In the period 23–26 February 2026, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa actively participated in the second partner meeting of the “People Powered Tourism” project, funded under the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027.
The meeting took place in the city of Timișoara, Romania, and was organized by the Destination Management Organization Timișoara – a project partner. More than 30 representatives from the 10 partner countries attended the meeting, discussing the progress achieved so far, the preparation of pilot initiatives, and the next steps of the project.
As part of the agenda, each partner delivered a presentation on capacity-building activities, mapping, and validation, based posters, prepared in advance of the meeting. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa, Ms. Maya Milova, Executive Director of CCI Vratsa, and Ms. Gergana Konova, European Programs and Projects Expert, presented the two pilot locations in Bulgaria – the Bistrets district and the village of Zgorigrad, outlining the activities implemented in each location and their collaboration with local communities. Pilot ideas for the development of tourism services in both locations were also showcased.
Participants also visited the two pilot locations of the Timișoara partners – Fabric and Parța. On February 24th, a tour was held in the peripheral urban pilot area of Fabric, where participants explored good practices for sustainable tourism in an urban context, including support for local artists and initiatives promoting ethical consumption of materials. On the final day, the rural pilot location of Parța was visited, presenting the local context and development opportunities. Each partner evaluated the pilot activities and provided recommendations on how to further improve them in order to unlock the full potential of the locations.
The participation of CCI Vratsa contributed to an active exchange of experience and good practices in the field of sustainable and community-based tourism.
