About us

The QuesTour project aims at increasing the value of unexplored cultural and historical routes and resources for tourism in the cross-border region Bulgaria-Serbia, improving the tourist sites and promoting the sustainable tourism. It focuses on boosting the level of community participation and commitment to the sustainable use of cross-border natural, cultural, and historical resources. It seeks ways to valorize and enhance the tourism experience through pilot initiatives, engaging local communities and the tourism resources. The collected data after a research about the region in interest, shows that it is less popular with tourists than other regions in both countries. The project started in April 2020 and will continue until July 2021. It is implemented through a partnership between National Tourism Cluster "Bulgarian Guide" (Bulgaria), ENECA - Association of Economic Experts (Serbia) and the Municipality of Vratsa (Bulgaria). QuesTour is funded by the EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria-Serbia 2014-2020 Programme.

Overall project objective

• Boosting the tourism potential of the cross-border region through sustainable use of natural, cultural and historical resources by involving local communities and tourist providers.

Project specific objectives are:

• to strengthen the awareness of sustainable and responsible tourism development in the border region;
• to foster recognition of the destination by joint collaborating actions exploring the natural, cultural and historical resources;
• to enhance the cultural interaction and networking among local communities;
• to create an interactive environment for collaboration and capacity building activities in the tourism and supporting industries.

• Business Model Generator (BMG) for sustainable use of the potential of natural and cultural heritage resources in the border region by involvement of local stakeholders
• Quest Tours - innovative promotion of cross-border natural and cultural heritage
• Elaboration of an online platform “www.QuesTour-project.eu” and mobile application
• Online trainings for sustainable tourism management
• Workshop “Best practices in sustainable tourism development and the “QuesTour” approach”
• “QuesTour” design competition for young people
• “QuesTour” Festival

is the lead partner of the project. It is a tourist organisation focused on the sustainable development of specialized types of tourism, including cultural heritage and cultural tourism, sustainable tourism development and encouraging the entrepreneurship development in the tourism sector. Its mission is linked to provide enriching travel experience to the “seeking” tourists and to support the sustainable development of tourism related SMEs through implementation of innovative approaches for provision of tourism services and packages. NTC has implemented several international tourist projects and activities, including digitalisation of tourist services.

National Tourism Cluster “Bulgarian Guide”
Bulgaria, 1404 Sofia, r.d. Gotse Delchev, 26 E Gen. Kiril Botev str.

is a local NGO from Niš, Serbia with more than 10 years of history in supporting youth entrepreneurship and the sustainable economic development. The experience and competences of ENECA include development of business plans and strategies, business education and vocational trainings. Since the establishment, numerous projects to encourage employment and support entrepreneurship were implemented, helping many people to secure economic independence for themselves and their families. ENECA has supported over 1,500 small businesses and more than 3.000 families throughout Serbia and Kosovo. Through different programs, special support has been given to different vulnerable groups: young people and women, refugees, IDPs, Roma, single parents, etc.

ENECA
Serbia, 18000 Nis, Nade Tomic 16/1

is located in North-western Bulgaria. It covers 23 settlements - the municipal and regional center of Vratsa and 22 villages. Located at the foot of the Vratsa Balkans, the city originates from a rich Thracian settlement. The first traces date back to the Neolithic era, and the first settlers in the area are from the Thracian tribe Tribali. Today, Vratsa is a large administrative, economic, and cultural center with a rich history. The natural landmarks and cultural - historical symbols of the city and the region make it a unique and desirable tourist destination for lovers of mountains, mountaineering, para- and hang-gliding, caving, adventure, cultural - historical, religious, festival, rural, eco and business tourism. Vratsa is a starting point for many caves, waterfalls, and interesting rock formations.

Municipality of Vratsa
Bulgaria, 3000 Vratsa, 6 “Stefanaki Savov” Str.