On 26 and 27 January 2026, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa organised the first stakeholder meetings in the pilot locations of Bistrets district (Vratsa) and Zgorigrad within the project “People Powered Tourism: empowerment of local communities through co-designing experience based transformative travel to enhance visitor economy”, funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme (DRP) 2021–2027.
The partnership brings together 14 organisations from 10 countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe, led by the Municipality of Szeged (Hungary). The project addresses contemporary challenges in tourism by promoting the “visitor economy” model — an approach that places visitors and local communities at the centre of development. This model positions people as the main drivers of sustainable development, highlighting the importance of human relationships, local identities and personalised experiences that create added value for local economies.
The two events aimed to build on the already mapped natural, cultural, culinary and historical resources of each location by developing priority lists of natural and cultural attractions, local flavours and cuisine, historical heritage and traditions. Participants worked both individually and in groups during facilitated discussions designed to consolidate perspectives. Throughout the process, a number of key local assets and advantages were also identified, which will be important in presenting both locations as attractive and desirable tourist destinations.
The lists developed during the meetings will be used to create a “Catalogue of Local Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which will serve as a foundation for the development of a visitor-oriented local economy.
