On December 19, 2025, the Center for Development of the Eastern Planning Region organized the initial press conference for the project “Integrated Development of Recognizable Cultural and Close-to-Nature Tourism in the Eastern Planning Region and Blagoevgrad Region”.
The project includes a broad partnership of 7 organizations in which the Center for Development of the Eastern Planning Region is the lead partner. On the Macedonian side, the partner institution is the Municipality of Shtip, while on the Bulgarian side, the partners are the Municipality of Goce Delchev, the Municipality of Sandanski, the Association of Entrepreneurs of the Goce Delchev Region, the Tourist Association “Momini Dvori” and the Savremie Association
The press conference, which was held at the Oasis Hotel in Shtip, was also attended by representatives of the other project partners, the Minister of Local Self-Government Zlatko Perinski and the Deputy Minister for European Affairs Viktorija Trajkov.
The project “Integrated development of recognizable cultural and close-to-nature tourism in the Eastern Planning Region and Blagoevgrad Region” with minimal interventions aims to create several thematic tourism packages that will be attractive to every visitor and will improve the current situation in tourism in the cross-border region, thereby adding additional value.
The project contains an investment part and a part for strengthening capacities and preparing significant strategic documents. In terms of investment activities, the activities are focused on the Osogovo Mountains and improving the existing tourism infrastructure in terms of the long-standing idea of reviving this part of the region as a well-known and attractive tourist offer, as well as complementary activities for improving the tourism infrastructure in Sandanski and Goce Delchev.
In order to overcome the challenges of the cross-border area, the project with soft measures will include local and regional authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises, non-governmental organizations, local population and tourists as target groups.
The project “Integrated development of distinctive cultural and close-to-nature tourism in the Eastern Planning Region and Blagoevgrad Region” is funded by the Interreg VI-A IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme with Bulgaria, in which the lead partner is the Center for Development of the Eastern Planning Region.
The total value of the project is €1,054,056.20 and will be implemented by April 2, 2027.
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