Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Programme 2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Date of latest update: 2021-04-06

Description

Description (EN):

The Greece Albania CB area presents a unique opportunity for the implementation of sustainable new development models, based on its regional geographic position, richness of natural endowments, numerous examples of cultural & historic heritage, as well as vibrant folklore. However, the tourism sector related activities are not a dominant economic activity in a large part of the CB area, especially in the inland rural part, thus not providing a stable or self-reliant source of income for local population and business people. As a result, despite the presence of abundant natural environment potential, the tourism industry has yet to become a major development driver. Moving deeper in the cultural aspect of the area, it becomes clear that for the regions of Epirus (Ioannina & Arta Regional Units) and GjirokastΓ«r County livestock herding and the production of dairy products, most notably cheese, milk and yogurt, are an integral part of local culture and culinary tradition. CheeseCulT aims at tackling the aforementioned challenges by diagnosing linkages between dairy products value chains & tourism, mapping and eventually establishing a unique Cheese Route (as a driving force for tourism development) with various sub routes. The overall objective is to preserve the local culinary tradition and effectively use innovative tools and approaches to capitalize the benefits of the said tradition into the CB areas tourism development plan in order to achieve increase in tourist visitors & boost the local economy. The project places the CB Cheese Route on the tourism market by enhancing and stimulating competitiveness of the tourism products along the Route

Expected Results (EN):

CheeseCulT is expected to contribute in the preservation of local dairy culinary tradition, and further incorporate it on local sustainable tourism development by creating a new cultural tourism product based on Cheese. Thus, it is expected to increase attractiveness through diversification of products and services; increase number of visitors along the Route through improved visibility, market uptake & stronger involvement of SMEs, authorities and interested tour-operators. This is a direct reply to the Priority’s need for expansion of mild inland tourism activity and for a common tourism development plan. The activities envisaged during implementation are designed on the basis of joint contribution, maximizing their potential results. At initial stage, the diagnosis study of the CB area and the mapping of Cheese Route/ sub-routes (regularly updated GIS), based on agreed quality criteria, will be linked to and complement existing tourist routes & will provide added value for an increased influx of tourists and area visitors, as well as introduce the brand of the CB Cheese route. Another contribution to this end will be the training of at least 80 local stakeholders (producers, tourist enterprises) in each country. For tourist enterprises, this will improve the thematic approach of services & staff, leading to an opening towards sustainable tourism clientele. Product wise, the activities will lead to increased product quality and stimulation innovation on cheese production, both aspects linked to the tourism sector. The final set of the project’s activities are all directed towards local product innovation and preservation of cultural appeal. These innovations (modern exhibition centres, cheese e-cookbook and the Cheese Agri - tourism network) together with communication activities will capitalize on the previous steps. The final result with regard to the indicators is estimated as an increase of approximately 1000 tourist stays.

Expected Outputs (EN):

CheeseCulT is designed to capitalize the CB area’s agri-food focus on dairy production, and incorporate it to local sustainable tourism on a viable development plan for the regions involved. The basis of the project and main output will be the identification of the linkages between the CB Dairy Value Chains & Tourism potential via relating Diagnosis Studies, leading to the design/ mapping of a joint Cheese Route. The Cheese Route will be mapped based on activities such as selection criteria creation, development of a respective database and GIS, using regional data for the production of various thematic routes. The design of the Cheese Route will be supplemented by a set of jointly developed training activities for local stakeholders on both countries, focusing on Agritourism, Cheese Production and Quality, Marketing and Culinary Innovation. The joint training of differentiated target groups such as producers and tourism enterprises is expected to create an effective chain of Cheese Route stakeholders of common understanding. Other outputs will be the results on the innovative actions linked to the Cheese Route. The deliverables of these include the drafting and pilot application of a Local Action Plan for the project’s areas, combined with exchange visits and meetings to stimulate cooperation by stakeholders in both countries, according to a common established framework. An important outcome of the Innovation activities will be the creation of two Cheese Exhibitions Centres (one in each country) that will be incorporated to segments of the Cheese Route and provide exhibition services and representations of traditional dairy procedures. As supplementary activity, the project partners will prepare and development an electronic version of a Joint Cheese Cookbook. As a final outcome, a Cheese Agri-tourism network will be developed to include all interested tourist enterprises of the CB area and link them to the Cheese Route initiative.

Thematic information

Tourism

Specific Objective: Preserve cultural and natural resources as a prerequisite for tourism development of the cross border area

Thematic Priority: (d) Encouraging tourism and cultural and natural heritage

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: University of Ioannina - Research Committee

Address: University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.uoi.gr

Total budget: EUR 209 720.60

IPA2 budget: EUR 178 262.51

Argjiro

Name: Argjiro

Address: Rruga Nikolla Jorga, Pall Delta 2, 100 1 Tiran, Albania

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.argjiro.com

Total budget: EUR 132 822.80

IPA2 budget: EUR 112 899.38

University “Eqrem Cabej”

Name: University “Eqrem Cabej”

Address: Lagjia "18 Shtatori" Street "Studenti" , 600 2 Gjirokaster, Albania

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.uogj.edu.al

Total budget: EUR 92 574.80

IPA2 budget: EUR 78 688.58

ELGO Dimitra

Name: ELGO Dimitra

Address: Κourtidou 56 - 58 & Nirvana, 111 45 Athens, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: https://www.elgo.gr/

Total budget: EUR 116 641.20

IPA2 budget: EUR 99 145.02

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Partners and Projects info

Argjiro

Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Partners and Projects info

University “Eqrem Cabej”

Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Partners and Projects info

University of Ioannina - Research Committee

Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Partners and Projects info

ELGO Dimitra

Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Project acronym: CheeseCult

Project start date: 2019-12-01

Project end date: 2021-11-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 551 759.40

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 468 995.49

Co-financing sources:

IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 468 995.49.

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-07-22

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

293 / 293 (100%)

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Cheese route as an innovative cultural heritage driving force for rural tourism development in the cross-border area

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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