Sustainable cross-border tourism products for Memorial Park “Grivitsa” and "Turnu" Fortress

The cultural heritage of the European Union is a rich and diverse mosaic of cultural, historical and creative expressions, our inheritance from previous generations of Europeans and our legacy for those to come. It is also an important resource for economic growth, employment and social cohesion, offering the potential to revitalise urban and rural areas and promote sustainable tourism. Although tourism is one of the strongest assets of the CB region in terms of employment and turnover in services, the thematic and alternative tourism potential of the area remains untapped. Pleven and Teleorman counties have no clear seasonality and urgently need measures to increase their tourism attractiveness based on the cultural heritage. The common territorial challenges addressed by the project are: 1) the lack of valorisation of the cultural assets and 2) the seasonality of the tourism in the cross border area. “Memory Route” will contribute to the creation of a distinctive image of the Pleven-Turnu Magurele area, built on unique cross-border cultural and historical heritage. The project idea is based on the Bulgarian-Romanian military cooperation in the historical plan, covering the ages from the Roman Empire to the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878). The project will develop and promote innovative integrated tourism products and services with the purpose to provide a sustainable and highly valuable alternative tourism offer. Both Pleven and Turnu Magurele are the heirs of glorified war heroes and combat scenes. “Memory Route” will transform and integrate two historical landmarks of great importance - Grivitsa Memorial Park and Turnu Fortress- into a joint military history remembrance route by investing in sustainable tourist infrastructure and developing integrated thematic tourism products and services aiming to promote the region as an attractive thematic cultural tourism destination. “Memory Route” overall objective is to improve the sustainable use of Pleven-Turnu Magurele historical and cultural heritage by identifying, developing and promoting thematic alternative cross-border tourist products and services for Memorial Park “Grivitsa” and Turnu Fortress. The project envisages investments in joint and sustainable thematic touristic infrastructure encompassing the eras of military cooperation from Roman Empire to Russo-Turkish Liberation War. “Memory Route” will identify, develop and promote 9 joint thematic cross-border tourist products and services representing participatory remembrance of the Romanian and Bulgarian war heroes from Roman times until the Siege of Pleven in 1877, thus valorising and raising awareness on the Pleven-Turnu Magurele historical- cultural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses. The project will contribute to the following Programme outputs targeted by this call: I9 - Number of integrated tourism products/services created – by identifying, developing and promoting 9 integrated tourism products and services. I10 - Number of common strategies, policies or management plans for valorising (including raising awareness) the cultural and natural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses – by developing 1 joint marketing strategy. The products, services and marketing strategy will be developed and assessed in multidisciplinary cooperation between the stakeholders in the tourism sector. Recommendations for its adjustment will be provided if necessary. “Memory Route” will tackle the identified common challenges by applying an innovative joint approach for creation of sustainable tourism products and services based on the military cooperation and military tradition from ancient to modern times, thus turning the area into an attractive thematic tourism destination - a “memory lane” in terms of time and space – commemorating our ancestors who fought side by side for Europe as we know it today. “Memory Route” will identify, implement and promote new, attractive, sustainable and yet viable economic uses of existing monuments of great cultural and historical importance thus channelling the Pleven-Turnu Magurele alternative tourism potential with the purpose to revitalise the area and promote sustainable tourism. Given the geography, the common ethnographic and historical evolution and military cooperation throughout the ages, a cross-border approach encompassing Pleven and Turnu Magurele regions is highly valuable and coherent in tackling the issue of historical heritage protection and usage. For this reason, the project idea is based on the route of the memories related to military actions during the common history. A joint approach instead of local/national one would maximize the positive effects of the protection and sustainable use of Pleven – Turnu Magurele cultural heritage and will benefit the target groups and programme area by: - improving the alternative/thematic tourism potential of the area; - developing unique and sustainable products and services equally attractive for tourists as well as for local inhabitants; - better managing the tourist flows from Pleven via Nikopol to Turnu Magurele and back; - Increasing the interest in the area on behalf of potential visitors (tourists) and tour operators; - Increasing the quality of life of local inhabitants; - Raising the historical self-awareness and esteem of local inhabitants as well as visitors. The new solutions that will be developed within the project are based on innovative products and services aiming to provide a sustainable and highly valuable alternative tourism offer – a military history remembrance road offering a complex of military-thematic cross-border tourism products and services on the territory of the Memorial Park Grivitsa and Turnu Fortress, including teambuilding activities, fitness boot camp, paintball, restoration of historical military events with educational and entertainment purposes, thematic cross-border festival "Memory route", Military History Touristic Fair, etc. Memory Route will combine sustainable investments in tourist infrastructure with innovative ICT solutions (alternative tourism platform, GIS mapping of thematic objects of cultural and historical military heritage) with the purpose to facilitate access to cultural heritage sites, and to better inform tourists about the manifold but often dispersed cultural tourism sites, activities, products and services. The project will facilitate the cooperation between stakeholders in tourism sector directly involving them in the development of a joint marketing strategy and joint tourism products and services aiming to promote the region as a unique alternative tourism destination. The project indicative budget is € 1 499 799.43 VAT included.

The project results achieved so far are the following: The status of the construction activities related to the main investment project objectives are described below: On behalf of LB – “Reconstruction the Grivitsa Memorial Park”, situated in the village of Grivitsa, Pleven Municipality, started in December 2021 and finalized in September 2023, expecting their official reception. The works executed in Grivitsa are represented from produced 15 three-dimensional figures, implemented site lighting, implemented paintball lighting, in the entrance area is mounted entrance arch and container for WC, the boot camp facilities are mounted, the Central memorial alley is cleaned. On behalf of B2 “Reconstruction of the Turnu Fortress – Stage 2”, situated in Turnu Magurele Town, the investment works are ongoing since the end of July 2020. In accordance with the works execution status for realized works within the Turnu Fortress, the work execution has reached the physical progress from 95%, expected to be completely finalized until the end of October 2023. Furthermore, within the frame of the Activity T.1 – “Developing joint tourism products, services and marketing strategy” and the signed service contract, the LB received and accepted the draft of the marketing strategy in the beginning of March 2020. Since then, following three seminars performed with stakeholders for discussion of the strategy content, the final strategy was officially accepted from the LB in the middle of July 2021. Further on, The strategy was uploaded on the web-site of Pleven Municipality on the following link: https://www.pleven.bg/bg/strategii/savmestna-marketingova-strategiya-za-populyarizirane-na-rayona-na-pleven-turnu-magurele-razrabotena-v-ramkite-na-proekt-marshrut-na-pametta-ustoychivi-transgranichni-turisticheski-produkti-za-memorialen-park-grivitsa-i-krepost-turnu . In addition, within the frame of the Activity T.2 “Mapping of “Memory Route” sites and development of online platform and smartphone application”, LB succeed to sign also a service contract with subject Development of trilingual online platform and smartphone application in the middle of November 2020 and service contract with subject Identification and mapping of natural, cultural-historical and military heritage objects and sites in both municipalities Pleven and Turnu Magurele in the beginning of October 2020. The LB completed the Mapping of thematic objects of cultural and historical military heritage in both municipalities and transformed it into Interactive map and developed a trilingual tourist platform for promotion of thematic cross-border products and services together with application for smartphone, all available on the following link: https://pleven.eu. So far, the project beneficiaries conducted the three "brainstorming" seminars of stakeholders in tourism sector – all 3 in Turnu Magurele town. Within the WP “Communication”, B2 organized the start launching press conference in Turnu Magurele and LB signed contract for implementation of information and publicity measures and promotional materials.

The project will contribute to the programme result indicator “Number of tourist overnights in the CBC region” and the following programme output indicators: 6c.1 Number of integrated tourism products/services created; 6c.2 Number of common strategies, policies or management plans for valorising (including raising awareness) the cultural and natural heritage and attractions through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses by: 1) Increasing the expected number of visits to Turnu Fortress and Grivitza Memorial Park; 2) Developing joint marketing strategy for valorising (including raising awareness) the Pleven Turnu Magurele cultural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses. 3) Investments to enhance and restore Grivitsa Memorial Park and to create an Ethnographic Military Complex on its territory, together with suitable thematic tourist infrastructure where to provide the developed tourist products and services. 4) investments to increase the protection and the quality of facilities available for the tourists at Turnu Fortress - special areas for parking, fences to protect the Fortress, special endowments/equipment which are needed to value the Fortress, facilities for access of the tourists in the premises of the Fortress (one bus). There is a hotel with capacity 146 beds in Turnu Magurele. 5) Identifying, developing and promoting the following 5 sustainable integrated tourist products and 4 services with the active involvement of stakeholders in tourism sector: Products: 1 thematic cross-border tourist destination “Memory Route” - the entire project idea is based on the route of the memories related to military actions during the common history. The memory route will incorporate all the thematic sites and objects of cultural and historical military heritage in Pleven and Turnu Magurele. 1 joint festival "Memory route" – the festival will be organized in memory of all those who gave their lives for the Romanian and Bulgarian independence. Its culmination will be the restoration of the Battle of Grivitza. 1 trilingual tourist platform – the platform will contain an interactive map showing all the thematic sites and objects of cultural and historical military heritage in the area, accompanied by information about the events/persons they commemorate; 1 joint Military History Touristic Fair “Military Memory route”. 1 permanent exhibition “Military history in images - Grivitsa Redoubt and Turnu Fortress”. Services: Organization of teambuilding events – the constructed Military Ethnographic Complex will have the necessary facilities to organize military-thematic teambuilding events – a unique tourist service for the CB area. The visitors will have the option to overnight at the Etnographic park location – in military tents, barracks, etc., as well as to learn first-hand all the crafts of the epoch related to the provision of the army. At the location of Grivitza park there is also a hotel with capacity of 120 beds which will provide the necessary accommodation to visitors who prefer the comfort. Organization of fitness boot camps – group physical training programs conducted by personal trainers and/or former military personnel. The boot camps will target both local inhabitants and potential visitors of all ages and genders, with specially designed programs varying from 1-hour exercise to weekend programs and to 5-day extensive training. There will be tailor made programs designed exclusively for ladies/young people, etc. The boot camps will be based on the military style of training and may be historically-themed: Roman, Middle age or 19-th century, depending on the clients’ preferences. Paintball – the paintball services will be designed to attract both tourists and local inhabitants. The Grivitza park location is perfect for organizing recreational and competitive paintball games, including incorporating it into the teambuilding packages. The paintball instructors may be former military men/women who will teach the visitors to military strategy, manoeuvres, etc. during the games. On-demand paintball tournaments will be organized. On-demand restoration of the historical military events with educational or entertainment purposes: the project envisages the establishment of a joint club for historical restorations of the events related to the Siege of Pleven. The club will be trained to restore the historical events and will be equipped with authentic gear, weapons, uniforms, pyro effects, etc. The Battle of Grivitza will be restored during the joint festival. The restoration will encompass the tracking of the formation of a Romanian battalion in Turnu Magurele, the crossing of the Danube River, its dislocation during the siege of Pleven, the deployment of a military camp, etc. At least 200 volunteers from clubs from Bulgaria and Romania will participate in this restoration, therefore it has the potential to become an exceptional tourist attraction for guests and local residents. Apart from the festival, the restoration can be organized on-demand as part of the services provided, thus offering to potential leisure and congress tourists, as well as students a unique and unforgettable experience in which they can actively participate. Converting the Grivitza park and Turnu Fortress into a unique and attractive thematic tourism destination by creating and promoting sustainable and attractive tourist and services will undoubtedly contribute to increasing the tourist visits and overnights in the area. The products, services and marketing strategy will be developed and assessed in multidisciplinary cooperation between the stakeholders in the tourism sector during 3 seminars organized within the project.