Amazing AoE Responsible Green Destination Amazon of Europe

date: 18.09.2020

category: News

Project Amazing AoE aims to enhance sustainable economic growth and tourism development based on distinctive natural and cultural heritage, which will result in collaboration network of key actors and enabling environment for high-quality tourism, responding to limited resources of ecosystems. Amazing AoE will bring sustainable development opportunities for managing diversity of natural and cultural heritage and resources in AoE from local to transnational level, while enabling unique experiences for international visitors.

UNESCO Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Mura Drava Danube (TBR MDD) is connecting 12 protected areas and uniting 5 countries along 3 rivers into first world pentalateral biosphere reserve. The area known as Amazon of Europe (AoE) represents the largest and most preserved free-flowing river system in Central Europe. Pristine natural beauty, endangered habitats and diverse cultural traditions have enormous potential for sustainable tourism, while underdeveloped border regions face lack of capacities, unemployment and emigration.

DTP project AoE Bike Trail is the first development project in TBR MDD, connecting key stakeholders into one linear biking product. The results (network, booking system, valorisation programme) will be substantially upgraded with this project into truly responsible destination AoE, by developing much-needed joint strategies, IT solutions and learning interactions at significantly broader destination level.

AoE destination will be a joint and integrated solution for sustainable tourism, including:

• Responsible Green Destination Tourism Impact Model (RGD TIM model), combining social and technological innovation;
• joint strategy and management model for the destination,
• joint flagship tourism products connecting top experiences along the rivers: River Trail, Hiking Trails, AoE Experiences,
• six digital investments,
• model validation in 2 transnational pilot areas and training stakeholders for responsible green destination.

Arctur’s role:

• develop RGD TIM model and test it in a new geographic territory together with stakeholders to enable data collection to support decision making on all levels.
• Introduce the concept of Tourism 4.0 and its products (Digital Passport, Collaboration Impact Token) to Danube region to reach new potential users and partners in building sustainable tourism development, effective management of tourism flows, personalisation of tourist experience and boosting positive impact.

Project partners:

Iskriva, institute for development of local potentials, Slovenia (lead partner)

Arctur Ltd., Slovenia

Municipality of Velika Polana, Slovenia

West Pannon Regional and Economic Development Public Nonprofit Ltd., Hungary

CROST Regional Development Nonprofit Ltd., Hungary

Tourism Board of Međimurje County, Croatia

Osijek-Baranya County, Croatia

Association for nature and environment protection Green Osijek, Croatia

Koprivnica Križevci County, Croatia

Varaždin County, Croatia

Trail Angels GmbH, Austria

8Cities, Austria

Municipality of Apatin, Serbia

City of Sombor, Serbia

Associated partners

Ministry of Tourism, Croatia

Active and Ecotourism Development Center, Hungary

World Wide Fund for Nature Austria, Austria

Zala County Government, Hungary

Government of Somogy County, Hungary

Government of Baranya County, Hungary

Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board, Croatia

Tourist Board of Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia

Varazdin County Tourist Board, Croatia

Public institution Kopacki rit Nature Park, Croatia

Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, Slovenia

Slovenian Tourist Board, Slovenia

Tourist Association of Slovenia, Slovenia

Thermenland Süd- & Oststeiermark Marketing GmbH AT, Austria

Central Podravina Tourist Board, Croatia

You can find more information on the project website.

Start-End: July 2020 – December 2022

Co-financed by: Interreg Danube Transnational Programme (ERDF, IPA)

Value of the project: 2.4 Mio EUR