What is I-TOUR?
Τhe Interreg IPA CBC Programme ”Greece – Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020” is a cross-border cooperation Programme co-financed by the European Union under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II). The strategy statement of the Programme is “to enhance territorial cohesion by improving living standards and employment opportunities holding respect to the environment and by using the natural resources for upgrading of the tourism product”. The total budget of the Programme for the period 2014-2020 is €45.470.066,00.
I-TOUR engages broad platform of public, private, civil, academia and media stakeholders in tackling the problem of non-existing cross border sustainable and competitive tourism product. Cross border regions Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki poses abundance of natural, anthropological and cultural assets that remain relatively unknown to domestic and foreign potential tourists. Overall objective of the project is to contribute to improve the overall development of the cross-border regions Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki by enhanced and sustainable utilization of their tourism potentials. I-TOUR for the first time will map all tourism potentials, develop, evaluate, improve and promote a cross border tourism products ready to be marketed at domestic and international market. Main outputs of the project will be three cross border adventure tourism products developed, tested, evaluated by cross-border tourist and nationally and internationally promoted.
Who are the beneficiaries?
Benefit from the project will have at least 400.000 citizens in Pelagonija, Florina and Thessaloniki region, out of which at least 30.000 live in rural areas. In the tourism sector project beneficiaries will includes at least 100 service providers, 10 tour operators, 15 local self-government units, 50 civil organizations, 3 cultural preservation institutions and 5 protected areas. I-TOUR approach will give strong value on inclusion of all tourism sector stakeholders including municipalities, regions, faculties, hotels, motels, B&Bs, tour operators, tour guides, protected areas, cultural institutions at the same time foreseeing clear-cut interventions into tourism product itself.
This webpage has been produced with the financial assistance of the
European Union. The contents of the webpage are the sole responsibility of the University of Macedonia and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, the participating countries and the Managing Authority.
See more
National Park Pelister University ST. Kliment Ohridski – Bitola, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality – OhridCenter for development of Pelagonija regionManagment Body of Prespa National ParkUniversity of Macedonia- Department of Business Administrationwww.ipa-cbc-programme.euhttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm