Development of adventure tourism based on natural values of the Banat region

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania Serbia

Date of latest update: 2025-03-18

Description

Description (EN):

The project aims precisely to encourage the development of adventure tourism in the cross-border region through the construction of the necessary infrastructure and capacity of tourism service providers and sector operators, analyzing and valorizing the tourism potential of the region and improving it, organizing the offer in the Romanian and Serbian CB regions, by creating a joint offer of tourist products and services, effectively increasing the competitiveness of the tourism sector through organized marketing campaigns while increasing the accessibility and visibility of the less developed tourist area. Tourism plays an important role in the economies of both countries and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant, prompting the need to restart tourism, with activities further diversifying and adapting to manage the ongoing transition to a more digitized, greener and more resilient society. The project provides a complex approach to the development of adventure tourism. Three partners were included in the program so that we can cover as large a geographical area as possible. The goal is to develop as many branches of adventure tourism as possible using natural resources. The demand for recreation in nature is increasing, especially among the middle class in the cities, who are overwhelmed by mass tourism. The Banat region, which is bisected by the border, offers excellent opportunities for this, as it has diverse natural features, good accessibility, both by road and air, and the accommodation capacities in its big cities are also excellent. For tourists, however, we need to build on our natural resources to offer adrenaline-pumping adventures that provide a few days of relaxation and recharging on top of the daily grind. In order to achieve all this, we will prepare a strategy for the development of adventure tourism in the region and a related marketing strategy. Target group are tourists with special interests, tourists who prefer natural heritage, lovers of nature, recreation and sports, and adventure activities. Also target group are various sports, hiking, rowing, riding, cycling, and trekking clubs and associations, tourist operators, municipalities, regional, sub-regional development agencies, tourist associations and boards, civil organizations active in the field of tourism and in the field of sports, professional bodies providing tourism-related services, and rural households. Activities: - Establishing two touristic information centres in Male Pijace and Otelec. During and after the project the two TIC are/will be in constant contact, as the two organizing points for adventure tourism in the region. No matter in which country a tourist comes to the TIC, they organize the desired adventure tour in cooperation. - Elaboration of the database of the service providers in adventure tourism in the CB region - Elaboration of the development and the marketing strategy of the adventure tourism of the Banat CB region. The development and marketing strategy of adventure tourism in Banat will represent a strategic framework and will give guidance to decision-makers about the potential and practices of further development of tourism and the local/regional economy in the project region. - Elaboration of the thematic adventuristic routes (Horse riding, carriage driving, hiking, off-road E-bikes quad and jeep off-road tours, birdwatching, kayaking). The joint tourist products that will be jointly promoted in this project will represent the initial capsule of the acceleration of adventure tourism activities in the Banat CB region. The project outputs and results under the common cross-border touristic action are designed to be recognizable and acknowledged by the wider circle of tourists and other stakeholders. The tourist adventure route can be enlarged, in terms of extension of geographic area and include more attractive sites and natural heritages. - Organizing education for rangers and greeters. The training will be organized for 20 people per country, the aim of which is for professional rangers and amateur guest-receiving greeters to learn basic tourism, hospitality, tour guide and foreign language skills without which tourists cannot be received. - Marketing activities. The purpose of the marketing activities is to make the tourism product created during the project visible on the world tourism market. - Building an ATV (Quad) track in Male Pijace - Purchasing equipment for 3 focal tourist points (Senta, Male Pijaće and Otelec) of adventure tours. The most important result of the project is establishing and functioning the Network of adventure tourism. The Network will be initialised by project partners. The important result of the project is to identify and forge an integrated group of tourism service providers who are involved in some form of adventure tourism, either as operators of attractions or as providers of additional services (accommodation, catering and etc.).

Expected Achievements (EN):

The goal is to put the Banat CB region on the map of those tourists who, by developing themed adventure tourism routes, for whom relaxation means exploring nature using different methods, and are therefore willing to make significant financial sacrifices. With the development of 8 types of cross-border thematic routes (Horse riding, carriage driving, hiking, off-road E-bikes, quad and jeep off-road tours, birdwatching, and kayaking), a tourist offer will be created, involving the already existing accommodation and dining capacities, which will offer various activities for interested tourists throughout the year. The goal is to make this offer known to the target group with the help of online and offline marketing tools, and in the upcoming period at least 50 tours with 500 tourists will start annually. To do this, we will train 20 rangers and greeters, and provide the equipment without which the tours cannot be carried out.

Project outputs: Established the network for adventure tourism(EN)
Banat and Timis regions - adventure tourism site (EN)

Thematic information

Tourism Infrastructure

Priority: (VI-A_RO-SR_2) Social and economic development

Priority specific objective: RSO4.6. Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO4 A more social and inclusive Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights

Type of intervention: 165 Protection, development and promotion of public tourism assets and tourism services

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: UDRUŽENJE GRAĐANA POKRET ZA MALE PIJACE MALE PIJACE

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 917620389

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 106077617 | 08902887 (EN)

Address: Aranj Janoša , 24416 Male Pijace , Serbia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.kispiac.rs/

Total budget: EUR 267 681.06

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 227 528.90

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 40 152.16

Asociatia Otelek Magyarul Magyarokert Egyesulet

Name: Asociatia Otelek Magyarul Magyarokert Egyesulet

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 883746146

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 34327024

Address: Pardani , 307447 Otelec , Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Total budget: EUR 207 744.85

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 176 583.12

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 31 161.73

UDRUŽENJE ZA RAZVOJ TURIZMA TISA PALIĆ KLASTER

Name: UDRUŽENJE ZA RAZVOJ TURIZMA TISA PALIĆ KLASTER

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 883746243

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 100851516 | 08691410 (EN)

Address: Radnoti Mikloša, 24400 Senta, Serbia

Department address: Serbia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Total budget: EUR 247 314.66

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 210 217.46

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 097.20

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Development of adventure tourism based on natural values of the Banat region

Project acronym: Avantur Banat

Project ID: RORS00173

Project start date: 2024-12-24

Project end date: 2026-12-23

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Master Plan for National Tourism of Romania 2007 - 2026, Its main objectives are: "(1) Increasing foreign exchange earnings; (2) Bringing the Romanian economy and society to the existing level in the EU; (3) Increasing the quality of life; (4) Sustainable exploitation of Romanian cultural identity; (5) Sustainable use of natural and material resources in Romania; and (6) Ensuring access to the benefits of tourism across the entire country. (EN) | The project is focusing on the Sustainable use of natural and material resources in Romania, and Ensuring access to the benefits of tourism across the entire country.
With its activities, the project contributes to the operationalization of the main objectives of the Master Plan for National Tourism of Romania 2007 - 2026 at the local and regional levels and animates the population in the realization of the main objectives. Through synergistic action, the planned objectives are implemented in the real life of people. (EN), The national tourism strategy of Serbia has set itself the objective to promote its natural values and attractions and catch up in the development of the tourism industry with more developed countries. (EN) | The project supports the achievement of these goals because it connects two continental regions that have many common points. Cooperation between the two regions will establish touristic infrastructure and equipment project partners with quality touristic equipment, as well as enhance better mobility of the local and regional populations and tourists. Master plans at the level of regions and municipalities, as one of the strategic directions points out exactly cross-border linkages in the development of the tourism sector. The popularity of individual tourism products should be spread out from the local to the regional level, which is generated by the activities of this project. (EN), In the past decade, several CBC projects have been implemented which are focused on touristic issues in the CB region. Some examples are: VISIT ME!!! A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF CROSS-BORDER CITIES THROUGH TOURISTIC SIGHTS, Challenge and opportunity for tourism development in our common county, Tour de Banat, etc. (EN) | Furthermore, on basis of the new developed touristic routes, and the Marketing and Development Strategy of adventure tourism supported with a strong marketing campaign will attract new profiles of tourists in the region. The touristic routes will be customized according to special needs, desired destinations, spatial requirements, time, costs, and quality features of tourists.
This project intends to take over such best practices and good experiences created by previous projects and to implement them in actual circumstances. The advance of the above-mentioned projects is that they not only complement each other but they reach a reinforcing effect, thereby increasing the synergistic results.
(EN), Project: Banat touristic cycling route connection, Project ID: RORS-379 (EN) | The project focused on increasing the demand for cross-border tourism regions through the development of a package of themed cycling routes and joint branding and marketing activities. Using the knowledge gained from this project, we want to apply and expand it with new knowledge in the Adventure project. Thematic cycling routes will be only one of the 8 thematic routes developed on this project. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 722 740.57

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 614 329.48

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%

Co-financing sources:

IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 614 329.48. Co-financing rate, 85.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Infrastructure investments:

I1.1 - Formation the tourist information centre (MP) - EUR 63 300.00 - country: Serbia (RS), town: Male Pijace , street: Vašarište, 4, postal_code: 24416, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (RS12), Severnobanatska oblast (RS124)
I1.2 - Building the ATV (quad) track - EUR 25 700.00 - country: Serbia (RS), town: Male Pijace , street: cadastral plots nr. 16585, 16586, 16589, 16591/1,, n/a, postal_code: 24416, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (RS12), Severnobanatska oblast (RS124)

Deliverables:

Elaborated development and marketing strategy for the adventure tourism
Data base
Elaborated thematic routes
Organized test tour
Data collected
Online marketing material
Printed marketing material
Fairs
Renovated premises in Male Pijace
Purchased equipment in Male Pijace
Purchased equipment in Otelec
Training material
Attendees
Purchased equipment for adventure tours - Male Pijace
Purchased equipment for adventure tours - Tisa Palic
Purchased equipment for adventure tours - Otelec
Built ATV track

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyDanubeRegion Some of the main objectives of the Danube Strategy are:
- Promote the Danube region as a high-quality and diverse tourist destination, with a strong focus on cultural and natural heritage, and develop new products and services that meet the growing needs of tourists.
- Promoting sustainable tourism practices, such as eco-tourism and responsible tourism, and supporting the preservation of the region's natural and cultural heritage.
- Promote the region as a destination for year-round tourism and develop strategies for tourism management during peak and off-peak seasons.
- Encouraging cooperation and coordination between participating countries in the region and with other EU regions, with the aim of promoting the region as a whole and increasing the competitiveness of the tourism sector in the region.
- Develop and promote specific tourism segments such as health, cultural, business, sports, and educational tourism.
- Support for the development of tourist infrastructure, especially in the area of accommodation and services in the region.
The Danube Strategy / EUSDR / preferred synergy between partners, exchange of knowledge, growth, the opening of the region inwards and outwards, and finding solutions to challenges which are the objectives of the project.
The project is based on the context and requirements of this strategy and its activities are aimed at supporting the development of tourist infrastructure and services in the region, as well as at the development and promotion of specific segments of tourism (adventure tourism). And this project aims to jointly support project partners to attract not only people coming from other regions to visit both cross-border regions but also to give incentives to people living in one of these two cross-border regions to visit the other. All in all, EU tourism policies and strategies form the starting point and basis in which our project is embedded.
EUStrategyAdriaticIonianRegion Some of the main objectives of the EUSAIR for tourism are:
- To promote the region as a high-quality, sustainable, and diverse tourism destination, with a strong focus on cultural and natural heritage, and to develop new products and services that meet the evolving needs of tourists;
- To promote the region as a destination for year-round tourism, and to develop strategies for managing tourism during peak and off-peak seasons;
- To foster cooperation and coordination among the participating countries in the region and with other EU regions, in order to promote the region as a whole and to enhance the competitiveness of the region's tourism sector.
This project within this strategy highlighted the formation of new interregional tourism products and services. These tourism products will promote natural heritage, improve access for special groups of people and extend the tourist season, all of which are important for this Strategy. Joint cooperation within this project will: advance diversification efforts in a sustainable manner; promote the value of the region; and it will overcome the model of seasonal work. The emphasis is on the diversity of the tourist offer, the constant quality of the services provided, and the innovative approach. The project will put a special focus on responsible tourism management through a joint development and marketing strategy for the development of adventure tourism in Banat. Sustainable tourism has resources for further development since the hinterland of these macro-regions is not adequately connected to large urban centres. The project integrates the tourism development of two regions with similar specificities
TerritorialAgenda2030 In relation to tourism, the Territorial Agenda 2030 has several objectives, some of which are:
- To promote sustainable and inclusive territorial development, by fostering the development of sustainable tourism products and services and by encouraging the participation of local communities in the tourism sector.
- To promote sustainable tourism practices, such as eco-tourism and responsible tourism, and to support the conservation of the region's natural and cultural heritage.
- To promote the development of year-round tourism and to develop strategies for managing tourism during peak and off-peak seasons.
- To support the development of sustainable and smart tourism in rural and peripheral areas and to promote sustainable tourism as a means of revitalizing these areas and preserving their natural and cultural heritage.
The project is based on the context and requirements of this strategy and its activities are aimed at highlighting the differences but also the connection of the common elements. Promoting sustainable and inclusive territorial development and supporting the development of sustainable tourism in rural and peripheral areas as a means of revitalizing these areas are expected multiple benefits. And this project intends to support project partners together to establish necessary touristic infrastructure through investments, to develop and promote new touristic services and attract not only people coming from other regions to visit both cross-border regions but also to give an incentive to people living in one of these two cross-border regions to visit the other one. All in all, the tourism policies and strategies of the EU make the starting point and the base in which our project is incorporated.
Other Master Plan for National Tourism Development in Romania (2007 - 2026) provides strategic directions toward sustainable tourism development in Romania in order to achieve other strategic economic priorities.
The major plan document in Serbia which governs this area is the Tourism Strategy of the Republic of Serbia in which touring, cycling and rural tourism are defined as key products.
The AP Vojvodina Tourism Development Program 2023-2025 is currently under public discussion. One of the recognized areas of development is sports and adventure tourism on the territory of Vojvodina.

Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:

Serbia (RS), Senta , Radnoti Mikloša , 46 , 24400
Serbia (RS), Male Pijace , Vašarište , 4, 24416
România (RO), Otelec, Pardani, 373A, 307447
România (RO), Otelec, Pardani, 373A, 307447

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 077 - Number of cultural and tourism sites supported, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 077 - Visitors of cultural and tourism sites supported, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSAIR

EUSAIR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSAIR Degree of compliance:

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania Serbia

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

2025-03-18

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

26 / 26 (100%)

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

71 / 71 (100%)

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Development of adventure tourism based on natural values of the Banat region

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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