if they are able to access clear information about the placement of those attractions. Once they have reached them, detailed and specialized information regarding the identity and uniqueness of the attractions will be available. And that is what our project is aiming to do through its outputs and activities. We intend to establish a NGO to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in tourist field, to indicate the main natural and historical heritage through guiding indicators, large scale maps, electronic display panels and info touch points, to organize training for 84 persons in the tourist services field and English language for tourism purposes, to elaborate a ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area``, 2 exchanges of good practice and promotion of joint initiatives in Reșița and Veliko Gradiște, to organize an International Tourist and Environmental Film Festival in Veliko Gradiste and mass-media campaign in order to promote natural and historical heritage of the two partner cities. The cross-border approach is needed from the perspective of the common challenges and opportunities created as a result of this projects benefits, which will spread in several directions; touristic development in Reșița and Veliko Gradiște municipalities will not only determine acknowledgment and pride regarding the local history and identity, but also it will generate a better awareness of the tourist attractions – natural and historical heritage of both cities, consolidating in this way the economic growth and creating new employment opportunities in the touristic sector. Also, both cities lack presently not only a suitable marking of the tourist attractions and historical monuments, but also they lack a suitable promotion of those locations; particularly they lack clear information regarding these tourist attractions. In case the materials for touristic information provide aspects regarding the tourist attractions of the partner city, there are higher chances that the informing beneficiary to consider the tourist attractions from the other city.

Results achieved: Establishment of 1 NGO - new cross-border cooperation structure with the aim to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in the tourist field. Elaboration of a Study related to the implementation of the project – “Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area”. 56 persons trained in the tourist services field and 28 persons trained in the English language for tourism purposes. 1 film realized with the goal of promoting the touristic attraction of Resita and Veliko Gradiste. Establishment of new partnerships for the exchange of good practices and the promotion of joint initiatives.

1.A NGO established with the aim to facilitate the cooperation between Resita and Veliko Gradiste`s promoters in tourist field. This NGO will contribute to create both a network of promoters in tourist file which will increase the quality of tourist services and will put the mile stone of new partnerships between citizens and institutions from the two partner cities. It is a new “touristic product” created as a result of programme actions in the field of promotion and information on integrated touristic networks in the CBC area. It will contribute indirectly at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the eligible area, the flows of visitors in the area for all forms of tourism activities and cross border networks, nights spent by tourists in the eligible area and time spent by tourists in the cross border area, for all types of touristic activities. 2. Realizing and placing 218 units of touristic guiding indicators, 110 large scale maps, 6 electronic display panels and 6 info touch points for the presentation of the tourist attractions and historical monuments of the two cities available for the tourists across Reșița and Veliko Gradiste. This guiding indicators, large scale maps, electronic display panels and info touch points for the presentation of the tourist attractions and historical monuments of the two cities that will be located in Resita and Veliko Gradiste will contribute to the improvement of quality of tourism services in the two cities, will constitute an innovative new ``tourist product`` in cross border region and will improve the accessibility of tourist infrastructure in the cross-border region of the two partner cities. It will contribute indirectly at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the eligible area, the flows of visitors in the area for all forms of tourism activities and cross border networks, nights spent by tourists in the eligible area and time spent by tourists in the cross border area, for all types of touristic activities. 3. Elaboration of a ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area `` and 500 copies edited, This multilingual ``Study on development of tourism in the Resita and Veliko Gradiste based on natural and historical heritage in the area`` is aimed to identify new means of promoting and developing the tourism in Resita and Veliko Gradiste by offering information and accessibility to tourist infrastructures in the cross-border region of the two partner cities. It is a new “touristic product” created as a result of programme actions in the field of promotion and information on integrated touristic networks in the CBC area. It will contribute indirectly at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the eligible area, the flows of visitors in the area for all forms of tourism activities and cross border networks, nights spent by tourists in the eligible area and time spent by tourists in the cross border area, for all types of touristic activities. 4. 2 exchanges of good practice and promotion of joint initiatives organized in Resita and Veliko Gradiste and 2 press conferences organized, 5. One International Tourist and Environmental Film Festival organized in Veliko Gradiste above the fact that this film festival will promote the tourist attractions from Romania-Republic of Serbia cross-border region, it will present for the first time on an international level the tourist film produced by the Municipality of Resita. 6.One film realized and 500 DVD`s edited and mass-media campaign with the goal of promoting the touristic attraction of Resita and Veliko Gradiste (390 radio spots broadcasted, 78 video clips broadcasted, mass-media campaign with the goal of promoting, 30 press releases, other informational and promotional tourist materials). All this promotional materials are new tourist products that will contribute to the improvement of accessibility and sustainability of tourist infrastructures in the cross-border region of the two partner cities. 7. 84 persons trained in the tourist services field and in English language for tourism purposes and IT equipment, software and furniture purchased for this courses, 8. Marketing campaign to attract tourists and visitors in Resita and Veliko Gradiste (2000 touristic promotional pens, 2000 touristic promotional flags, 5000 flayers, 2000 touristic promotional caps, 1000 touristic promotional T-shirts, 500 touristic miniature scale models representing Resita`s furnace and 800 touristic miniature scale models representing Resita`s locomotives distributed to tourists). All this promotional materials are new tourist products that will contribute to the improvement of accessibility and sustainability of tourist infrastructures in the cross-border region of the two partner cities. 9. Supply of It equipment and software in order to improve the quality of tourist services in CB area.