Context
The Middle and Lower Danube region comprises newer EU countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, possible candidates for accession such as Serbia, and countries that until now have had few links with Europe such as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The war in Yugoslavia and challenging democratisation processes have given rise to many political changes and are still undermining economic stability in the region. For the most part, tourism policy operates on a national rather than a regional basis. This situation has given rise to the idea of establishing a cooperation platform in the field of tourism, the Danube Competence Center (DCC). It aims to establish a Danube brand, create new jobs in the tourism sector and implement the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, which envisages that the countries along the Danube will form a coordinated macroregion.
Objective
The conditions for the promotion of regional, cross-border tourism have improved.
Approach
The Danube Competence Center (DCC) has been established to promote cross-border tourism, concentrating on economic development and tourism for both private and public actors in the tourism industry. It is a regional platform offering tourism services and promoting companies in the sector, and is intended to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular in the Middle and Lower Danube region.
Working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ supports the Danube Competence Center (DCC) in its activities as a regional cooperation and marketing platform in the areas of tourism and biodiversity. The Center is intended to act as a partner for the riparian states, the EU and other relevant institutions in the region. Its tasks include developing, launching and advertising regional tourism products. In addition, new quality standards for tourism services in the Danube region are to be developed and introduced. They are to contribute to the sustainable development of tourism and to the new ‘Danube brand’.
Results
The following results have been achieved within the framework of international cooperation:
• The Danube Competence Center has over 70 member organisations from all ten countries on the Danube, and finances its small, effective administrative structure independently.
• The DCC is the leading partner for several of the ministries and other tourism stakeholders in EU projects and services that are in demand.
• Members of the DCC have received advice and training, which has enabled them to expand their areas of activity in the region.
• New cross-border tourism measures have been developed in consultation with the DCC members and the Danube has been introduced as a regional tourism brand for the first time.
• In 2011, with support from the project, the ministries responsible for tourism in Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Serbia agreed on more in-depth cooperation between their countries on tourism in the Danube region. The DCC then implemented joint projects for cooperating on trade fairs, creating a Danube tourism web portal and implementing a project backed by the EU to advertise two regional culture routes (the Roman Emperors Route and the Danube Wine Route).
• The DCC has an advisory role in two working groups on the European Danube Strategy.
• The DCC is the only regional platform in the field of tourism which connects partners from all the Danube countries, the public and private sector and non-governmental organisations.