Bulgaria: Special tourist packages for day trips aiming at visitors of the coastal region Bulgarian
Type of environment: beach recreation Partners involved: Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA) Bulgarian Black sea municipalities have limited experience and knowledge about sustainable mobility. Therefore, the Bulgarian pilot actions in the STREAM project were in the first place aiming at the promotion and popularization of the concept of sustainable mobility. The process started with the establishment of a working group with representatives of the main local stakeholders, and a lot of consultation and awareness raising activities.  Finally, green transport routes for citizens and tourists were developed, implemented and promoted for three selected pilot sites, all three protected areas in the Black Sea coastal zone: Baltata Area next to Albena Tourist Resort (Balchik Municipality); Atanasovsko Lake next to Bourgas (Burgas Municipality); Standing Stones (Aksakovo Municipality).   Mobilizing stakeholders   The following steps were taken in the preparation phase:   Review of the municipal development plans of the three pilot municipalities, in order to analyse how tourist development is presented and to identify opportunities for STREAM. Review of the three municipalities’ physical opportunities for development of sustainable alternatives. Organization of three brain-storming sessions on developing concrete “green transport” solutions for the pilot municipalities with municipal experts, spatial planning experts and transport experts. Three public hearings and press-conferences in the pilot municipalities. Adaptation of the plans following the results of the consultations. In a second phase, the STREAM actions were developed in co-operation with all the stakeholders:  regional and local authorities, the tourist sector, and local citizens. The most crucial partners were municipal administrations of the selected pilot sites. They provided experts in spatial planning and transport planning.   A bicycle route to and eco-trails in Atanasovsko Lake area, Burgas   The analysis of the physical opportunities for development of sustainable transport alternatives showed that the Atanasovsko Lake site is accessible only by on demand bus service. Complementary to that, the STREAM-team developed a “green corridor” connecting the main multimodal transport center of the City of Bourgas with Atanasovsko lake. A cycle route of more then 8 km was marked and signposted. This is now the first marked bicycle route in Bourgas. On the territory of Atanasovsko Lake, 3 ecological trails were identified: “Green eco-path”– showing the biological diversity of the protected area; “White eco-path”- the discovery of a unique salt production method; “Red eco-path” – about the healing potentials of mud and brine. These trails can only be done walking, cycling or using the traditional salt train.
The cycle route in Bourgas was officially opened in December 2007. A crucial element in the success of the project was the strong support of the Municipality of Bourgas. Green routes on the site (including the eco-tourism product called eco-journey „Birds and Salt”) were developed in collaboration with the Regional Inspection on Environment and Water (RIEW) - Bourgas and the Salt production company “Chernomorski solnitzi”AD.     Promotion of “Green transport packages” for the three sites Info-packages have been developed for distribution among tour-operators, tourist agencies, hotels, and tourist information offices in the Black Sea region. They contain (1) an information brochure, presenting the sites, the sustainable transport options to the site and green routes on the site, (2) access maps, (3) a poster promoting sustainable mobility in the Bulgarian Black Sea Region and (4) flyers promoting the concept of sustainable mobility to recreational destinations and for recreational purposes.    Information and promotion campaigns     A concept was developed for the promotion and communication about the sustainable transport solutions to the three sites, aiming at international and Bulgarian tourists, residing in the Bulgarian Black Sea region, as well as local people. Short resumes of the project in Bulgarian and English were sent to all identified stakeholders. A special website was designed for the project (http://www.ubbsla.org/stream). It contains information about the project and running activities, information about sustainable access to the sites, promotion and information materials. Because of the importance of awareness raising and promoting the concept of sustainable mobility, many expert meetings, presentations, pubic hearings etc. were organized throughout the project. The packages for all three pilot sites were presented at regional tourist fairs and exhibitions.   In Bourgas, two special promotional events were organised : 1. Carfree day and testing of the cycle route in the International Mobility Week. 2. Journalism contest around the eco-trails in Atanasovsko lake for students from Bourgas schools.   Home Updated 06.02.09